Does the length of HDMI cable matter?

Question

How far can you stretch your HDMI wiring that sends high bandwidth video signals without experiencing some degradation of HDTV quality. We want to put our components in a nearby closet instead of directly underneath the wall mounted TV. We estimated about 15 feet.

Answer 1

The HDMI specification does not define a maximum cable length. As with all cables, signal attenuation becomes too high at a certain length.

The signal attenuation and intersymbol interference caused by the cables can be compensated by using Adaptive Equalization.

HDMI 1.3 defined two categories of cables: Category 1 (standard or HDTV) and Category 2 (high-speed or greater than HDTV)

to reduce the confusion about which cables support which video formats. Using 28 AWG, a cable of about 5 meters (~16 ft) can be manufactured easily and inexpensively to Category 1 specifications.

Higher-quality construction can reach lengths of 12 to 15 meters (~39 to 49 ft). In addition, active cables (fiber optic or dual Cat-5 cables instead of standard copper) can be used to extend HDMI to 100 metres or more. Some companies also offer amplifiers, equalizers and repeaters that can string several standard (non-active) HDMI cables together.

Answer 2

I have installed 2 Phoenix gold 30 footers for the same type of setup and no signal difference can be seen. My Tech buddy tells me they can run up to 100ft or more. In the same breath he also told me for those runs you may need an inline signal booster.

Answer 3

If you get really cheap walmart HDMI cables then 15 ft or more you might get some problems.....I would go with a mid-priced cable. Some say Monster Cable is too expensive, but they guarantee the cable for life and if a higher bandwidth comes out they will upgrade your HDMI cable to one that supports the new bandwidth.

Answer 4

I wouldn't go much over 15 feet with an HDMI or DVI cable.  Coaxial (cable TV wires) are able to be routed hundreds of feet without errors, but these cables are done in Twisted Pair fashion and has a high impedence (resistance) which means you will have some signal loss.  I'm not an electrical engineer, but from what I understand they are only good for about 20 feet at best and that is if you use very good quality cables.  Don't go to Circuit City or Best Buy to get them and a 15 foot cable should be somewhere over $100.

I found a website with some info on this:

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/h...

Answer 5

It is all relative...really....for example....if you put a microwave on top of a 3ft cord and run it you will see degredation in picture....however if you run a 20 ft cable....you may experience Perfect quality....it is all relative to what you have around you....

Now....the real question is....how well does air circulate in the closet?  I wouldn't put my components in a closet with a shut door and poor circulation....not to mention....how are you planning on changing the channel?  Are you planning on going into the closet every time you want to watch a movie or turn up the surround sound system?  Just some little things to think about before moving your setup into the closet....

Answer 6

HDMI runs under 25ft should not be a problem with any cables.  If you run HDMI for over 25ft, you will need to use a repeater - something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BNY...

I use cables from MONOPRICE - 2x15ft runs, and a bunch of short runs - no problems!

Answer 7

Basically, a digital signal either works or it doesn't ... you don't get gradual degradation with distance as with analog.

HDMI CAN work up to 100 ft or so, but ONLY with careful design and top quality cables.

At short distance (<10 ft) cable quality is more an issue of physical construction than anything else. At longer distances it's more a matter what distance it fails at. At 15 feet you are getting into a length that cable design/quality does matter.

Read the articles at the links for more info.

There are many good sources, but many people seem to find the cables from Blue Jeans Cables to offer good quality and reasonable prices. The HDMI 1.3 Category 2 cables form Monoprice (See Link 3) are another option at a bit lower price. In no case do you need to consider the expensive brands like Monster.

I hope that helps.