Does the length of HDMI cable matter? Yes, the length of an HDMI cable matters. A shorter HDMI cable has less distance for the signal to travel, which will result in less signal loss. A longer HDMI cable will require the signal to travel for a greater distance, and end up with lower quality picture and audio.
Like many audio, video, and data cables, HDMI cords can suffer from signal degradation at longer lengths—50 feet is generally considered the maximum reliable length. And it's rare to see an HDMI cable longer than 25 feet in a store. Even online, cables more than 50 feet long can be hard to find.
For most home or office setups, a cable length of 6-10 feet (2-3 meters) is sufficient for connecting devices to displays or projectors. If you need to connect devices over longer distances, it is recommended to use a signal booster or HDMI repeater to maintain signal integrity.
If your HDMI cable is working correctly, you should not see any difference in picture quality. However, if you're experiencing issues with your picture quality, it's worth considering the length and quality of your HDMI cable, as well as its ability to handle higher resolutions and frame rates.
SDI can run up to 100m in cable length in 1080p50/60 (3 Gbit/s), while HDMI can stretch to a maximum of 15m in the same bandwidth. There are several ways of extending HDMI beyond that 15m.
High Speed HDMI Cable -
Designed and tested to support video resolutions of 1080p and more, including display technologies such as 4K UHD, 3D and Deep Colour. This is a recommended cable if you are using any of these technologies or connecting your 1080p display to a 1080p content source e.g. a Blu-ray Disc player.
HDMI Category 1 - also referred to as Standard HDMI cables will easily reach up to 5 metres without any problems and in ideal conditions will transmit over distances of up to 20 metres. But remember! - before running any longer cable distances through walls or ceilings, etc - test your system first!
When it comes down to 4K TV, you do not need to pick up special HDMI cables. The HDMI cable standard can impact color and resolution, but newer versions are not required for 4K TV.
For consumers, it's important to understand the differences in cables to get the best HDMI cable without paying an arm and a leg. The “4k HDMI” label is mostly marketing, so it doesn't mean a specific feature that will improve image quality.
But, you may start to wonder if the length of HDMI cables is going to have an effect on the quality. Does the length of HDMI cables matter? The length of an HDMI cable does have a negative effect on signal quality, with manufacturers generally not recommending cables over 20 feet.
For resolutions near 4K, it's recommended to use an HDMI cable that is no longer than 3 meters (10 feet). After that distance, the signal can start to degrade. For lower resolutions, the reliable distance is much longer, with the most common being 15 meters (50 feet).
It doesn't matter how long the cable is, it is the electronics in the TV that define the input lag value. After all, we are talking about difference in nanoseconds here since signal moves inside the HDMI cable at 85% of the Speed of Light, making these lengths too small for any significant difference.
So even though you can get cables that are over 30 feet long from manufacturers, our experts don't recommend going over 20 feet if you can help it. That is the maximum recommended length for minimal signal loss and placement flexibility.
The real problem with long HDMI cables is the bandwidth. Devices that are passing through a 1080p image require a minimum of 4.95 Gbps. For a 4k movie, that jumps up to 18Gbps. If you are gaming at 4k/120Hz with VRR and ALLM, you might need up to 40Gbps.
The easiest way to figure out if an HDMI cable is 4K compatible is to check its speed rating or its maximum bandwidth. A cable rated at 18 Gbps maximum bandwidth is fast enough to give you 4K video. If your HDMI cable is labeled “high speed,” it should be able to pass a 4K signal at lengths of up to three meters.
Can a very expensive HDMI cable show a better picture and sound quality than a cheaper one? The quick answer is no. An HDMI cable, regardless of the materials used, can either transmit a signal or not – there's no in-between. An expensive HDMI doesn't produce richer colors or crisper sound than cheaper versions.
If you are wondering about whether your existing HDMI cable will work, it is possible that you will not need to upgrade to one that is “4K-compatible.” Any HDMI cable up to five meters in length labeled “high speed” should be able to handle the increased bandwidth of 4K signals.
Although it is true that gold-plated cables are superior to regular cables, probably the main difference is the maximum bandwidth. While regular cables can achieve maximum transfers of 10 Gbit/s, a gold-plated cable can go up to 17 Gbit/s.
You want to be on top of everything and get a more detailed insight into this hot topic for home theatre enthusiasts like you? Let's go deeper into the improvements that HDMI 2.1 can offer. HDMI 2.1 allows for higher resolutions like 8K and higher frame rates of up to 120 frames per second (fps).
HDMI 2.1 is only needed if you want to use HDMI with 4K over 60Hz. This applies to consoles, as on PC you can get the same performance with DisplayPort 1.4, which is readily available.
That being said, HDMI cables that are longer than 50 feet (or 15 meters) in length can result in interference, often in the form of signal drops or blocky artifacts. In some cases, the delay spec inside a long HDMI cable can even end up damaging the cable itself.
Yes, two HDMI cables can be connected together using an HDMI repeater. This does not only connect two HDMI wires but also boosts the quality of the data signal coming from the source gadget to the output. HDMI extender coupled with ethernet cables is also a possible way to connect two wires together.
Between 15-20m. Use a very quality HDMI cable. If you're having trouble with the HDMI picture a HDMI repeater, sometimes referred to as a HDMI clocker/ re-clocker can be installed near the TV to help extend the HDMI signal length.
Standard HDMI: Up to 720p or 1080i resolution at a 30Hz refresh rate. High Speed HDMI: Up to 4K resolution (including 1080p) at a 30Hz refresh rate. Premium High Speed HDMI: Up to 4K resolution with high dynamic range (HDR) at up to a 60Hz refresh rate.