HDMI cable extension

Method 1: HDMI Repeater

The most common and cheapest way to extend a HDMI cable is to use a special device called a repeater. The device combines two HDMI cables and is equipped with two connectors: one for input and one for output. The connection is serial, which allows the signal to be transmitted at a distance of up to 40 meters without loss of sound or image quality.

The principle of the repeater is quite simple: the device receives the signal, amplifies its power and retransmits it to another device. Most repeaters use an equalizer to stabilize the signal so that content playback is of sufficient quality on the receiver.

Repeater models vary in their ability to extend the length of the HDMI cable. Most range between 30 and 40 meters when two cables of 15 and 20 meters are connected respectively.

Method 2: Twisted Pair (UTP)

Another inexpensive way to extend your HDMI cable is to use a twisted-pair type cable. In this case, you will need a set of switches with connectors for the HDMI cable and the RJ-45 connector. Between these units is a network cable (twisted pair) with terminals crimped on the edges.

The quality of the received signal can vary and depends on the section of the cable. It is also important that the core s are as tight as possible to avoid loss of signal quality.

The transmission distance can be up to 100 meters with FullHD (1080p) resolution of the transmitted image or 120 meters with HD (720p). The use of external transmitters is recommended for distances of 25 meters or more.

Method 3: Coax Cable

To extend the transmission distance through HDMI, a coaxial cable, or HD SDI, is often used. It is a professional interface used by engineers in television, but is suitable for home use due to its low cost and versatility.

The extension will require a set of special devices with coaxial cable inputs on one side and an HDMI connector on the other.

To avoid signal compression or to transmit content in high-quality 4K resolution, a more advanced technology, HDBase-T, can be used. It has a bandwidth of up to 10,2 GB/s and provides a connection length of up to 100 m. This HDMI upscaling method is not popular and is mostly used for business purposes.

Coaxial cable is capable of transmitting an uncompressed HD signal, providing extension lengths of up to 100m and 120m with image resolutions of 1080p and 720p respectively.

Method 4: Fiber Optic

The extension of an HDMI cable with a fiber optic cable It is done in the same way as the previous method. This transmits the signal in HD quality with minimal loss. The connection requires two switches with matching connectors, a fiber optic cable, and two HDMI cables. It is enough to connect the construction.

This method is unique in that it provides a transmission distance of up to 20 km, but it is also the most expensive.

One of the main advantages of optics is the stability of the signal, since it is not affected by the electromagnetic fields generated by cables running in parallel. The transmission is by light waves and not by electricity.

Method 5: Wireless Transmission

Wireless signal transmission is becoming more and more popular: the transmission is lossless and without compression. Also, it is possible to form a system without paying attention to the environment and obstacles in the room.

A wireless channel is created to extend the distance of the HDMI signal with a set of equipment. The transmitter connects to the broadcast source: a mobile device, a satellite receiver or a laptop. The receiver is inserted into the device that will receive the signal.

The models use different signal transmission standards, and the scope and quality of the broadcast depend on this. The most common technology is Wi-Fi 802.11n, which operates at 2,4 GHz or 5 GHz. The range is up to 30 meters in line of sight. But when media content is output, there is compression, so the image quality is degraded.

WHDI (Wireless Home Digital Interface) technology is usually used, in which transmission is at 5 GHz and speeds can reach 3 Gbps. This allows the transmission of video content at 1080 pixels, as well as multi-channel audio. Image quality is not compromised as special video coding technology is used to eliminate interference during reception and transmission of content.

Read also: How to find out the version of your HDMI cable