HDMI cables are the backbone of modern audiovisual setups, connecting everything from TVs and projectors to gaming consoles and home theater systems. But with various cable types, connector formats, and performance factors to consider, choosing the right HDMI cable can be confusing.
In this ultimate guide, we break down the different HDMI cable types, explain how wire gauges impact performance, discuss connector options, and cover important details like refresh rates, bandwidth, and long-distance cable extensions.
WHAT ARE CL2 AND CL3 HDMI CABLES?
Never overlook safety when making a cabling decision. The wrong cable in the wrong place can lead to significant safety hazards, as different coatings and materials used in the cable design dictate that solutions are used in specific ways. For HDMI wires, most solutions are not designed for in-wall use. Instead, a standard HDMI cable should only be used externally to ensure safety. However, any wire with the CL2 or CL3 designation has been treated in such a way that it can be used within the wall.
CL2 and CL3 HDMI cables are coated with a special material that releases less toxic gas when the cable catches on fire. The lower toxicity makes the wire safe to burn, making it a much better alternative to standard HDMI cables in the event of a fire or overheating.
This added safety is key because it provides the protection necessary to put HDMI cables inside walls while still complying with the National Electric Code. CL2 cables are certified to carry up to 150 volts and are designed for residential deployments, while CL3 wires can handle 300 volts and are intended for use in commercial settings.
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TYPES OF HDMI CABLES
The HDMI® cable features an internal wiring architecture that makes the solution applicable for a variety of purposes. With that in mind, let's take a look at the various HDMI cable types that are available:
Standard HDMI cable
The standard HDMI cable is exactly what you'd expect. It carries high-definition video and audio from a source device to the monitor, TV screen, projector or similar display solution.
Standard HDMI cable with Ethernet
The name says it all here. The standard HDMI cable with Internet does everything that a standard HDMI solution - carrying HD video and audio between devices - while also serving as an Ethernet connection between those two devices. It is important to note that the devices at both sides of the connection need to be equipped with HDMI Ethernet Channel ports to make the solution work.
Standard automotive HDMI cable
This HDMI cable is designed to meet the unique signal requirements in automotive vehicles. These wires do not feature Ethernet functionality, but do handle audio and video transmission.
High speed HDMI cable
This is the cable to use when you want to support 4K resolutions, 3D movies or similar advanced features. The high speed HDMI cable is built to support these advanced technologies as well as deep color functionality.
High speed HDMI cable with Ethernet
Like before, the name tells you what you need to know. High speed HDMI cables with Ethernet provide everything you want from a high speed HDMI cable, but also give you the dedicated data channel. The HDMI standard has been built with common-sense nomenclature, making it much easier to know what you are getting into when you invest in a cabling solution. At the same time, the diverse solutions on display within the HDMI framework are making the technology a cable of choice for a wide range of technology deployments.
What are the options for HDMI connectors?
HDMI cables feature a variety of connector formats that allow the wiring solutions to be used for everything from televisions and projectors to smartphones and tablets. With so many connectors available, let's take a look at each option and the various specifics of the different solutions.
Type A Connectors - Standard HDMI Connector
The HDMI connector features a male plug with dimensions of 13.9 mm × 4.45 mm and a female plug with 19 pins and dimensions of 14 mm × 4.55 mm. The standard HDMI cable can handle all of the core functions you'd expect in terms of carrying various video signal types. Furthermore, the connector carries electrical signal compatible with single-link DVI-D cables, making it easy to use various adaptors without experiencing signal degradation.
Type C Connectors - HDMI Mini Connector
These smaller HDMI connectors are designed for portable devices and, therefore, manage to get all 19 pins of connectivity into a connector with a form factor of 10.42 mm × 2.42 mm.
Type D Connectors - HDMI Micro Connector
As the name implies, the Micro Connector is even smaller, coming in at6.4 mm × 2.8 mm, bust still featuring 19 pins. The pins are, however, in a different configuration.
Type E Connectors - HDMI Automotive Connection System
These connectors, designed specifically for use in automobiles, feature a specialized locking tab and relay connector to make the solution work well within cars, trucks and similar settings.
Looking broadly at HDMI connectors
On the whole, these HDMI connectors deliver comparable performance, but in form factors that make the wiring technology applicable in a variety of settings. However, there is an emerging connector that is designed to improve performance through an internal cabling infrastructure that demands a wider connector.
Type B Connectors - A potentially important solution not currently in use
Type B connectors are being developed as an option to carry video at resolutions of up to 3,840×2,400. The technology is not in use at this time.
HDMI BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY
HDMI and flexibility - HDMI backwards compatibility and cable lengths
On the surface, a conversation about backwards compatibility and cable lengths may seem like an unusual combination, but the reality is that you need to make sure any HDMI deployment is flexible, particularly if you are building the system in a commercial setting. With flexibility in mind, it is important to understand how HDMI works in regards to both backward compatibility and extending the cabling system over long distances.
HDMI and backwards compatibility
This one is simple, all newer versions of HDMI cables are backwards compatible with older solutions. This means that you can install new HDMI solutions in place of older ones without worry. You also know that making an investment in HDMI now probably won't prevent you from making HDMI-related upgrades in the future
HDMI and cable run distances
Can you run HDMI cables over a long distance? This is an important question in many situations, but especially for organizations that want to use HDMI to connect projectors, which are often mounted on the ceiling of the room, with playback devices that are often a significant distance away. One of the nice features about HDMI cables is that they are built with standard copper cabling frameworks, so you can freely extend them up to 10 meters without any problems. Getting beyond 10 meters - extenders and built-in equalizers There are two primary ways to extend HDMI beyond 10 meters. The first is through various extension methods. Because HDMI uses standard copper cabling you can use CAT 5 or CAT 6 wiring, or even fiber if you are willing to deal with signal conversion, to go past 10 meters. Built-in equalizerscan be an easier option if you only need a few extra meters. Some endpoints, such as televisions and projectors, feature built-in signal equalizers that maximize the strength of the signal moving over the cable and make it possible to extend the signal beyond 10 meters without too much trouble.
HOW DO WIRE GAUGES IMPACT HDMI CABLE PERFORMANCE?
American Wire Gauge ratings are fairly straightforward, but understanding precisely how the AWG figure will impact performance can be difficult. Let's look at this issue piece by piece to unravel how wire gauge configurations impact HDMI performance.
What wire gauges do HDMI cables come in?
HDMI cables are delivered in a variety of formats based on the AWG rating. Some of the most popular ratings for HDMI cables include:
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22 AWG
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24 AWG
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26 AWG
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28 AWG
The lower the rating, the thicker and less bend-resistant the cable will be. AWG is a rating of how many times a cable could be wound around a wire spool. A thicker cable is like a pipe that has a larger diameter - it is capable of carrying more without running into problems. As such, an HDMI cable rated at 22 AWG is going to be able to carry more data over a longer distance than a wire rated at 26 AWG.
How do wire gauges impacted HDMI performance
Wire gauge will not matter for many users. Generally speaking, a cable rating at 28 AWG can support high-speed HDMI functionality, but with significant length limitations. A 28 AWG cable will be adequate for the vast majority of consumer HDMI deployments and many office installations.
However, many people do need longer HDMI cables and, in these situations, 22 AWG wires can extend signal to more than double the length of 28 AWG cables. Both 24 AWG and 26 AWG cables serve as a middle ground.
Dealing with HDMI gauge ratings
Ultimately, the gauge rating of an HDMI cable will either be irrelevant because your project doesn't need to extend over a significant difference, or end up playing a key role in figuring out the best price-to-performance ratio before purchasing a wire. With that in mind, it is important to look closely at project needs and consider what specific HDMI features you need and how long the cable needs to go before dealing with AWG ratings.
How do HDMI refresh rates and bandwidth capabilities work?
Dealing with refresh rates and cable bandwidth can be tricky with HDMI because the cable isn't all that matters, the actual display also impacts performance. As such, let's look closely at what HDMI cables are able to accomplish in these areas and then talk about how those specs apply to actual usage when it comes to connecting to a display.
Basic HDMI cables
Category 1 HDMI cables are the standard HDMI wire that you would use to connect various devices, and they are capable of supporting refresh rates of either 24hz or 60hz. In terms of bandwidth, they are able to move data at 75Mhz, which equates to moving data at a rate of 2.25 Gbps.
High-Speed HDMI cables
Category 2 HDMI cables are specifically designed to move more data to displays and to do it faster. The refresh rates remain standard at 24hz or 60hz, but the bandwidth climbs to 340Mhz, which leads to a data rate of 10.2 Gbps.
What to make of refresh rates
There are two key issues with refresh rates - what the cable can handle and what the television can handle. The 60hz cap on HDMI cables means that an HDMI wire is moving data at a rate of 60 frames-per-second. However, television refresh rates can go much higher. In this situation, the television would play each frame multiple times, leading to a much smoother image.
The importance of bandwidth
Bandwidth becomes a major issue when dealing with 4K displays, which high-speed HDMI cables can support. Category 1 HDMI wires are limited to a 720p/1080i display configuration. When moving data at 60hz to a 4K display, the cable needs to carry a large amount of data. However, that data escalates when the television runs at higher than 60hz, as the cable needs to transport all of the data associated with those duplicate frames. In isolation, the refresh rates and bandwidth of HDMI cables aren't particularly complex, but the way those capabilities intersect with display capabilities creates complexity.
HOW DOES HDMI AUDIO RETURN CHANNEL WORK?
Convenience is central to the rise of HDMI cables across offices and living rooms alike, and audio return channel technology plays an integral role in taking this to another level. Very simply, audio return channel allows users to send audio from a television or similar device downstream to surround sound controllers or similar audio systems. Let's take a closer look.
Audio signal distribution from televisions
Users that want to connect a dedicated audio system to their television had to, in the past, use a dedicated S/PDIF cable to work with dedicated audio systems. This would mean that an HDMI cable would be needed to connect the content source to the display device, and an S/PDIF wire would be used to connect the display to the audio systems. Audio return channel technology simplifies this by removing the need for an S/PDIF cable.
Audio return channel technology allows audio signal to travel both upstream and downstream over an HDMI cable based on user preference, making it much easier to leverage dedicated audio solutions alongside televisions and similar displays.
It is also worth noting that audio return channel features specialized processing functionality in the HDMI setup to ensure that audio and video signal match one another regardless of the direction that data is traveling through the cable. Establishing an audio return channel setup Like many specialized HDMI functions, audio return channel is backward compatible. This means that if the devices you are working with are equipped with HDMI ports that support audio return channel, any HDMI cable will be able to offer the functionality. As such, you can take advantage of the advanced wiring feature without having to worry about upgrading all of your HDMI cables. Identifying audio return channel ports should be easy as the standards body behind HDMI has recommended labeling such ports with an ARC, but this is not a mandatory practice.
Establishing an audio return channel setup
Like many specialized HDMI functions, audio return channel is backward compatible. This means that if the devices you are working with are equipped with HDMI ports that support audio return channel, any HDMI cable will be able to offer the functionality. As such, you can take advantage of the advanced wiring feature without having to worry about upgrading all of your HDMI cables. Identifying audio return channel ports should be easy as the standards body behind HDMI has recommended labeling such ports with an ARC, but this is not a mandatory practice.
What is HDMI 1.4?
The HDMI 1.4 standard is a more advanced form of HDMI cable that combines a variety of small upgrades to support new features and functionality. The physical difference between HDMI 1.4 or 1.4a and earlier standards aren't particularly important, but the various features that are enabled by the more sophisticated solution are extremely noteworthy.
Sophisticated HDMI features
We've already talked about HDMI functions like Ethernet Channel and Audio Return Channel. The HDMI 1.4 solution features both of these capabilities built into a single cable. 2
Support for high resolutions
HDMI cables are capable of supporting high-definition resolutions in general, but HDMI 1.4 technology allows for enough data to move through the cable to enable 3D content viewing and to support 4K resolutions.
Advanced picture controls
HDMI 1.4 also supports a variety of intelligent picture management features. These include the ability to automatically adjust display settings based on the content type being delivered (game, movie, etc.) and being able to support additional color spaces for deeper, richer hues.
New connectors
The HDMI 1.4 architecture can be used to support both micro-HDMI connectors and the connector systems used in automotive solutions. HDMI 1.4 and 1.4a may not revolutionize the electrical architecture of the media cabling solution, but the standard does deliver considerable functionality upgrades over earlier models.
HDMI FAQs
HDMI® cables have established a stronghold in homes and offices, but as far as wiring solutions go, they are still relatively young. Furthermore, the technology behind HDMI cables has been enhanced in a variety of ways. Unlike many other cabling systems, these advances have been made without making changes to the exterior of the cable or its connectors, so making sense of different types of HDMI solutions can be difficult. We're here to help with a full set of FAQs pertaining to HDMI cables. Let's start with the basics and look at what HDMI technology is all about.
What does HDMI stand for?
HDMI is an acronym for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, a moniker that establishes the cabling format as being able to handle multiple media types while moving the amount of uncompressed data needed for high-definition content. Specifically, the cabling system is designed to transmit uncompressed video data and either compressed or uncompressed audio from a display source to a television, monitor, projector or similar device.
What has HDMI replaced?
HDMI is replacing coaxial cable in a variety of settings as it provides similar functionality in carrying both audio and video, but does so in a much less rigid wiring format. HDMI solutions are also used in place of DVI cables, component wiring systems and s-video connectors.
This is only the beginning of how HDMI is replacing many cabling formats and being used in diverse ways. Check out our other HDMI FAQs to get the details on the many uses and capabilities of HDMI cabling solutions.
Why would you use an HDMI cable?
There are plenty of reasons for using HDMI, but in the end most of it boils down to being able to carry audio and video at the same time. This is useful in the home because it makes it easier to connect anything from a video game console to a computer, set-top-box or similar device to a TV, monitor or projector. Having a single HDMI cable connecting these devices can make life much easier, especially if you are going to be mounting your TV on the wall and need to either run wires through the wall or otherwise try to hide unsightly cords.
The benefits in office settings are the same, but they escalate because of scale. In the home, HDMI is convenient and helpful. In an office, it can be a game changer. Many organizations have televisions spread throughout a facility to host teleconferencing meetings, support presentations and entertain workers during breaks or as background. Connecting all of these devices can create cabling complexity with legacy models, but HDMI makes the process significantly easier.
WHAT ARE REDMERE HDMI CABLES?
HDMI cables offer numerous convenience advantages because they carry both audio and video signal at the same time, in high definition. The one problem with HDMI cables is that they are fairly thick and rigid. Compared to coaxial wires they are great, but that doesn't mean they are ideal in a variety of settings.
What is RedMere technology?
RedMere technology is a specialized chip that that uses SmartActive technology to transmit high definition audio and video signal through a smaller cable. Active technology has been tried with HDMI before, but RedMere manages to deliver a combination of price and functionality that is changing the way.
Making HDMI cables active in nature through the RedMere SmartActive makes it easier to extend the signal for longer distances over a thinner cable. The result is a cable that is longer, more resistant to bend and capable of working with a smaller connecter. As such, RedMere is making HDMI cables a prime option for connecting with smartphones, tablets, wall-mounted TVs and other devices that benefit from working with a smaller cabling format.
RedMere technology is changing the HDMI landscape by integrating active elements into the cabling infrastructure to resolve some of the limitations of the wiring format.
