Is 3m too long for HDMI cable? (2023)

How long is too long for an HDMI cable?

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.

Since HDMI is a fully digital signal, there is no way to signal to be of lesser quality than any other cable. The only thing that happens is signal drop-off when sending high bandwidth signals over a too-long cable or a cable that isn't rated for the specific HDMI standard.

The length of HDMI cables (less than about 10 feet) will not affect the quality of your connection. It is simply a matter of signal loss.

Slim HDMI cables, premium HDMI cables, HDMI cables with 90-degree headers, and even retractable ones for making sure you only let loose as much cable as you absolutely need. Whichever one you opt for though, 25ft is about the maximum length you can use without seeing a degradation in signal quality due to attenuation.

The length of an HDMI cable does have a negative effect on signal quality, with manufacturers generally not recommending cables over 20 feet.

Can an HDMI cable cause an input lag? The cable? No, not beyond the inevitable speed of light limit (about a nanosecond per foot in free space, a little more in a cable). You probably won't notice delays as small as that.

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!

If you are looking for an extra-long cable, we love the Cable Matters HDMI 2.1 cable. As the best HDMI cable for length, you can buy a cord almost ten feet long, far exceeding the length of most HDMI cables. This cable supports up to 8K displays with 48 Gbps bandwidth for incredible performance.

You'll also notice that 4K signals drop off faster than 1080p signals. Let's take a closer look at HDMI cable length, and talk about some ways to extend your range. TLDR: Most standard high-quality HDMI cables have a maximum length of 50 feet.

Amazon Basics CL3 Rated HDMI Cable - 3 m (10 Feet)

How long can HDMI 2.1 cables be?

Currently, passive HDMI 2.1 cables go up to three meters. During the UHS Cable program testing phase, HDMI Forum expected passive cables to max out at five meters. HDMI Cable Power will open the doors to longer passive cables without the need for external power.

A 4k HDMI cable can be up to 3 meters long. Since 4K resolution needs a lot of bandwidth, it should only run in short lengths. Some devices best work over a range of only 1 to 2 meters.

HDBaseT. If you are looking at running your HDMI more than 100 feet, we suggest investing in an HDBaseT system. HDBaseT uses a standard CAT5 or CAT6 Ethernet cable to carry the HDMI signal longer distances without losing signal integrity.

To sum up, we find that HDMI cables don't need a booster unless the distance between your TV and source is at least 50-feet apart. However, a 50-feet HDMI cable won't give maximum performance because it becomes harder to send all audio and video.

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.

There really is no difference between a cable marketed as 4K and one that is not. But there is a label that does matter, and that is the speed rating. Speed will dictate the maximum bandwidth allowed by the cable.

Standard HDMI cables differ from just a few feet to up to 25 meters in length. This length allows for high-quality video and sound that doesn't lag in sound or compromise visuals, so it's pretty good for simple to moderately sophisticated AV projects.

Yes. Standard cables are passive and long lengths degrade signal. While you should not have issues with 25ft (max theoretical limit is at around 50ft) if you want to go long you need an active (powered cable) or a converter box from hdmi to fiber/cat.

Are longer cables worse?

As the sound passes through conductors, there's an inevitable loss in the sound quality. So, the shorter the cable is, the better your output will be. However, some people need to have longer headphone cables.

The simplest (and most reliable) solution is to use HDMI over Ethernet extenders, which are adapters that convert HDMI signals to data that can be transmitted over Ethernet. You connect an extender to each end of your Ethernet cable, then plug in HDMI cables to each extender and voila.

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.

High Speed HDMI Cable -

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.

Both types differ in their maximum transfer rate (bandwidth). But, boiled down to what you really need to know, HDMI Standard cables work with resolutions up to 720p and 1080i. HDMI High-Speed cables work with 1080p and above, while also supporting features such as 3D video and 4K.

Description. Cables Unlimited's high quality HDMI to HDMI coupler provides the interface needed to connect two HDMI cables together, while still maintaining the highest level of signal quality.

Standard HDMI Cable Lengths

The most common HDMI cable length options that you will find out there include 3 feet, 6 feet, 10 feet, and 25 feet. And if you want any longer lengths than these, then you will need to use their combination along with HDMI extension methods.

HDMI 2.1 represents a huge leap over HDMI 2.0, with 48Gbps in bandwidth compared to 18Gbps. Also, HDMI 2.1 introduced standardized variable refresh rate (VRR) support, auto low latency mode (ALLM) to ensure the lowest possible input lag in gaming, and eARC (enhanced audio return channel).

The main difference between HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1 is that the newer specification has a higher bandwidth capacity. That means HDMI 2.1 can transfer more data at a time, which allows it to support higher resolutions, faster refresh rates, and other features.

How long can a 4K 120Hz HDMI cable be?

How long can a 4K 120Hz HDMI cable be? Cable Matters offers a certified HDMI 2.1 cable with fiber optic technology, available in lengths up to 34.2 feet. This cable is also Designed for Xbox, meaning it is built and tested to meet the demands of 4K 120Hz gaming on the latest Xbox Series X game console.

An active HDMI 2.1 cable can measure up to 25ft without difficulty, giving you much more cable reach to play with. That makes it possible to set up an HDMI 2.1 TV much further from the 4K or 8K source. At the very high end of active HDMI cables, you also have the option of HDMI 2.1 active optical cables.

The most common ways to extend the length of HDMI cables is by using an HDMI Balun kit, also known as an HDMI Extender. With an HDMI Balun kit, you simply plug your HDMI source into a base station which then converts the signal to be carried by an Ethernet cable, and converts back to HDMI at the destination.

One way to extend HDMI is with Ethernet cables. The same type of Ethernet Cat5, 5e, 6, and Cat7 cables used to connect devices to an internet router or home/office network can also transfer the audio and video signals used in a home theater setup. This is done by using an HDMI-to-Cat5 (5e, 6, 7) converter kit.

Either it's brand new and some things don't work straight away out of the box meaning it could be that the cable is not working. Or the HDMI cable has failed or been damaged. The most common course for a problem is a bad connection between the HDMI cable and the device.

HDMI 2.1 cables are best for this case since they can handle 4K up to 120 Hz and 8K up to 60 Hz . HDMI 2.1 is currently the latest version of HDMI cables, so you can't get a better HDMI cable than that. HDMI 2.0 cables can only handle 4K at 60 Hz but not 8K resolutions.

If you have your cable coiled around something and is tangled up, it could affect the video and audio connection, which would explain the blurry picture and low resolution. Check the pins in the inputs of your HDMI cables. These pins are the connectors which relay signals.

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!

It's best to utilize an HDMI cord no more than 10 ft in length for resolutions approaching 4K. The signal may begin to deteriorate after that distance. The effective distance for lesser resolutions is substantially longer, with 50 ft being the most typical. Generally speaking, the shorter the cable, the better.

An HDMI Standard certified cable can transmit 1080p@60 frames per second signal over a maximum of 45 feet, and a HDMI High Speed certified cable can transmit a 4k@60 frames per second signal over a maximum of 25 feet.