- The greatest problem with long cables for any application comes from the signal getting weaker as it travels down the cable. The signals could get so weak that they cannot operate the equipment at the other end. Crosstalk, which means that signals from one wire get induced into others, also increases with cable length. HDMI cables made by licensed manufacturers should never have either of these problems because they have passed the test specifications. On rare occasions, longer HDMI cables placed near strong signal sources could pick up interference that causes distortion.
- HDMI Licensing, LLC requires standard cables to successfully pass a bandwidth of 2.25 Gbps for use screens with 1080i (interlaced) resolution. They require high-speed cables to pass a bandwidth of 10.2 Gbps for use with screens of 1080p (progressive) resolution. With both cable types, the signal must be clean and strong enough to operate the equipment properly, no matter what the length. If you have a cable manufactured by a licensed HDMI manufacturer, it should not have weak signal or crosstalk problems.
- If you have an HDMI cable made by a non-licensed manufacturer, or if you make one yourself by splicing two together, signal loss and distortion could cause any number of problems, including loss of synchronization, poor color, lines on the screen, low illumination, the picture breaking up, audio chopping up or static on the speakers. If you have a longer cable manufactured by a licensed manufacturer and you see these same problems, you may have interference from other signals or a defective cable that could be returned if it's under warranty.
- Never splice two HDMI cables together to make a longer run. Licensed HDMI manufactures make longer "active" cables that have built-in amplifiers for lengths more than 30 feet. These must also meet HDMI specifications for signal quality. You can also buy amplifiers licensed by HDMI that you can use between two cables from licensed manufacturers. If you suspect you have an interference problem, move the cable away from any potential source, such as transformers or high powered electrical equipment, or turn the other equipment off to see if the interference goes away.
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