HDMI Category 2 cable length for projector?

dodfaefife · 30-06-2008, 6:23 PM

Evening all.

Need some advice on HDMI cable lengths. I'm (slowly) getting my home cinema/lounge together and about to order my kit. Today I ran some string to estimate the HDMI cable run from where my AV cabinet will be to the ceiling mounted projector. Here's a pic of the string run...

My problem is the length is 10m! Current specs for Cat 2, 1.3 compliant HDMI is 7.62m. I'm I really going to miss out on anything by ordering a current 1.3 compliant HDMI cable of 10m? Kit will probably be an Onk 875 to a JVC HD1.

I'm planing on running the cable through this (www.d-line.co.uk) which looks very neat.

I know I could use HDMI over cat 5 which would be fine at the cabinet end but how do I hide a balun at the other end? I would much prefer a single HDMI (cheaper too).

As always, any advice welcome.

bobtex · 30-06-2008, 6:39 PM

I am doing pretty much the same thing as you (although the room I am using is nowhere near the quality of yours!) and I am using the cheapest 10m 1.3 hdmi cable i could find (£15 quid delivered iirc) and it works swimmingly!

davepuma · 30-06-2008, 6:48 PM

There are numerous threads on 10m HDMI cables for projectors, so do a search and you'll see what others are using. It looks like it will be a nice setup once complete. Can I ask how it sounds with those tiles? I'm getting a new kitchen fitted shortly and was going to fit new hardwood flooring or porcelain tiles throughout but I don't want to muck up my acoustics!

dodfaefife · 30-06-2008, 6:51 PM

Cheers. That's what I'm thinking – that the additional category numbers are just a way to reference to amendments to the HDMI "standards" but don't mean extra features. It's just confusing that cable manufacturers aren't certifying 1.3a over 25ft (officially anyway).

dodfaefife · 30-06-2008, 6:58 PM

Thanks davepuma will go for a hunt around.

Not sure how the floor will affect sound yet as the speakers aren't hooked up yet. My girlfriend was sick of the mess and put them back into position to 'tidy the place up a bit'. It was an engineered wood before and sounded OK. Although, with a new amp and moving to a 7.1 it's going to need some tweaking no doubt. More worried about the light reflections to be honest but it was always going to be a compromise.