Question New projector but cheap HDMI cable (10m) not working.

Philw101

Prominent Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2011
Messages
2,188
Reaction score
259
Points
535
Location
-
Hello all,

Ok I have just receieved my new Sony VPL-HW40ES PJ - tried connecting it using a rather cheap generic 10m HDMI cable but couldn't get a signal. Swapping out the 10m one to a 5m alievated the problem, but the 5m is too short.

Plesae can people confirm what the best solution would be for this issue.

- Purchase a more expensive HDMI cable? Is it worth paying extra or will they all fail over 10 metres?
- HDMI Extenders/Amplifers? Which ones are best?
- Move to HDMI over Cat5 or Cat 6? (If this is best, are there any guides online for this, seems to be a lot of products but not a lot of information to read about)?

The result of moving to a bigger screen is amazing, however if I can't get the cable away from the centre of the lounge the other half will have a field day!

Cheers for the help all! :D
 
As you've found, normally cheap long HDMI cables (over around 8m) can fail to pass along 1080p signals, or sometimes lower.
HDMI over cat will work, but the cheap converters can fail over time and it'll then cost more than a decent cable.
I'd suggest getting a better cable, and it should solve your issues. Get an active HDMI cable and make sure you plug it in the right way around, and it'll fix your issues. The active ones are directional, and labelled source and display.
Used some Qed ones in the past myself, and not had any issues so worth a look.
 
The cost of the cable is no guide to the suitability of a cable. A 10m cable for £15 could quite possibly work when a £95 10m cable doesn't.

What resolution and what sources are being connected . When you say it doesn't work what actually happens ?
 
Last edited:
From my experience a 10m run shouldn't be too much to ask. I always buy from Amazon and have a good read of the reviews first to get an indication if it'll work with similar equipment to what's needed. I have a 12m cable to my projector which cost in the region of £12 that works flawlessly. That's no guarantee that it'll work in your set up though, it'll have to be a case of trial and error.
 
As above price is no indicator of a good or bad HDMI cable.

All 'passive' cables over 8m are Standard Speed.

Running HDMI signals over a long cable is a function of the Source, the Cable and the Sync - whilst your current cable is not working in your system it could be the Sync (Display) which is actually causing the problem!

HDMI cable - we have many systems running 'Standard' speed cables at 10m and longer so yes worth trying out another design of cable, though you don't need to spend too much.

Active HDMI cables - are great until you hit an incompatibility between the active chip in the cable and your Source or Sync!

HDMI over HDBT - using a single run of solid core, non-CCA CAT6 is very stable, though a big jump in cost.

Joe
 
Hi all,

Some great responses so far, thank you! :)

Ok to give some further information:

- The HDMI cable used was in fact this one (I chose a 10 metre cable) : GOLD 1080P HDMI CABLE LEAD SMART HD TV HDTV 3D METRE 1m 2m 5m 10m 15m 1.4V PS3

I have being using their HDMI leads for a while for short runs (1-5 metres) and never had any issues, but didn't expect any issues when running a longer run until I came across the problem and researched it. This is the current config for all of my sources:

HDMI Output to Projector = 2nd HDMI out on the Denon AVR4520 receiver (set to pass through), I have switched outputs on the Denon to the first HDMI out to yield the same result.
All source resolutions are at 1080p (Sky +, PS3, PS4, Dune Duo HD) - all at 60Hz.

When the longer cable is installed the PJ will flash intermittently between a black screen and having the HDMI 1 input symbol at the top left of the screen.

I have tried to use the HDMI cable on its own with each individual source, away from the Denon receiver as a systematic check and still no picture. Albeit the system does not flash any more instead, its just a black screen.

When using the same companies 5 metre cable, everything worked fine and all sources displayed, which makes me think it is the HDMI cable.

I hope this helps provide some further information. Thanks again for all the help!

Cheers
 
Last edited:
-- As an eBay Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases --
Its a generic cable sourced from one of the many cable manufacturers out in China - the seller was doing well with the description until they mentioned 'HDMI 1.4V and PS3', means nothing.

The print on the cable stock is misleading as it says 'High Speed'.

Joe
 
Thanks Joe!

I would ideally like to resolve this issue today:

Just reviewing high street stores that could potentially stock a suitable cable, came across this:

HDMI 19-Pin Gold Lead 10m

What are you thoughts? Or is it difficult to tell without trying it first?

Cheers

Phil.
 
It will be trial and error just make sure they have a good returns policy.

That one is also miss advertised as high speed
 
It will be trial and error just make sure they have a good returns policy.

That one is also miss advertised as high speed

Thanks Aclass! - seems like nearly all retail outlets misinform their customers! :( What characteristics should I look for in a 'High Speed' cable. Should it have this written on the cable itself?

Cheers

Phil.
 
No 10m cable can be high speed so just ignore that. Doesn't mean it won't work .

It's probably not deliberate just lazy
 
High Speed cables (any brand) top out at 8m.

The print on the cable stock is mostly irrelevant - the factories buy in huge reels of 'pre printed' cable and simply chop it to lengths required then terminate.

Ferrite block - I'd tend to avoid designs with those on, they can cause image problems and add unnecessary weight to your sockets.

Joe
 
Hello all,

Thanks for the comments, I have found a couple of solutions that now work, but I was wondering what the best option was for these.

I bought the following on Amazon:

30 Feet Redhead by Sewell Premium Thin High Speed HDMI: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

This cable seemed to work, display was fine and no picture degradation - not particularly convenient that the cable is white and not quite sure if it has the RedMere technology inside (the packaging does not reference Redmere), or whether it is just a generic active HDMI lead.

The other solution was:

Portta 30m 98-Feet Fixed 10-Inch HDMI Extender Over Cat5e or Cat6 Cable: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

along with some Duronic Cat6a cables - all seemed to work fine. No noticeable drop outs in picture or quality.

My question now is which to keep? With the Cat6 cables the cost between the two was negligible - the advantage of the single HDMI, is well there is only one lead but of course the limited length of 9m can be a draw back if and when I move. The other option allows me the chance to increase the length of the cable run with the Cat6 if in a new place, but has the disadvantage of having two seperate cables and two connectors that could go wrong.

Any thoughts? :) Thanks for all the comments!
 
Last edited:
— As an Amazon Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases —
I would be suspicious of the active cable but if it works happy days.

As regards the extender . We used to sell these many years back however they proved unreliable as they rely on drawing power from the HDMI source and display . So what may work now with your current equipment may not in the future. It's never a good idea to draw power down the HDMI line as we found out to our cost.
 
....It's never a good idea to draw power down the HDMI line as we found out to our cost.

How do you mean?

Would HDbaseT be preferred where each sender/receiver module have their own power source? i.e.

Neet® HDBaseT Extender 4Kx2K Ultra HD Over Single Cat5e: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

- Apologies this is all very new to me, I have been an audiophile for so long, never really thought about video, just catching up with everything! :) I really appreciate the help! :)
 
— As an Amazon Associate, AVForums earns from qualifying purchases —
All active HDMI devices need to be powered, some manufacturers "cheat" by drawing the power via the HDMi cable from the source or display. However not all sources or displays actually have enough power to facilitate this. This is why it actually against the HDMI specification to do this.

HDBaseT is always the best solution , and it can send power over the cat6 (POH) to the transmitter from the receiver as well ( so doesnt necessarily need power at both ends). The Neet is a good price and we tested one, though didnt go for it as didnt have the POH feature. We do have one left I can let you have for £85 inc vat and delivery
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom