Enter to Win: HDMI Fiber Optic Cable from DVIGear!

[Tom Andry]

DVIGear wants your opinion!

DVIGear is giving away a 15m HDMI Fiber Optic cable to two (2) randomly selected eligible winners.

To be eligible to win, you must: 1) Be a registered Audioholics forum member, 2) Respond to the poll above and answer the following questions in this contest thread.

Contest Questions:
For video runs over 50ft., fiber optic HDMI cables have distinct advantages over copper cables. Please explain which of these advantages would justify the increased cost of the cable and why:

1. Supports long HDMI cable runs up to 100 meters (328 ft.) with no loss of image quality.
2. Supports higher bit rates required for 1080p “deep color” (12-bit color) essentially making the fiber optic solution more “future proof” than copper cables.
3. Optical cable is not susceptible ground loops, or RFI/ EMI interference.
4. Narrow cable diameter; Possibility to pull cable through narrow conduit.
5. Elegant High-Tech solution.

Note this contest ends on May 31st, 2007. The winner will be drawn shortly thereafter.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[jcPanny]

50 ft. HDMI

I think that the maximum lenght of over 50 feet is the only factor that can justify the high cost of fiber for some custom installations. I only imagine such a long video run is I have a dedicated HT room with front projections. I would also have to consider the tradoffs of moving the DVD or other video sources vs. the cost of a HDMI fiber run to the PJ.

 

[avaserfi]

I could not imagine needing such a long cable, but the increased length without image quality loss is what would be most worth the price increase as well as the ability to use deep color options.

 

[misterkit]

Optical cable is not susceptible ground loops, or RFI/ EMI interference. Supports long HDMI cable runs up to 100 meters (328 ft.) with no loss of image quality.

These two alone would just justify the additional cost. Afterall, we are after iimage quality when we start using these types of cables.

DVIGear wants your opinion!

DVIGear is giving away a 15m HDMI Fiber Optic cable to two (2) randomly selected eligible winners.

To be eligible to win, you must: 1) Be a registered Audioholics forum member, 2) Respond to the poll above and answer the following questions in this contest thread.

Contest Questions:
For video runs over 50ft., fiber optic HDMI cables have distinct advantages over copper cables. Please explain which of these advantages would justify the increased cost of the cable and why:

1. Supports long HDMI cable runs up to 100 meters (328 ft.) with no loss of image quality.
2. Supports higher bit rates required for 1080p “deep color” (12-bit color) essentially making the fiber optic solution more “future proof” than copper cables.
3. Optical cable is not susceptible ground loops, or RFI/ EMI interference.
4. Narrow cable diameter; Possibility to pull cable through narrow conduit.
5. Elegant High-Tech solution.

Note this contest ends on May 31st, 2007. The winner will be drawn shortly thereafter.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[rushwj]

Contest Questions:
For video runs over 50ft., fiber optic HDMI cables have distinct advantages over copper cables. Please explain which of these advantages would justify the increased cost of the cable and why:
Supports long HDMI cable runs up to 100 meters (328 ft.) with no loss of image quality.
Supports higher bit rates required for 1080p “deep color” (12-bit color) essentially making the fiber optic solution more “future proof” than copper cables.
Optical cable is not susceptible ground loops, or RFI/ EMI interference.
Narrow cable diameter; Possibility to pull cable through narrow conduit.
Elegant High-Tech solution.

All of them are great reasons to go w/ it. i'm holding out on a hi def dvd player until deep color is more widely available thru hdmi 1.3. w/ projectors (which will be in my HT), you often need longer cable runs.

 

[Ryan8886]

Supporting the long cable runs is probably the best reason and here's why:

My present generation Dish Network ViP 622 HD-DVR is a dual tuner box (3 if you count the OTA tuner). However, it only outputs HD to 1 TV. The other TV has to run coax. Fine for now, as my second TV is my old primary 27" CRT that is SD only.
However, in the not too distant future, many second TV's will likely be older HD's placed into semi-retirement...same as my old 27". I would not be suprised to see future multi-tuner boxes that can distribute HD signals to multiple TV's, thus requiring longer HDMI cable runs to multiple rooms.

 

[darwin]

I believe that reasons 1 and 2 are nearly equal in importance, but I like the idea of being as nearly "future-proof" as possible. Particularly when the cable is to be, more or less, permanently installed within walls and/or ceilings. While the fiber optic cable may be more expensive up front, I look at it as insurance that my system will be able to keep up with the constant changes in A/V standards that many of us consumers seem to fall victim to all too often these days.

 

[mike c]

Supports long HDMI cable runs up to 100 meters (328 ft.) with no loss of image quality.

Since 50 feet is about the max I can get that I consider to be reliable for 1080p et al ... a max of 328 feet with NO LOSS of image quality is impressive.

People whose projectors are in the next room (projecting from behind the screen) will want this new cable as well.

I've been considering positioning a player/receiver very close to the listening position, this can be the answer for that long cable requirement.

 

[RudeDog]

I don't think you can reliably expect any HDMI run over copper to even come close to 15m. Fiber is really the only way to go and it has the side-benefit of being EMI impervious.

 

[BMXTRIX]

1. Supports long HDMI cable runs up to 100 meters (328 ft.) with no loss of image quality.

This is extremely important in larger homes and after we see HDMI matrix switchers hit the ground (HINT!) and is well worth the extra money for that alone.

2. Supports higher bit rates required for 1080p “deep color” (12-bit color) essentially making the fiber optic solution more “future proof” than copper cables.

If the cable is guaranteed HDMI 1.3 compliant, then this is a plus, but not really worth more for shorter runs. That is, if I'm going 10 feet, then why not go with any other HDMI 1.3 certified cable? But, for longer runs, this can make a lot of sense... 100' PLUS guaranteed HDMI 1.3 compatibiliyt? Yes sir, thanks!

3. Optical cable is not susceptible ground loops, or RFI/ EMI interference.

Always a plus... really! Though, I'm not sure how much ground loops can play into any of the fully digital formats. Interference? Yes... but ground loops? Anyway, it's a plus for sure, but once again, more of a foot note item.

4. Narrow cable diameter; Possibility to pull cable through narrow conduit.

Oh - HECK YES! HDMI made a huge error when they didn't standardize their cabling to properly fit through 3/4" standard conduit. This is the stuff that most A/V users will easily be running in their homes, yet it is 1/8" to narrow for HDMI cables. For retro work or just having a piece of standard 3/4" conduit in place, you have to go with another solution. Fiber or cat-5 HDMI solutions become the only alternative at that point.

5. Elegant High-Tech solution.

Solution is the key word. Elegent is because of the other factors, so this becomes a headline for all the other items in this list. It is elegent because it is optical, and supports full HDMI 1.3, and all the other stuff. But, this is less a single bullet items as much as it is a synopsis of what opitcal HDMI offers to the end user/installer.

 

[project86]

I also agree with the long cable run aspect, as stated earlier by Ryan8886. I would like to be able to use a single Dish box to control a pair of TVs, and can forsee a time when both of those sets would be HD sets. The increase in quality for shorter runs is just icing on the cake.

 

[kono144]

For video runs over 50ft., fiber optic HDMI cables have distinct advantages over copper cables. Please explain which of these advantages would justify the increased cost of the cable and why:

The main advantages would be to both support long runs and higher bit rates. This will insure you get the highest possible quality while making the cable future proof. Usually if you are running a very long run, the cable is installed in a way that is not easily accessable and to costly to replace.

 

[Hanse18]

1. Supports long HDMI cable runs up to 100 meters (328 ft.) with no loss of image quality.
2. Supports higher bit rates required for 1080p “deep color” (12-bit color) essentially making the fiber optic solution more “future proof” than copper cables.
3. Optical cable is not susceptible ground loops, or RFI/ EMI interference.
4. Narrow cable diameter; Possibility to pull cable through narrow conduit.
5. Elegant High-Tech solution.

I think long cable runs is the only real reason to buy fiber-optic. My current HDMI cables are extremely fat, so perhaps a slight price increase may be worth the thinner wire. And yes, fiber optic is elegant and extremely sexy, but I'm pretty sure none of my friends feel the same way, and I can live without that extra sexiness in my media cabinet.

 

[Josuah]

I would not pick optical instead of standard copper unless the price differential was not very large.

1) Both optical and copper will suffer from attenuation over longer runs.
2) Copper is certainly capable of the supplying the bandwidth necessary for higher bitrates.
3) While optical does not provide a ground signal, I don't have ground loops in my electrical system anyway since everything is properly grounded.
4) This is a little attractive, but not enough to justify a major price difference.
5) I don't care about bragging rights.

 

[u2generator]

4. Narrow cable diameter; Possibility to pull cable through narrow conduit.
5. Elegant High-Tech solution.

Yeah,

I'm not following the instructions. I dont' see the above as advantages because:
4. You still have to deal with the connectors (at least for most folks) so this is actually a minus.
5. Elegant? It's a cable. Who cares?

I guess I don't win.

TW

 

[riceaterslc]

# Supports higher bit rates required for 1080p “deep color” (12-bit color) essentially making the fiber optic solution more “future proof” than copper cables.

assuming that HDMI will be around for at least another decade, or adapters will be made to convert HDMI to whatever the lastest standard is, ensuring that my in-wall cable runs have the capability to exceed the current format is very important.

 

[brianjof]

HDMI cable

The Higher bit rates for 1080p would be worth it for running cable from my system to front projector.

 

[sandtrap]

No dedicated video cables over 50 ft

I guess I am making a distinction between video cables and general purpose cables. All of my future runs will be multi-purpose fiber/copper/whatever for a mix of audio, video and data.

From the main network I would run video drops in the 1-5 meter range.

This is my dream. Will it happen???

 

[rhfjr]

Elegant High-Tech solution.

All 5 reasons are good however, the Elegant High-Tech solution I choose is because it sames time by elimating pulling of more cables. The savings of the potential cost of these cables not being pulled make the HDMI cheaper than what one thinks.

 

[Cozmo]

HDMI Fiber Optic Cable

Contest Questions:
For video runs over 50ft., fiber optic HDMI cables have distinct advantages over copper cables. Please explain which of these advantages would justify the increased cost of the cable and why:

My vote goes for item #1. Isn't image quality one of if not the top concern?

-Coz