HDMI Cables: What Redmere technology can do for you

[JohnnyB]

I had to convert to HDMI when I got two Blu-Rays at Christmas. The big issue for me was the fact I use an HD projector, ceiling mounted, requiring a 25-foot HDMI cable snaked through the ceiling. But prices on the longer cables have dropped, so it didn't hurt too bad.

Long runs of HDMI cables are problematic in multiple ways. With lossless 8-channel digital sound and bandwidth required to transmit Deep Color (HDMI 1.3) and 3D (HDMI 1.4), it's difficult for HDMI to keep that 10.2 Gbs bandwidth intact for longer runs, esp. anything over 25 ft (or so I've read). It's further exacerbated by the physical characteristics. The longer the run, the thicker the wire gauge to keep bandwidth high for the length. E.g., where a typical HDMI cable might have 28 gauge wires inside, the longer range ones might have 24 gauge. When you have cluster of 8-10 conductors, each with its own insulation, plus all the other insulation and shielding required, the HDMI cable can get pretty thick. Run it for 25 to 50 feet and it's stiff, heavy, and unwieldy. Also, the HDMI plug is doesn't lock or clamp, and it's asking a lot for such a stiff heavy cable to be held in place by an unclamped slide-in connector.

Enter Redmere technology. It turns out that HDMI also has a low level voltage supply similar to USB (which enables USB to power all those USB devices).

Redmere technology taps into HDMI's voltage conductor to add a booster/accelerator chip, turn it into an active cable, and boost the signal and keep it fast after many feet. In fact, because it boosts so well (according to what I've read, but I'm going to order a few and check it out), Redmere HDMI cables only need 36 gauge conductors, even for long runs. The Redmere processor makes up for loss of signal strength and slowing rise times. Furthermore, it makes for a cleaner termination that should be more reliable over time.

Analysis Plus is a (non-Redmere) cable company that makes a selling point of terminating its HDMI cables with a small PC board in the plug housing for cleaner cable breakout to the HDMI plug pins. Their website shows a couple examples of surprisingly sloppy wire-to-plug solder joints, followed by Analysis Plus's wire-to-PC-board-to-HDMI-plug pin joint.

The Analysis Plus joint is much cleaner, and functionally fine, yet hardly a work of art. But wait! Since a Redmere HDMI also has to have a PC board to house the Redmere MPU and has smaller gauge wires, look at how clean its termination is:

Those slinky 36-ga. wires leave plenty of room for the solder joints without crowding.

The best thing is, whereas constructing a long length HDMI cable to 1.4 standards is expensive, Redmere tech cables from Monoprice are very affordable. The Analysis Plus cable is expensive by most people's standards, but not hideously so. It's $50 for a one-meter length, $150 for 3M (about 20 feet). But Redmere cables at Monoprice are way cheaper--$13.91 for 6 feet and $38.62 for 30 feet. At the same time it adds the advantages of a lighter, skinnier, more flexible cable. According to this article, the insulated cable portion of the Redmere HDMI is a mere 2.5 mm thick. That's 1/10 of an inch! That's gotta make life easier as well. Go here for a comparison of Redmere and conventional HDMI diameters:

I'm ordering a triad of 6-footers from Monoprice to see what I get. Besides the handling, I'm hoping for more reliable performance with maintained maximum bandwidth.

[Bobby Marshall]

Waiting for your follow up on this one. My HDMI constantly flake out. Pretty sure it is the cables. But I don't want to spend another $300 and have the same problem. Mine are around 20ft or so and they go to the wall then outside and under the siding then back into the house through the side of the chimney and to my plasma hung above the fireplace. Did I mention it is going to be a pain to swap these out?

[JohnnyB]

Waiting for your follow up on this one. My HDMI constantly flake out. Pretty sure it is the cables. But I don't want to spend another $300 and have the same problem. Mine are around 20ft or so and they go to the wall then outside and under the siding then back into the house through the side of the chimney and to my plasma hung above the fireplace. Did I mention it is going to be a pain to swap these out?

I should have mine by the end of the week. I think HDMI reports such as yours indicate that the HDMI interface would be better implemented as an active interface rather than passive. Although I don't have long runs, I do now have one run from sources to the AV-pre/pro and another HDMI from the pre/pro to the plasma TV. Before, every HD source plugged directly into the TV. So I'm thinking the picture--even with a couple of 6' lengths--could maybe be better. I think the black level details are crushing a bit. But rather than spend big money on thicker gauge wire, continuous-cast higher purity copper, and fancier shielding, why not make an end-run around all that and use an active interface, especially at such a low price from Monoprice.com. For your situation, they don't make a 20-ft. Redmere HDMI, but their 30-footer is only $38.62, has a 30-day refund period with no restocking fee, and lifetime warranty on all their own brand cables.

Another nice thing about the Redmere cables is that their smaller diameter should make it easier to thread and route them through walls and out and into your house.

[kenjones]

I deal with HDMI cables on set every week. We constantly have cables suddenly stop working. This usually happens when we are moving gear and unplugging/plugging the cables. We will try another (known "good") cable and it won't work either. We will try power cycling the cameras and monitors and that sometimes works but not always. Then we will go back to the first cable and it will suddenly work. It's frustrating and makes you look like an idiot in front of the clients.

My guess is that it has to with copy protection. When I use equipment that has the more professional "SDI" cables (which are basically RG6 coax with BNC connectors) they work every single time. But then again SDI does not have any copy protection.

[JohnnyB]

Well, I finally got my Redmere HDMI cables in the mail yesterday, and all I can say is Buy 'em! Depending on your setup you may notice a dramatic or a subtle difference. Or you may not notice a subtle difference but watching your HD panel TV will feel different. To me the picture looks like it goes from the look of a picture postcard to a high quality color print--more natural color rendition with finer tonal and shade gradations, more shadow detail and everything looks more naturally lit. Just as the solo human voice is very revealing when evaluating audio, it's the color, tone, and shade renditions of human faces that most readily reveal the improvement. More data shows up on the screen.

The best part is that it is achieved through mass-produced technology rather than larger gauges, more expensive metallurgy, and more imaginative and labor-intensive cable geometry. And although the better made costly cables have less signal loss than the cheap ones, they still have signal loss, which the Redmere appears to avoid. Although I don't have very long runs, every feed to my TV is the sum of two 6' cables with the AV processor in between.

Sound is better too, cleaner, more natural, and more dynamic. At $13.49 per 6' length these are a steal for what they do.

Oh, BTW, while expensive audio/videophile cables are often ridiculed as snake oil, the cheap cables at mass market stores have ridiculous markups as well. Best Buy once tried to sell me a USB cable for my printer for $30-40; I found a 3-pack of the exact same cable at Sam's for $14, or $4.33/cable. Department and big box stores routinely sell cheap-ass HDMI cable for $20-40. These are mostly worth $5. Inside they are nothing but the white box HDMI cables, but with a stylized plug and maybe a fancier sheath on the cable.

At the same or less price, the Monoprice Redmeres give you real improvement. And if you don't see much difference, you still get a thinner, lighter cable which is easier to thread and puts much less strain on the HDMI plug itself.

[hamerhead]

When my kid worked at Best Buy she'd get $50-$60 cables for under $10. Quite the racket.

I'll have to try a Redmere cable in place of the 25-footer that's there now. Maybe I'll upgrade the projector while I'm at it.........

Thanks, JB.

[Armitage]

This usually happens when we are moving gear and unplugging/plugging the cables. We will try another (known "good") cable and it won't work either. We will try power cycling the cameras and monitors and that sometimes works but not always. Then we will go back to the first cable and it will suddenly work. It's frustrating and makes you look like an idiot in front of the clients.

My guess is that it has to with copy protection. When I use equipment that has the more professional "SDI" cables (which are basically RG6 coax with BNC connectors) they work every single time. But then again SDI does not have any copy protection.

I didn't think you could (should) hot-swap HDMI cables?

[kenjones]

This usually happens when we are moving gear and unplugging/plugging the cables. We will try another (known "good") cable and it won't work either. We will try power cycling the cameras and monitors and that sometimes works but not always. Then we will go back to the first cable and it will suddenly work. It's frustrating and makes you look like an idiot in front of the clients.

My guess is that it has to with copy protection. When I use equipment that has the more professional "SDI" cables (which are basically RG6 coax with BNC connectors) they work every single time. But then again SDI does not have any copy protection.

I didn't think you could (should) hot-swap HDMI cables?

Powering everything down before connecting cables does seem to work more reliably, but it doesn't really seem to matter all that much. We will power down the camera and monitor, plug in the cable, and then power up the two devices one at a time and still have a "non-working" cables that was just working at the last set up fifteen minutes ago. I really do think it has to do with copy protection and how the two devices "negotiate" the connection.