As we all know, HDMI is one of the most popular A/V interfaces, as it is ideal for transmitting audio and video streams of the highest quality. If you are a video game enthusiast, you can use an HDMI cable to transmit high-resolution audio and video from your game box to a HDTV set.

Generally speaking, common HDMI cables are made of copper, which is prone to interference from other objects. Also, transmission issues can arise at a distance of only 7 meters/23 feet. If you really want to have a stable and reliable connection over a long distance in your gameplay, especially over 10 meters/33 feet, you will be requiring a fiber optic HDMI cable.

What Is a Fiber Optic HDMI Cable?

As the most advanced version of HDMI cables, a fiber optic HDMI cable combines the best of fiber optic technology and the HDMI standard. The new fiber optic HDMI cables are often very slim, flexible, and light. They are designed with detachable connectors to attach the interface to the HDMI ports of your devices.

How Does a Fiber Optic HDMI Cable Work?

The fiber optic HDMI cables convey data using light or lasers. Light pulses through tiny glass filaments, transmitting the data as they do so. These thin strands are capable of sending a lot of impulses because of their thinness. To change the light into signals and vice versa, converters are employed at both ends.

Advantages of Fiber Optic HDMI Cable

Compared with conventional copper HDMI cables, this type of new cutting-edge HDMI cable has many advantages. First of all, a fiber optic HDMI cable can deliver top performance even in very long distances. There is no degradation of signals over large distances of transmission. For conventional HDMI cables, their signals usually start to attenuate at a distance of 25 feet/7.5 meters. At 50 feet/15 meters, the quality loss is evident.

AV Access 8KH15 is an HDMI 2.1 fiber optic cable you really can’t miss. It can transmit 8K@60Hz resolution up to 15m/50ft, with no signal loss or delay. It can provide you super-clear, true-to-life and ultra-smooth audio and video for immersive gaming experiences.

Secondly, electric signals transmitted through conventional coper HDMI cables are more inclined to suffer from electromagnetic and radiofrequency interference (EMI/RFI). A powerful radio transmitter or large electrical machine can be a source of interference to electric signals. In comparison, the light pulses which travel through optic fiber HDMI cables cannot be affected by EMI/RFI. It ensures a much better quality of the audio and video signals delivered through fiber optic HDMI cables. Some high-performance optical HDMI cables support HDMI 2.1 specifications, like AV Access 8KH15 HDMI fiber optic cable.

8KH15 supports 4K@120Hz and 4K@60Hz resolution, which enables ultra fast-motion UHD images to be crisp and sharp. It also supports 8K video with HDR, up to 48Gbps bandwidth, VRR, ALLM, QMS, QFT, etc. You don’t need to worry about blur, distortion and delay in your gameplay.

In addition, fiber optic HDMI cables are more versatile. In some variants, you can find the lower end of the cable detaches from the source to reveal a much shorter HDMI connector. This means you can establish a connection between small devices like mobiles and tablets and display devices such as monitors.

Limits of Fiber Optic HDMI Cable

Although there are many advantages of installing a fiber optic HDMI cable, a few disadvantages need to be pointed out.

First of all, they are only one-directional, which means their specific ends are marked respectively for source and display. Besides, you still need to use them very carefully though these cables are highly flexible and resistant. Don’t bend them more than a limit. Lastly, consider the fact that they are much more expensive than conventional copper HDMI cables.

Conclusion

Is a fiber optic HDMI cable worth it? If you want to connect your game box with your television which is right next to it, and don’t care about video streaming quality, go for a conventional copper HDMI cable instead of an optical one. It would save you from unnecessary costs.

If you need to transmit data over a distance of 10 to 20 meters or beyond that, go for an optical HDMI cable. As a video game fan, you would never want your gaming experience to be subjected to snags and slowdowns. To maximize the transmission efficiency, use optic fiber HDMI cables. Thus, you can expect your gameplay to be as smooth and as seamless as possible.

More Resources

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• DisplayPort vs HDMI: Which Is Better for Gamers?
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Original copy: https://www.avaccess.com/blogs/guides/fiber-optic-hdmi-cable-for-game-streaming/