Essential Install | Cables & Connections
Cable care
What cables boast more connectivity, higher speeds
and a faster performance? Has there been a rise in fibre
optic solutions, and is it becoming more cost-effective?
EI investigates the latest in cabling technology.
Lindy’s 4K Fibre
Optic HDMI
Hybrid Cable
Xantech’s EX Se ries
High-Speed HDMI
Cables uses X-GRIP
technology
It could be argued that fibre optics solutions are
experiencing a vogue, with many companies looking
to this technology for custom install projects. The 4K
Fibre Optic HDMI Hybrid Cable from Lindy combines
the advantages of fibre optic technology with slimline
copper cabling. Its robust design allows it to transmit
UHD HDMI signals with no interruption for high speed,
long distance performance.
Thanks to fibre optic technology, the cables can
transmit resolutions up to 4K over extended distances.
With no compression or signal degradation, pure digital
signals are sent directly from the source for complete
audio and visual integrity. Whilst standard copper only
cables limit the distance of digital signals, the HDMI
Hybrid cable features H-PCD (Hard-Polymer Clad Fibre)
glass fibres that transmit the signals up to 50m.
This all-encompassing cable supports both 3D 1080p
and 4K resolutions – allowing for up to four times greater
resolution than the 1080p standard. For those who opt for
AV excellence, the cable also supports Dolby True HD and
DTS-HD Master Audio for up to 32 channels.
Xantech is now shipping its EX Series High-Speed
HDMI Cables with X-GRIP Technology worldwide.
According to Neal Ellsworth, product manager of new
initiatives at Core Brands, Xantech’s HDMI cables are of
high quality and are affordable. “This introduction extends
Xantech’s reputation for value added innovation to a
product category that technology integrators are using
on almost every project,” Neal says. “Xantech’s new HDMI
Cables deliver the high-performance value that installers
need for the growing number of video installations they
work on every day.”
Xantech’s line of piano gloss finished connectors,
available in .7 m, 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 3m, and 4m lengths, are
equipped with the brand’s patented X-GRIP Technology
to resist up to 10 pounds of pull force to keep cables
securely in place. “Our X-GRIP Technology ensures that an
integrator will never need to roll a truck for a loose cable
again,” Neal comments.
Xantech’s cables support offerings include HDR,
18Gbps transfer rates, resolutions up to UHD and DCI 4K
at 60 frames per second in 4:4:4 Chroma sub-sampling,
Audio Return Channel and Dolby Surround.
“Whether connecting a single local component to a
display or patching multiple components in a centrally
distributed AV system, Xantech’s .7m to 4m HDMI Cables
provide flexibility while delivering 4K features,” Neal says.
“The Cables’ HDR transmission ability is startlingly fast
and clear, with a bandwidth speed faster than 18Gbps at
4K@50/60 (2160p) and four times the clarity of 1080p/60
video resolution.”
Additionally, the new line-up features a solid
aluminium internal EMI shielding jacket that encases the
entire connector head overlapping the cable’s shielding
well. Gold plated contacts housed in a porcelain shielded
connector aid in rejecting stray capacitance from other
interconnected components.
“Any installer knows that stunning 4K content requires
the best components and cabling,” Neal adds. “These
cables are built to exceed the needs of today’s content
with high quality construction that integrators can rely on.”
Pixelgen’s cable offering is the PXLDRIVE MAX4K
Interconnect System, a complete long reach high-
bandwidth HDMI signal extension solution (available
in 10, 15 & 20m bundle options) capable of delivering
uncompressed full-bandwidth formats as well as support
of HDCP 2.2, CEC 2.0 and ARC functionality.
This highly interoperable PXLDRIVE signal processing
device can also be used as a retrofit solution in
dedicated cinema rooms where pre-existing long-
reach HDMI cables are failing to meet uncompressed
bandwidth requirements.
October 2017 | 27