QED's extra-long HDMI 2.1 cable is available in lengths up to 20m

QED’s new Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cable

(Image credit: QED)

Looking to go big on a home cinema system in 2022? British cable specialist QED can help: the firm has just introduced its Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, designed to transfer a maximum compressed video resolution of up to 48Gb/s 10K@120Hz over long cable runs. And by 'long', QED means anything from 7.5 to 20m in length.

Billed as the perfect solution for modern day AV installations, this high-performance HDMI 2.1-certified cable boasts the ability to handle all current HDMI standards, including uncompressed 48Gb/s 8K@60Hz video resolution, Dolby Atmos audio and HDR (High Dynamic Range) picture technology.

QED has been designing and engineering premium AV analogue and digital cables for nearly five decades and the Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI cable is, says the firm, the culmination of this expertise. The company’s innovative Ultra High Speed Active Optical Technology hybrid design combines copper core with optical fibre that boasts the ability to resist data degradation over extremely long lengths – all without the need for an external power supply.

To drill down into what that means a little more, QED tells us that pure copper conductor cables three metres in length or more will cause the 48 Gb/s HDMI signal to break down to the point that it would no longer be reliably decoded at the other end. By replacing four of the 19 copper cores with optical fibre, the company says that data transmissions will be unaffected by losses (due to impedance mismatch) or timing variances (due to crosstalk) over longer cable runs.

Elsewhere, all QED HDMI cables undergo stringent mandatory testing at an HDMI forum authorised testing centre to not only to ensure compatibility with the new 2.1 video standards (the cables are all HDCP 2.2 compliant and with full CEC, DDC, HDR, HEC and eARC compatibility) but also to ensure low levels of electromagnetic radiation, to reduce the possibility of interference with wireless networks, streaming media players, Bluetooth devices and mobile phones.

QED's new Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cables — (Image credit: QED)

Professional installers or AV enthusiasts wishing to conceal the cable within the structure of a building can rest assured that the cable’s the Low Smoke Zero Halogen jacket and internal components are all certified and fully compliant with the latest EN 50575:2014 regulations too.

Another nice touch is the clearly labelled plugs. The integrated circuit is built into the plug at each end of the cable to make them easy to run though the fabric of a building. Each plug is clearly labelled ‘DISPLAY’ and ‘SOURCE’ to ensure the cable is always installed correctly.

Need something even longer? For any cable length requirements over 20 metres, QED recommends its Performance Optical HDMI LSZH cable for transmission video speeds of 48Gb/s 8K@60Hz over 30m (£300), 40m (£350) and 50m (£400) runs.

The QED Performance Optical Ultra High Speed HDMI is available now from QED's website and independent retailers priced:

7.5m – £140 (around $190, AU$265)
10m – £160 (around $220, AU$300)
12m – £180 (around $245, AU$340)
15m – £200 (around $273, AU$380)
20m – £250 (around $340, AU$470)

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Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? since March 2019. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 20-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo, This is Cabaret and The Stage. When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half – a football writer whose talent knows no bounds.