Posted 21 October 2021
Since its introduction in 2010, HDBaseT has revolutionised the AV market and has quickly become the leading standard for whole home or office distribution of uncompressed HD media over a single cable. Through a single HDBaseT recommended Cat 5E, Cat 6 or Cat 6A cable, HD video, audio, Ethernet, power and control are all achievable.HDBaseT Recommended Cables are tested in an Alliance Recognised Testing facility, and have met the requirements set by the HDBaseT Alliance. The goal of the Alliance with the Recommended Cables Program is to assist installers, integrators and consumers in selecting LAN cables that meet the current Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) requirements, and as such provide optimal performance with HDBaseT devices.
Why HDBaseT?
Before HDBaseT, video professionals had some serious challenges to contend with, mostly: How to deliver high-quality content over a reasonable cable (both in terms of cost and ease of installation), for more than a few meters/feet? Usually the answer involved some serious compromises on quality, distance, or cost and complexity.
Enter HDBaseT. Full HD, 3D, and both 2K & 4K uncompressed video are supported, delivering optimum levels of video quality with zero latency. Also supported are many high quality audio formats including Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD-Master audio. Additionally, Ethernet broadband, electronic control and up to 100W DC power are all provided along the same cable offering the advantage of placing equipment where there may not be an available power source.
HDBaseT eliminated the compromises by offering:
- Long-distance transmission: 100m/328ft with a single hop, or even more with several hops
- Signal convergence: audio & video, Ethernet, controls, USB and power over a single cable, eliminating clutter, simplifying installation, with reduced infrastructure costs and low cabling weight
- Performance: the current generation can deliver up to 4K (ultra-high-definition) video, and 8K is already in the roadmap
- Simplicity: category (LAN) cable and UTP cables are easy to install and to field-terminate. Cat cables also use standard RJ-45 lockable connectors.
- Affordability: HDBaseT relies on low-cost infrastructure without compromising on performance, reducing not only installation but also maintenance costs; the ability to transmit power over HDBaseT eliminates the need for power cables and sockets near all of the devices
- Standardisation: HDBaseT is an industry standard, facilitating interoperability
- Versatility: HDBaseT is an industry-proven technology, which can be easily adapted across different sectors
HDBaseT delivers the 5Play™ feature set over 100m/328 ft. One of the factors that affects distance is the quality of the cable used, the working environment, and the video resolution expected. Higher quality cable will keep the signal better than low quality cable over long distances. A noise-free environment will deliver better performance over the distance than a noisy or EMI-prone environment.
The term 5Play groups the 5 key signals HDBaseT-certified products can support.
- Uncompressed high-definition (HD) and 3D video + future-ready 4K resolutionsLossless digital audio formats 7.1 and beyond
- High-speed Ethernet 100BaseT scaling up to Gigabit
100w power over HDBaseT (PoH) up to 70m- Various backward + forward control signals (IR, USB, RS232)
FS Cables stock HDBaseT Recommended Cat 5E, Cat 6 & Cat 6A cables in 10 colour options, perfect for installations where cable identification is important. Available in either PVC or LSHF and in 305 metre high quality snag free pull boxes, these cables are offered in black, blue, red, white, grey, violet, pink, orange, yellow and green for easy identification.
Click here to learn more and see the range.