That was lucky! My 2007 HDMI in-wall cable works with 4k!!

Forums › Home Theatre (incl HTPC) › That was lucky! My 2007 HDMI in-wall cable works with 4k!!

surfisup1000

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Topic # 223395 27-Sep-2017 13:38

I have a projector room built in 2007 with my new house.

Electrician installed a 10 meter in-wall standard HDMI cable for my 1080p projector... (for some reason he does not believe in using conduit, should be sacked really).

I'm upgrading to a 4k projector but thought it likely i would need to upgrade the in wall cable-- and there is little chance of pulling a 10 meter cable with 2 90 degree bends.

Did some research, there are just two types of HDMI , Standard HDMI (the original cable standard), and high speed HDMI (bought out around 2011'ish so after my build).

There is no difference between the cables other than high speed has more bandwidth for 4k .

Just to see if I really needed to upgrade the cable, I did a quick test and hooked up the projector standard hdmi cable to my 4k pc display, and it worked just fine!

Excellent....dodged a 'hack up my movie room' bullet!!

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Reply # 1873644 27-Sep-2017 13:40

Sweet. No drop in frame rate?

Senecio

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Reply # 1873647 27-Sep-2017 13:53

Doesn't surprise me at all. I'm still using cables of a similar age for my 4K nVidia Shield set-up. The up-selling of cables to support newer standards has for the most part been hot air.

trig42

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Reply # 1873652 27-Sep-2017 14:11

Sweet that it works.

If it didn't, could you have pulled Ethernet cable back through and used HDMI over CAT-6 baluns?

Batman

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Reply # 1873653 27-Sep-2017 14:14

can you confirm it is doing 4k 60 fps

Starscream122

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Reply # 1873657 27-Sep-2017 14:18

Maybe the cable he installed for you was already a 4k cable?

surfisup1000

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Reply # 1873665 27-Sep-2017 14:46

Batman:

can you confirm it is doing 4k 60 fps

Unfortunately my 4k display does not support 60fps...........will just have to wait for the projector to arrive. I'm not sure I will use 60fps anyway, although it may become more common in future. Not a total expert in higher frame rates but wasn't it something Peter Jackson tried on the hobbit?

surfisup1000

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Reply # 1873667 27-Sep-2017 14:47

Starscream122:

Maybe the cable he installed for you was already a 4k cable?

Only if he is a timelord :)

surfisup1000

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Reply # 1873669 27-Sep-2017 14:49

trig42:

Sweet that it works.

If it didn't, could you have pulled Ethernet cable back through and used HDMI over CAT-6 baluns?

Not sure about using baluns, do they introduce lag? Maybe the receiver can adjust for it, something I'd need to check. Good idea though.

Starscream122

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Reply # 1873687 27-Sep-2017 15:58

surfisup1000:

Starscream122:

Maybe the cable he installed for you was already a 4k cable?

Only if he is a timelord :)

I didn't read post correctly lol

D.W

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Reply # 1873693 27-Sep-2017 16:16

The existing cable from my 2011 build was able to handle 4K @ 30fps, but not 60. Have actually found several cables fit that criteria when I was testing my existing cables before buying a new one, so it only really seems to get relevant if you're going 4K/60.

darylblake

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Reply # 1873715 27-Sep-2017 16:56

I have brush plates and a draw wire left in all the walls. So if i need to replace a cable it takes about 15 minutes

Batman

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Reply # 1873789 27-Sep-2017 18:44

One person supports this post

D.W:

The existing cable from my 2011 build was able to handle 4K @ 30fps, but not 60. Have actually found several cables fit that criteria when I was testing my existing cables before buying a new one, so it only really seems to get relevant if you're going 4K/60.

any cable can handle 4k 30 fps

Dunnersfella

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Reply # 1873802 27-Sep-2017 19:33

4K60 @ 4:4:4 is 17.8 Gbps at 8 bits... good luck getting that down a long cable.

Remember, the benefit of 4K isn't largely resolution, to the majority it's about improved colour space.

4:4:4 @ 12 bit is the dream at this point, but current HDMI specs don't cater to it.

We're heading down the path of over 40Gbps over a cable... it's not here yet, but it's not far off.

Of course it's all hypothetical until the movies are shot / mastered and available at 4:4:4 4K 60fps at 12 bit.

Also, what projector?

Many 4K projectors have 13.5Gb HDMI ports, not 18... so they're not up to what you can get our of a UHD Blu-ray disc, fancy cable or not.

sdavisnz

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Reply # 1873808 27-Sep-2017 19:54

I'd still replace it,,

Cables degrade over time and so will your picture.

Voice gives context

Batman

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Reply # 1873835 27-Sep-2017 20:48

sdavisnz: I'd still replace it,,

Cables degrade over time and so will your picture.

If analogue signal degrades so will your picture. I am not sure if a digital signal degrades whether you'll get a picture or not. I don't think (don't know for sure) the picture degrades, you just get no picture.

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