Do you know what is the purpose of Directional HDMI Cable? Are you not getting your desired video or audio output after making the connection between your device and an HDMI cable? The problem can happen sometimes but make sure that the cable you are using may not cause the issue or may not be defective. It may happen that you have connected the cable and your device in the wrong direction.
In recent times, most devices are supporting High-definition Multimedia Interface connections. Due to which it is better to know about the directional HDMI cables.
Devices that are used in any home theater use HDMI cables except for an IR repeater. We have given more details about this in this guide.
HDMI cables are nowadays the latest standard for electronic equipment. Whether it is SoundBars, televisions, game consoles, or computers, all of these use High-definition Multimedia Interface technology. However, according to most users, all the HDMI wires are similar, but it is false. In this article, we have given about the directional HDMI cables such as what they are, where we use them mainly, etc.
What is High-Definition Multimedia Interface?
HDMI is a multimedia interface used for both uncompressed transmitting video and digital audio information ( compressed or uncompressed ). It transmits digital data from an HDMI-compliant source device like a display controller to a video projector, monitor, digital television, or other digital audio devices. In simple words, we can say that High-definition Multimedia Interface is a digital replacement for analog video standards. To use this interface, you require protocols, signals, electrical interfaces, and mechanical requirements.
What Are Directional HDMI Cables?
Directional HDMI cable carry signal merely in one direction. It is designed to carry data signals for a long distance. Compared to the regular HDMI wires, the directional HDMI wires are more advanced as these come with built-in equalizers, amplification, and filtering.
The primary purpose of manufacturing these cables is to meet high-speed cable standards. There are four types of HDMI wires available in the market, due to which it depends upon you whether you want to invest in this type of wire or not. You need to know that merely Active and Optical cables are directional.
The excellent features of the HDMI cables are high-speed cable standards, the transmission of signals over longer distances, etc. It is the HDMI wires due to which all the features are made possible. The wire type that users use for relaying signals over a distance cannot transmit them from both ends continuously. All this credit goes to the Redmere Technology company that helps increase the feature’s performance level in the latest HDMI cables.
However, this type of cable also has drawbacks: you can’t view an image when you are going to reverse the end connections. That’s why it is recommended to plan appropriately, as it is vital before installing wires behind drywall.
You may think that these wires are not flexible enough with their uses, but they aren’t all that bad. All the downsides are recently upgraded, due to which they become more advanced compared to the regular HDMI cables.
Does The Direction of an HDMI Cable is Important?
Surely Yes, it matters, but only when the wire is directional. You can get signals even though it is long-distance, but it is only in one direction. All of these are only for the type of wires. You must require proper installation to get performance from these wires.
Before using these, you must confirm that the wires are correctly installed. Make sure that you have inserted one end into the source device, such as your Blu-ray player, stereo, or PlayStation 4. You have to attach the other end to your display like television or computer monitor, or speaker. If you have mixed up those ends, a blank screen will appear because the signals are not relayed properly.
No one runs a wire behind their drywall only to know whether they have done it in the right or wrong direction. If it happens, then the cable won’t work correctly, due to which you have to remove and reinstall the wires again.
How Do You Know Whether an HDMI Cable is Directional or Not?
Here, we have given three ways through which you get to know whether it is directional or not.
Direction Labels:
The modern models come with direction labels on the wires. This direction label has a rule of thumb that the arrowhead needs to point towards the output. Don’t worry because it won’t cause any damage to your wire despite you plug them improperly. What happens is that you cannot get the desired image or sound you want to get. Older models don’t have this type of label on their surfaces. It indicates the wire type and the signal flow of every wire on the packaging.
Type of Wire:
A few wires are available that can be unlabeled, but it is essential to look at the cables. The directional cables are thinner than the usual short wires because the longer wires should be elastic and flexible for transmitting signals to large distances. You don’t need to use rigid cables as these are difficult to manage and not ergonomic.
Testing of Cable:
You must not forget that you need to try to get the wires out always yourselves. Check whether these have direction labels or not. It is one of the precautions for the inconveniences that can happen to you in the future.
It will be irritating if there is a manufacturing error in the printing of direction labels and installing that wire behind drywalls. Following all the instructions properly won’t work while you face such unexpected situations. After testing the connectivity before installation, try to label the direction yourself for any help in the future. Make sure that you have identified the ends of the HDMI wires.
You need to know also that you must require HDMI packaging to list the capabilities. Generally, the actual ones are printed on the cables. The big companies print capabilities on the wires. On the flip side, the old cables won’t include any identifying marks.
What is an Active HDMI Cable?
Active HDMI cables are those wires which come with an “active” default digital equalizer available into the wire. It is the equalizers that assist in strengthening the signal flowing through the HDMI cable, and thus it helps to increase capabilities.
When technology improves, it means that the wire can handle signals more than it could previously. RedMere technology is one of the companies that make the HDMI cables standard.
The Ultra-slim, RedMere technology is helpful as it allows the powerful signals to flow through HDMI wires, and thus the signals can reach further distances. This technology enables you for less copper wiring, also turns the wires thinner and lighter.
It is vital to know that the HDMI wires come with a RedMere chip that is the default. This chip can pull some power from the signal source. Although many users don’t value this, it is still better to be aware of it. These wires come with a label or marker on each head that lets you know whether you insert the end to a source or display device.
Limitation of Active Cable:
The active wires can draw additional power from the display device and are unable to work in reverse. In case you cannot install it properly, then there exists no way to reverse the direction. That’s why it is strongly advised to check an active cable two times before installing them in the wall to ensure you are inserting the right end to the device.
Using these wires, you can send signals over longer distances over passive cable. It is also not advised to run an Active cable between two distribution devices or with the help of any extension. You should run these wires directly to a Display device. You can use these wires in a set-up where switches or splitters exist on the output side of the distribution devices.
Can You Reverse a Directional HDMI Cable?
Sometimes, you can run a directional HDMI cable mistakenly through the wall, due to which both ends of the source and display are in the wrong place. Therefore, you want to know whether it is possible to reverse a directional HDMI cable or not.
Unfortunately, you cannot reverse a directional cable if you run it through a wall or conduit already. It will be best if you run another wire in the right direction. Here, we have given a simple way to run a new wire.
- You should check the new wire three times and ensure that you are running the wire correctly when it is essential.
- Then, your job is to attach one end of the wire with the other end using tape.
- Now, you should pull out the old wire and pull the new one through the wall.
- Finally, your task is to remove the tape. Thus, you can install the new wire without any headache.
Why People Use Directional HDMI Cables?
In most cases, users prefer to use a directional HDMI cable as these spans a distance of more than ten feet. All the thanks go to the RedMere technology; users can span this type of wire up to 60 feet or more without facing any troubles.
People who are willing to connect devices over ten feet apart need to choose this type of wire as their perfect choice. Sometimes, users need to use a repeater to reach extreme conditions, but it relies on the manufacturer and other features.
However, these wires are compatible with the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) functionality and high-bandwidth digital copy protection that stands for HDCP. The reason is that these wires are built so that they can support specific requirements.
It will be better if we say that all HDMI wires are built for meeting a specification. The HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. is the one that publishes the standards and helps to recognize those manufacturers who offer the specifications. The group strives to make sure that all consumer electronics meet the criteria to keep every device compatible. It helps to represent stakeholders from several big industry giants like Toshiba Corporation, Sony Corporation, and Panasonic Corporation. Except for the standardization, connections can be more chaotic than previous.
You will not get any picture quality with an HDMI wire that indicates you will not experience any color fading, grainy quality, or pictures that flicker in and out with these wires. When you exceed the capabilities of the recent HDMI cable, you won’t get any pictures.
Are There Available Any Other Types of HDMI Cables?
Yes, four main types of HDMI wires are available that you can use for your home theater. The four types of cables are as follows:- high-speed with Ethernet; high-speed without Ethernet; standard-speed with Ethernet; and standard-speed without Ethernet.
The Directional HDMI cables belong from the high-speed categories. In recent times, most users have chosen the high-speed vice the standard-speed versions. Many people are willing to use Ethernet, but most people don’t prefer to use the feature.
What makes them different is the compatibility of the devices. The Standard-speed cables are compatible with up to 1080i, whereas the High-speed wires are compatible with 1080p and 4K technologies. Each of these two is compatible with technologies that go below these limits, due to which most users prefer to choose the high-speed versions.
However, it is vital to know that the next generation of HDMI cables are announced where models are available with the ultra-high-speed facility. Although these are not being sold yet, we hope that these will come with more advanced features than the available models in recent times. We know these as HDMI 2.1 that are compatible with faster signal speeds and have ever-increasing bandwidth requirements.
Conclusion:
The directional HDMI cables are perfect for offering excellent quality for both video and audio. Make sure that you are trying to exchange both ends if you face any defects in the wire. You need to ensure that you have made the right decision while choosing direction while installing wires on the walls permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Are Fiber HDMI cables directional?
The fiber HDMI wires come with marks on their ends— “source” on one side and “display” on another side of the wire. However, the chance of missing the effects is easy, and you can install the wire accidentally.
- Are Rocketfish HDMI cables directional?
You need to know that the wires with RedMere are directional. Hence, you have to connect one end of the HDMI wire to the source device ( like a Blu-ray player) and the other end to the sink/display ( like HDTV).
- How can you connect directional HDMI?
Users need to insert one end into the source device and the other end into the display. Blu-ray player, stereo, or PlayStation 4 are a few examples of source devices, whereas the display devices are as follows: television or computer monitor, or speaker.
