HDMI Repeater
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cables have been around for a number of years (the first HDMI devices were sold in 2002) and are used connect various devices and transmit digital audio and video over short distances without any signal loss. For instance, you can easily plug your video gaming console to your large plasma TV screen with the help of an HDMI cable and enjoy the brilliant graphics of your latest game, coupled with perfect quality sound; you can also hook up your latest camcorder to your TV, using a mini-HDMI cable. The HDMI technology is also backward-DVI compatible, which allows you to use a HMDI to DVI cable and transmit the video signal from one device to another, where one of them is not HDMI-ready. The main advantages of the technology lie in the fact that the audio and video are transmitted digitally and virtually all PC and video formats are supported with resolutions that could go up to 4096×2160 pixels.
These cables are normally used in home theatre or other setups, where the devices are no more than 10 meters away from each other, and in most cases, a good quality cable should transmit without any loss in signal quality up to 15 meters. However, if you need more elaborate setup, for instance, you wish to connect your DVD to your TV screen and they are more than 20 meters apart, then you might need a HDMI repeater, equalizer, or amplifier.
What do you need to know before buying an HDMI repeater?
There are several companies, which offer HDMI extenders on the market and they are often called repeaters, equalizers, or amplifiers, but all of them serve the same purpose. They prevent the blinking on the screen, caused by the weakened DDC signal and give you excellent picture; often, you could purchase active or boosted HDMI cables, which could transmit perfect picture up to 30 meters. On the other hand, using an externally powered HDMI repeater would allow you to have a setup, where the devices are up to 250 meters apart, and an optical fiber-based HDMI repeater will transmit even up to 300 meters. While the cables themselves are sold virtually everywhere, the extenders are a bit harder to find, however, a large electronics’ store should stock at least one or two types. Alternatively, you can always get online and run a quick search, where the same extenders are often found at a discounted price.