Tech Tools / Cable Run
Cable Run Length
Check SDI (3G / 6G / 12G), Cat5e / Cat6 / Cat6A, and HDMI copper or fiber against your run length. Pass, marginal, or fail — with extender suggestions.
Use at your own risk. Cable max lengths depend on exact cable construction, connectors, EQ in the receiver, and installation (bends, crush). Published coax distances are SMPTE-loss estimates, not guarantees. HDMI has no single official max length — copper figures are typical certified-range industry practice. This tool is a planning aid only. Always verify against manufacturer documentation and on-site measurements before deploying to a show.
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—- Your length
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- Typical max
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- Headroom
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- Format
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Marginal = within 10% of published max · Fail = over max
Reference table
| Medium | Format | Typical max | Notes |
|---|
Sources
- Belden Coax Cable Video Distance Chart, Rev. 20 (10 Feb 2021) — SMPTE loss-budget estimates for 1694A, 1505A, 4694R, etc.
- Canford TechZone “Maximum transmission distances for digital video cables” (Belden-derived table).
- IEEE 802.3 — 100 m copper channel for 1000BASE-T / 10GBASE-T (Cat6A); Cat6 10G typically ~55 m.
- HDMI Forum: no fixed max length; each certified cable length is tested. Practical passive copper ranges from industry/installer guidance (Premium High Speed ~15–25 ft @18 Gbps; Ultra High Speed ~9–10 ft @48 Gbps). AOC lengths are product-dependent.
Long cable runs?
Kynetic designs signal paths for IMAG, recording, and multi-room shows.