The What: Key Digital has launched a new line of plenum active optical HDMI fiber cables available in lengths from 10m (33 feet) to 100m (328 feet).
The What Else: This active optical copper hybrid cable series offers the latest in 4K resolutions with Ultra HD/4K support up to 4096x2160 or 3840x2160 50/60Hz at 4:4:4 with 18 Gbps bandwidth high speed performance for the latest HDMI video specifications. Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are directional with each head containing specific handling for optimal performance.
The Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables include KD-AOCH33P, KD-AOCH49P, KD-AOCH66P, KD-AOCH98P, KD-AOCH131P, KD-AOCH164P, and KD-AOCH328P.
With 28 AWG measurement, Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are thin, flexible, and support a tighter bend radius than traditional HDMI. Key Digital’s Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are HDCP 2.2 compliant and backward compatible with previous HDCP versions.
These cables have been designed using Open Eye Technology and each is tested for noise-free performance. Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cable series has deep color support up to 4K 24/25/30Hz 4:4:4/12 bits or 50/60Hz 4:2:0/12 bit as well as HDR10 (High Dynamic Range).
Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables supports Audio Return Channel (ARC), allowing audio to be returned from the display back to the HDMI source for amplification and display. Support for digital audio formats includes Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, and DTS-HD Master Audio. The Ethernet channel on the cables supports up to 100Mb/s of Ethernet speeds between two HDMI connected devices.
“We are extremely excited to unveil our first-ever plenum-rated HDMI cables,” said Jonathon Ferry, national training manager for Key Digital. “This release is representative of Key Digital’s growth in commercial new-construction audiovisual projects. The flame-retardant and low smoke characteristic cables are UL approved for installation in plenum spaces. These features and certifications go hand-in-hand with the plenum AOCH cable series, which allow AV integrators to extend HDMI 4K/18G signals at an unprecedented length up to 328 feet or 100 meters.”
The Bottom Line: Unlike traditional copper HDMI cabling, the Key Digital active optical copper hybrid cables deliver full 4K/18Gbps signals at greater distances. The signal of the video and audio layer is not subjected to typical signal degradation due to sending the TMDS channel, the heaviest portion of HDMI signals, over optics. A minimal amount of copper wiring is included inside the cables to carry power and essential EDID handshaking information, HDCP authentication, and more.
