An HDMI 2.1 active optical cable is a shielded hybrid fiber & copper cable connected to an HDMI port standard. ARC technology enables them to transmit audio and video in either direction, which makes them great. Because of signal attenuation, HDMI cables have a maximum length, and newer standards like HDMI 2.1 cables are quite limited in length.

Signal boosters are incorporated into active HDMI cables to amplify the signal from the source and send it down the line without degradation. You must connect the source end to your source and the destination end to your display since the HDMI 2.1 active optical cable can only run in one direction. If you do it wrong, you won’t get any signal.

 

hdmi 2.1 active optical cable

 

It is possible to send older HDMI standards over 100 feet in some cases using an active HDMI 2.1 cable.

There are two types of active cable:

  1. Using copper wires to transport data and improve signals.
  2. AOC (Active Optical Cable) uses active circuits to improve the signal and transmit data over optical fiber.

HDMI 2.1 active optical cable features

Highlights of HDMI 2.1 active optical cable:

  • 8K60Hz and 4K120Hz support high video resolutions for immersive viewing and smooth fast-action detail. Commercial AV, industrial, and specialty applications can also use 10K resolutions.
  • Dynamic HDR support displays videos at their optimal depth, detail, brightness, contrast, and color gamuts, whether on a scene-by-scene basis or, more precisely, frame-by-frame.
  • SBTM (Source-Based Tone Mapping) is a new HDR feature that allows the source device to perform a portion of the HDR mapping rather than the display device. With SBTM, HDR, and SDR, video, and graphics can be combined into a single image, such as eARC, which provides greater ease of use, simplifies connectivity, and supports the latest audio formats. HDMI 2.1 cable and audio devices are fully compatible.
  • Games, movies, and videos benefit from enhanced gaming features. Among them:

 

hdmi 2.1 active optical cable

 

-VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) reduces or removes shifting, stuttering, and tearing of frames.

-Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) allows the optimal latency setting to be set automatically, allowing uninterrupted viewing and interaction.

-QFT reduces latency for smoother no-lag gaming and real-time VR interaction.

  • Quick Media Switching eliminates the delay that often occurs when a device switches from one HDMI frame rate to another.
  • HDMI 2.1 active optical cables can be powered directly from HDMI connectors. It’s now possible to use HDMI cables passively, like wired ones.
  • All HDMI 2.0 Adopters can use HDMI 2.1 cable, which is backward compatible with older versions. Additionally, without user intervention, SBTM automatically produces an optimized HDR signal to maximize the video display’s HDR capabilities.
  • HDMI 2.1 cable Ultra High-Speed supports 48G bandwidth for uncompressed HDMI 2.1a features. As well as featuring very low EMI emissions, the cable is backward compatible with older versions of HDMI Specification.

 

Benefits of HDMI 2.1 cable

 

HDMI 2.1 active optical cable is a reliable, high-speed connection for home theater setups. This cable offers the following benefits:

  • HDMI cables can transfer data at 48 Gbps to 40 meters, which is well beyond the capabilities of standard copper cables.
  • Ultra HDTVs can use them to transmit 4K video signals.
  • As a high-end cable provider, they’re relatively affordable.
  • Their flexibility makes them ideal for tight spaces. In addition to reducing materials needed, HDMI Active Optical Cables can also eliminate the need to run fiber cables to individual HDMI over fiber baluns.
  • Additionally, optical fibers are much more resistant to electromagnetic interference. Due to the speed of light, lag is also reduced.

 

HDMI 2.1 cable

 

Conclusion

SmartAVlink products can be customized and the length can reach more than 100m. AOCs for HDMI 2.1 active optical cable, DP, USB Type-C, DVI, and their related Optical-Fiber Engines are available at SmartAVlink.

SmartAVlink has the following approvals that demonstrate their ability to provide reliable optical-electric solutions. HDMI 2.1 ATC / Plenum & CPR rated / ISO9001 / ISF / HDMI 1.4 ATC /  CE Approved /  FCC Approved / RoHS compliance.