How far can you run HDMI cable?

Passive HDMI is reliable to about 25 feet at 4K60 and 50 feet at 1080p. Beyond that, use an active optical HDMI cable (up to ~330 ft) or an HDBaseT extender over Cat6 (up to 330 ft depending on resolution and version).

What is HDBaseT and how far does it go?

HDBaseT transmits HDMI video, audio, Ethernet, control and power over a single Cat6/6a cable. Classic HDBaseT runs 100 m (328 ft) at 1080p and about 70 m at 4K; HDBaseT 3.0 delivers uncompressed 4K60 to 100 m.

AV & Network Cable Max Distance Reference

Q: How far can USB be extended?

Passive USB 2.0 is limited to 5 m and USB 3.x to about 3 m. Active cables reach 10–20 m, and USB-over-Cat6 extenders reach 100 m — essential for conference room cameras and touch displays.

Pick a signal type to see how far it reliably runs, what kills it, and the right way to extend it — the lookup every boardroom and digital signage design starts with.

Signal type

Signal / cable

Units

Distances are reliable engineering maximums for quality cable — marginal cable and connectors reduce them.

Maximum distance

—

Limiting factor—

To go farther—

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What do you need next?

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Full reference table

Signal	Max distance	Extension option

The pattern behind all of these numbers

Every copper signal fights the same physics: higher bandwidth means shorter reach. That's why 1080p HDMI runs twice as far as 4K, why 10G Ethernet needs Cat6a where 1G is happy on Cat5e, and why every serious AV design converts long runs to category cable (HDBaseT), fiber, or AV-over-IP instead of stretching passive copper past its comfort zone. When a run is anywhere near the limit, extend it properly — a flaky boardroom display generates service calls forever.

Frequently asked questions

How far can HDMI go?

~25 ft at 4K60 passive, ~50 ft at 1080p. Farther: active optical HDMI (~330 ft) or HDBaseT over Cat6.

What is HDBaseT?

HDMI + audio + control + power over one Cat6/6a: 100 m at 1080p, ~70 m at 4K (classic), 100 m uncompressed 4K60 on HDBaseT 3.0.

How far can USB be extended?

5 m passive (USB 2.0), ~3 m (USB 3.x); 10–20 m active cables; 100 m with USB-over-Cat6 extenders.

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AMT SYSTEMS LTD. designs AV distribution that works on day one and year five — HDBaseT, AV-over-IP and control systems, installed alongside your security and network.

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