I'm trying to set up my gaming system across my apartment, about 40 feet from my living room TV. I want to game from my couch, but my living room PC isn't strong enough for the games I want to play. I've had issues with Steam Remote Play being laggy, so I'm considering running an HDMI cable instead. I've heard that going beyond 15 feet can cause signal problems, especially for my 4K 120Hz setup. How much truth is there to this? What issues should I expect if I try a run that long?
5 Answers
I’m in a similar situation and have been researching cables too. Definitely consider a fiber optic cable for those longer runs; I found a decent one that's 15 meters and works great for 4K/120Hz.
Forget Steam Remote Play; it’s not the best. Try using Sunshine or Moonlight for better performance. If you still run into problems, look into HDMI to fiber-optic converters—they can help with longer distances!
I tried a 15-meter passive cable and it didn’t work out for me. Definitely stick with what others recommend for longer distances.
For passive HDMI cables, you usually want to stick to about 16-25 feet max, though some high-quality ones can go up to around 65 feet. If you’re looking for a longer run, consider active cables which can go up to 30 meters, but be warned they can be pricey. For the best results with your 4K 120Hz TV, you might want to go for an optical cable, which can handle longer distances without signal loss.
Will an active cable support 4K at 120Hz, or should I just go straight to an optical cable? I plan to coil it up when not in use, just worried about damaging it since it's made of glass.
Go with a fiber optic option. I have a 15m fiber optic cable, and it works flawlessly with my 4K/120Hz TV!
I just started checking out this Sunshine and Moonlight setup—everyone seems to rave about it!