Formats like 4K Ultra HD and HDR are growing in popularity while technologies like 120Hz refresh rates and 8K loom on the horizon — threatening to place a burden on the throughput and bandwidth of HDMI cables. That's why the new fiber-optic cable company FIBBR is coming to the market, making its debut at CEDIA 2017.
FIBBR's cabling products use its active optical cable technologies to support the transmission of 4K via compatibility with the HDMI 2.0 standard. Integrators looking to stay ahead of market trends will want to check out the company's 56Gbps 8K-HDR HDMI cable, which it will show at a length of 50 meter.
In addition to fiber, FIBBR's product line also uses its BendRobust technology that aims to support bend radiuses greater than traditional fiber products.
The company also employs a proprietary design element that delivers power direct from AC coupling to eliminate the need for external power on the receiving end, while maintaining plug-and-play installation capabilities.
FIBBR has also announced that its UltraPro 4K cable is certified by the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) for 18Gbps transmission. Launching at CEDIA 2017, the new 4K AOC HDMI cable is built to safely and reliably deliver the 18Gbps bandwidth necessary for today’s 4K and HDR content.
“The true cost of this next wave of video media innovation is bandwidth,” says Joel Silver, founder, ISF. “It’s visually superior to anything we’ve had previously, with color-rich images and stunning clarity. After seeing catastrophic failures in the field, we realized the need for certification. Our ISF-trained installers deserve the confidence to know that they are working with reliable products that can support the current demanding standards. Our certification process involves robust field-testing in addition to lab tests. We are confident that the products we certify remain reliable through rigorous field conditions.”
The company's fiber HDMI cables are available at lengths ranging from 1.5 meters to 50 meters, and it offers special order lengths as long as 200 meters. The cables are built using high-quality glass fibers from YOFC.
CE Pro First Look: FIBBR HDMI Cables
CE Pro recently got a chance to check out a 10-meter FIBBR fiber-optic HDMI cable ahead of CEDIA 2017. We hooked it up to an Epson Pro Cinema 6040 projector, Stewart Filmscreen Phantom HALR screen and Onkyo TX-RZ810 A/V receiver.
Replacing an existing eight-meter HDMI 2.0 cable with the FIBBR product took a matter of minutes. The company's approach to packaging and instructions is vaguely reminiscent of Apple's. Using a nice package that neatly holds the contents in place, the sleeve of the package outlines the steps necessary to install the cable.
Once the old cable was removed and the bullet-point instructions read, the cable's send (transmit end), which is labeled, was inserted into the HDMI output of the Onkyo A/V receiver. Making sure the cable was straight with no kinks took a minute, but with the cable straight the receive end was inserted into HDMI input number one of the Epson Pro Cinema projector.
Per the instructions, the indicator light on the transmit end communicated a solid blue LED, which meant the connection was valid and ready for operation. Thus ended the installation process.
Watching an HBO broadcast of The Dark Knight was eye opening. It was surprising to see the amount of color detail, resolution and contrast the cable seemed to capture or maintain. It beckons the question, how much image quality would be lost with traditional copper HDMI cables?
Moving on to Blu-ray, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 highlighted the vast color palette of the Marvel sequel to the 2014 hit movie, as well as its color depth of solid co colors, including reds, blues and greens. Color reproduction through the combination of the Epson projector, Stewart Filmscreen Phantom HALR screen and FIBBR cable looked stunning, and provided an excellent home theater solution for a reasonable price.
Checking out the dense, dark detail of the season seven finale of Game of Thrones, “The Dragon and the Wolf,” was just as spectular as The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Our initial impression? The products maintain the image quality people pay for with today's generation of HD and Ultra HD content, and (at least appear to) provide enough headroom from what's coming next.
Check out FIBBR's line of products, including its new 50-meter 56Gbps 8K-HDR HDMI cable, at CEDIA 2017 in booth #843 as well as Stark Sound's booth #18SR.
