In the commercial AV industry, we often discuss cutting-edge displays, sophisticated control systems and immersive audio. However, there’s an inconvenient truth that gets overlooked: none of it matters if your cables are failing. The wrong cables can cripple your system, destroy performance and cost you thousands in troubleshooting and lost productivity.
The Dangerous Myth of Cable Interchangeability
Cables are frequently treated as an afterthought — many assume any HDMI, USB or optical cable will work interchangeably. This misconception is akin to assuming any tires will perform well on a high-performance sports car. The reality? Incompatible or low-quality cables can lead to latency, video artifacts, sync issues and complete signal failure. Every cable in your system plays a crucial role and choosing the wrong one can severely compromise AV performance.
HDMI: Beware the Silent Saboteur of Video Quality
HDMI cables are the backbone of video transmission, but skimping on quality or deploying the wrong kind can lead to disaster, including flickering screens, lagging presentations or inexplicable signal dropouts. HDMI 2.0 meets the needs of most applications in corporate, education, and government settings. A high-quality cable ensures that whatever content you need to display can reliably overcome signal distance challenges, delivering a seamless experience without interruptions. In addition, poorly shielded HDMI cables can introduce interference, causing intermittent failures that make troubleshooting a nightmare.
Signal integrity becomes a serious concern with standard consumer-grade cables for runs of 25 feet or more. High-quality, professionally designed passive HDMI cables can support much longer distances without degradation, while active HDMI cables provide an additional solution for extended runs where signal boosting is required. Selecting the right HDMI cable for the application and distance required, with the proper shielding and certification, ensures reliable video and audio performance.
USB: Avoid the Hidden Bottleneck in Your System
As AV and IT continue to merge, the reliance on USB is growing, but the wrong cable choices can lead to unreliable connections, power failures and maddening latency issues. Seeking seamless video conferencing? The wrong one can ruin it with jittery video and delayed audio.
USB 3.2 cables can support data transfer rates up to 10 Gbps, but lower-spec cables may introduce bottlenecks, causing delayed video feeds and intermittent device disconnections. Additionally, USB-C cables vary widely in their capabilities — some support high-speed data transfer but lack power delivery, while others may carry power but not video. It is important to consult the specs of the USB cables you use as there are a variety on the market that may not provide all that’s needed for today’s demanding AV applications.
In an ideal world, USB-C cables would be clearly marked with icons identifying their specific capabilities — whether they support high-speed data transfer, power delivery or video output. Until manufacturers implement a standard, AV professionals need to be vigilant in selecting the right USB-C cable for their projects. Poor or incorrect cables lead to frustrating BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) experiences and create endless support tickets.
Optical Cables: The Lifeline You’re Probably Ignoring
For large venues, stadiums and mission-critical applications, HDMI and USB optical cables are the unsung heroes to integrators and end users. Using light instead of electrical signals, they eliminate interference and maintain pristine quality over long distances. Yet, too many professionals still rely on traditional copper-based connections, opening the door to degraded performance and unreliable transmission in high-interference environments. If you’re managing AV in a complex or large-scale setup, cutting corners on optical cables is a mistake that can come back to haunt you.
The Cost of Neglecting Cables: More Than Just Money
Think deploying the cheapest cables saves money? Think again. Poor-quality cabling can cost you hours in troubleshooting, degrade the performance of expensive AV equipment and result in embarrassing technical failures in front of clients. A flickering screen or a failed presentation due to bad cabling isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a reputation killer.
Investing in the right HDMI, USB and optical cables isn’t an optional upgrade; it’s a necessity. The best displays, audio systems and control interfaces mean nothing if the signal can’t get through cleanly and consistently. Your AV system is only as good as its weakest link, and too often, that link is a low-quality cable.
Secure Connections: The Overlooked Essential
Even with high-quality cables, a loose connection can wreak havoc on your AV system. Imagine a live event where a slight tug disconnects a cable, leading to an embarrassing blackout. This highlights the importance of secure connectors.
Accidental disconnections can disrupt the entire setup, but robust locking connectors designed to maintain a firm hold help prevent signal loss and maintain system integrity. A simple improvement in connector security can ensure that, even during high-stakes events, your AV system stays connected and reliable.
Future-Proof Your System Before It’s Too Late
AV technology is advancing rapidly, and your cables need to keep up. High-bandwidth HDMI is essential for next-generation displays, while reliable USB connections are the backbone of seamless collaboration and optical cables ensure long-distance transmission.
If you’re still treating cables like an afterthought, you’re gambling with your system’s performance. Don’t let overlooked connections sabotage your AV setup. Upgrade your cables, secure your system and ensure that when it matters most, your AV setup delivers exactly as it should — flawlessly.
Travis Cawthorne is director of products and training at Kramer.
