In the past, installers wanting a simple way to connect HDMI sources to displays over longer distances — 10 meters (33 feet) or more — have had limited options. Long passive copper cables are thick, heavy and inflexible, making them difficult to pull through tight spaces. Copper cables using active electronics for signal processing reduce the bulk, but still top out at fairly short lengths. The typical solution for longer HDMI links has been a complex combination of extender boxes—requiring external power sources—and network cabling, requiring field termination, and ongoing maintenance headaches of the whole package.

Chromis Reference2K series active optical cables (AOCs) enable high-speed HDMI signal transmission in a plug-and-play cable at distances up to 100 meters (330 feet). Active components in the connectors perform electrical-to-optical signal conversion, drawing power from the same standard HDMI ports as copper cables—no external power connectors or HDMI extenders needed.