HDMI cables – HDfury Vertex glossary
HDMI cables are rated by the bandwidth they are tested for. For 4K60 through the Vertex you need an 18 Gbps certified cable.
An HDMI cable carries picture and sound from one device to another. All HDMI cables have the same plug, but they are not all tested for the same speed.
It is like a road: a small country road is fine for a few cars, but heavy 4K60 traffic needs a motorway. A cable that is too slow gives sparkles, dropouts or a black screen.
What HDMI cable do I need for the HDfury Vertex?
HOW IT WORKSFor 4K60 4:4:4 8-bit or 4K60 4:2:2 12-bit (600 MHz) use an 18 Gbps / 600 MHz certified cable, ideally 6–12 ft. For 4K30, 1080p or less almost any cable works (p.5, p.104).
How to use it with the Vertex:
- Use certified 600 MHz cables on both the input and output side (p.5).
- If 1080p works but 4K60 drops out, try a shorter or certified cable first (p.104).
- The Vertex rebuilds the signal, so placing it in the middle of a long run can help (p.104).
- Active cables powered by the HDMI plug may need port 1 of the optional Universal Power Supply (p.104).
- Atmos over ARC needs a cable that handles 192 kHz ARC (p.113).
What it is
HDMI Licensing names cables by what they are tested for. Standard HDMI cables are tested for 720p/1080i. High Speed cables for 10.2 Gbps (up to 4K30). Premium High Speed cables for the full 18 Gbps of HDMI 2.0, including 4K60 and HDR; they carry a label with a QR code you can scan to check they are genuine. Ultra High Speed cables are tested for 48 Gbps (HDMI 2.1).
The HDMI version number (1.4, 2.0, 2.1) belongs to devices, not to cables. A higher-rated cable works fine with older devices, but it does not add features the devices do not have.
Long cables lose signal strength. A cable that works at 1080p can still fail at 4K60. For long runs, people use active or optical HDMI cables, which need power.
On the Vertex
For 4K60 4:4:4 8-bit or 4K60 4:2:2 12-bit (600 MHz / 18 Gbps) the manual asks for a 600 MHz / 18 Gbps certified cable, ideally 6 to 12 ft (about 2 to 3.5 m) long. For 4K30, 1080p or less, almost any cable works (p.5, p.104).
The Vertex works as an HDMI repeater: it rebuilds the signal, so placing it in the middle of a long run can help. HDfury states it can extend 1080p up to 15 m in and 15 m out, and UHD up to 10 m (p.110). Active cables that take power from the HDMI plug may fail with the default power supply; the manual then suggests port 1 of the optional Universal Power Supply (p.104). For Dolby Atmos over ARC, the cable must also handle 192 kHz ARC audio, even if it passes 600 MHz video (p.113).
Common questions
Do I need an 8K or Ultra High Speed cable for the Vertex?
No. The Vertex tops out at 18 Gbps, so a certified Premium High Speed cable is enough. An Ultra High Speed cable also works but adds nothing.
My picture works at 1080p but drops out at 4K60. Is it the cable?
Very often, yes. 4K60 4:4:4 and 4K60 HDR use the full 600 MHz, and the manual requires 600 MHz certified cables for that (p.5, p.104).
Can I use a long HDMI cable with the Vertex?
Yes, but shorter is safer at 600 MHz. HDfury mentions 50 ft runs working and UHD extension up to 10 m (p.104, p.110).