Gefen HDMI v1.3 CAT-5/6 ELR Future Proof Extender Preview

For some technical or licensing reason, Gefen cannot apparently call this an HDMI 1.4 product, likely due to the fact that it wasn't certified as such when it headed into final production. They do, however call it an HDMI 1.3 product that is "Future-Proof" with support for HDMI 1.4, allowing Ethernet support and the return audio channel functionality. The HDMI v1.3 CAT-5 Extra Long Range (ELR) Extender allows installers, with just one CAT-5e or CAT-6 cable, to carry the 1080p full HD resolutions of HDMI with Ethernet and IR back channel up to 330 feet (100m) in distance.

The HDMI v1.3 CAT-5 ELR Extender is also future proof for HDMI v1.4, making it the world’s first HDMI v1.4 extension solution over a single CAT-5e or CAT-6 cable. 

Gefen is using a proprietary flavor of technology called HDBaseT to power this long distance extension solution for HDMI and Ethernet. From what we've seen, allowing custom installers to make long runs at the latest HDMI format is a solution that is going to be sought after by many this coming year as manufacturers begin to roll out products supporting the new features of HDMI 1.4.

The HDMI 1.3 CAT-5 ELR Extender sender unit sits next to your set-top box or DVD player source. Cables supplied with the HDMI 1.3 CAT-5 ELR Extender connect your HDMI source to the sender unit. The HDMI 1.3 CAT-5 ELR Extender receiver unit sits next to your display - up to 330 feet away. The HDTV display plugs into the back of the Extender-R receiver unit. Only one CAT-5 cable connects the sender and the receiver units to each other. The Ethernet ports on both the sender and receiver are connected to standard network devices such as 100Base-T routers and hubs. Multi-channel digital audio (such as Dolby TrueHD/DTS Master Audio) is embedded into the HDMI signal.

Note:  Note: The HDMI1.3-CAT5-ELR Extender is only fully HDMI and HDCP compliant when both power supplies are used.

The Gefen HDMI v1.3 CAT-5 ELR Extender will retail for $699 which includes both the transmitter and receiver.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.