HDMI cables will now be able to become much longer without the need for extra power

The HDMI Forum has announced a new amendment to the HDMI 2.1a standard called HDMI Cable Power.
With support for HDMI Cable Power, active HDMI cables will be able to draw power directly from the signal source without requiring a separate cable for power.Image source: Pixabay / PIX1861High-bandwidth (48Gbps) passive HDMI 2.1 cables cannot be very long because of their properties.
Typically, such cables are limited to a length of 3 meters.
The solution requires active HDMI cables, which are equipped with a special signal booster.
It requires additional power to operate.
As a consequence, an active HDMI cable is additionally equipped with a USB connector, through which the power is supplied.
Some active HDMI cables even come with complete power supplies.The HDMI Cable Power specification for HDMI 2.1a eliminates the need for the active cable to have an additional connector for power.
The cable takes everything it needs through a single HDMI connector.
Conventional HDMI cables are rated to carry up to 50mA.
With HDMI Cable Power support they can carry up to 300mA at 5V.
To use Cable Power you must have a cable with the appropriate certification and a source device that supports this function.
Connection is the same as with a normal passive HDMI cable.
However, it is important to remember that active cables only work in one direction, and you should be guided by the markings on the ends of the cable when connecting.
It is possible to connect them incorrectly without breaking anything.
New HDMI cables with native HDMI Cable Power support will come with separate USB Micro-B or USB Type-C connectors that can be used with source devices that do not support Cable Power.