As 4K, HDR and high-frame-rate formats become standard in home cinema, HDMI cabling now plays a critical role in system reliability. While sources and displays take centre stage, it is often the HDMI cable that determines whether a system performs flawlessly or suffers from dropouts, sparkles or handshake issues.
Kordz is a connectivity brand built around the needs of professional installers. Founded by former integrators, its focus is on measurable performance, consistent manufacturing and real-world reliability, helping installers deliver stable systems without unnecessary complexity.
AWE is proud to distribute Kordz HDMI products to the UK custom installation channel, supporting projects from compact media rooms to full reference cinemas.
Designed By Integrators, For Integrators
Kordz understands the realities of installation: tight spaces, long runs, unpredictable site conditions and the increasing demands of modern formats. Its engineering approach concentrates on:
- Certification and compliance
- Robust materials and construction
- Manufacturing consistency
- Line-by-line quality testing
The result is a portfolio of HDMI, network and audio cabling created for repeatable, real-world performance rather than theoretical specifications.
Why HDMI Cabling Matters More Than Ever
Legacy High Speed HDMI cables were once adequate for 1080p and early 4K. Today, signal bandwidths have increased dramatically, especially with HDR and high-frame-rate formats.
To support installers, we have two simple reference guides for this topic: one showing Kordz cable ranges and their bandwidth ratings, and another outlining the bandwidth requirements of common AV formats. Together, they provide a quick way to confirm whether a system is being pushed beyond the capabilities of its cabling. Please reach out to sales@awe-europe.com to request these documents.
Longer distances – typical in projection systems – quickly expose the limitations of older copper cables. Instability often appears as intermittent dropouts with the need to disable HDR or image resolution simply to maintain a picture.
We saw this first-hand in AWE’s cinema demo room. After upgrading to the Epson QB1000 laser projector, the system began showing dropouts. The existing 18Gbps-rated cable had passed bench testing, but in real use it could not sustain the higher-bandwidth signals negotiated by the projector. Replacing it with a 48Gbps Kordz PRO4 active optical HDMI cable resolved the issue immediately.
Kordz PRO4 HDMI – 48Gbps For Long Runs
For high-performance projection and 4K120 applications, the Kordz PRO4 range offers a reliable end-to-end solution.
- PRO4 Active Optical HDMI – supports uncompressed 8K video up to 48Gbps over long distances in a slim, interference-resistant cable, available from 7.5m to 100m.
- PRO4 Passive HDMI – a compact 4.5mm passive cable offering 48Gbps performance for shorter in-rack or local patching.
Using PRO4 active optical for long-runs and PRO4 passive in the rack ensures consistent bandwidth performance across the entire HDMI chain.
EDID, Bandwidth And Real-World Stability
EDID plays a critical role in how modern systems behave. Modern source devices and current-generation projectors negotiate the highest resolution, frame rate and format they detect as supported, often including 4K120 and high-bit-rate HDR.
If the HDMI cabling cannot sustain that bandwidth over distance, instability follows. Installers may then find themselves manually limiting EDID or capping output to regain stability.
Selecting the correct cable upfront avoids these compromises and ensures clients experience the full performance their system is capable of.
Watch: Why Your 4K Signal Keeps Failing
For a clear, real-world look at these challenges, watch our short technical video filmed in the AWE cinema room, demonstrating exactly how bandwidth, cable choice and EDID affect system stability.
Available Through AWE
Kordz HDMI products, including the PRO4 Active Optical and PRO4 Passive ranges, are available through AWE with fast UK delivery. For support on specifying HDMI cabling or designing systems for high-bandwidth formats, please contact the AWE team.
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