Digital RapidRun Evaluation

We used the Active HDMI Wall Plate Module, 65-foot Runner Cable and Passive HDMI Wall Plate Module for our evaluation. We also tested the 25-foot Runner Cable, Passive HDMI Wall Plate Module and Passive DVI Wall Plate Module. As previously stated, all tests were conducted with the RapidRun Digital Runner Cable wrapped several times around a “hot” 115-volt wire circuit with a running desk top PC connected to the outlet. Additionally, we used generic 2-meter HDMI cables for our evaluation. All tests were conducted using the Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player set to 720p resolutions. Impact Acoustics states that the RapidRun Digital Cable System will provide dependable fault free transmission of 1080p resolution signals to lengths of 65-feet with the use of the Active Wall Plate Module. In the future when we receive the soon to be released 1080p version of the HQV Bench Mark DVD we will have the ability to test at true 1080p resolutions.

Starting with Avia Guide to Home Theater Chapter seven, we selected the 100TVL resolution test. With the resolution pattern displaying on our Olevia 532H LCD HDTV, we carefully viewed the image. We found that the 65-foot cable run transmitted the up-converted 720p signal flawlessly. The line structure present in the horizontal and vertical resolution wedges were easily discernable and reproduced accurately. The static zone plate looked clean, sharp and well focused. We decided to try different resolutions of 480i, 480p and 1080i. Each resolution synced perfectly between the DVD player and the HDTV. Moving to the Sharpness pattern, we viewed no excessive ringing, flickering, or ghosting on the displayed image. We thought a subjective A/B comparison between the very good 10-meter Impact Acoustics SonicWave HDMI cable and the 65-foot RapidRun Digital cable would be helpful in determining if any softening was occurring in the displayed resolution images. We viewed each image several times disconnecting one cable and swapping it out for the other. We could view no discernable differences between the 10-meter Velocity HDMI cable and the Active RapidRun Digital Cable System. The RapidRun Digital Runner Cable’s 24 – AWG wire size and the Active Wall Module obviously had a significant role in the performance level obtained by the system.

Next, we wanted to see if the 350 watt power supply in the running desk top PC that we connected to the outlet could breach the shielding capabilities of the Digital Runner Cable. Remember that we wrapped the cable around the 115-volt Romex wire run circuit. We were unable to detect any noise in the static Avia resolution tests but we wanted to confirm our findings using the HQV Benchmark DVD noise test. We first viewed the noise test with the active 65-ft RapidRun Cable, and then switched to the 10-meter Velocity HDMI cable. Although the test is subjective, we could view no appreciable differences in the image quality between the RapidRun Cable that we wrapped around the Romex and the 10-meter Velocity HDMI cable that was not. Our findings indicate that the RapidRun Digital HDMI Cable System has stellar shielding properties. Home theater pre-wire should always be routed correctly but in a typical installation we think RF and AC noise ingress is unlikely with the RapidRun Digital Cable System.

We evaluated the 25-foot RapidRun Digital Runner cable with HDMI and DVI Passive Wall Plate Modules the same way as the 65-foot Active system. Our testing and evaluation produced nearly identical results. The RapidRun Digital Passive system performance was stellar and we could view no appreciable differences between the 25- foot RapidRun System and the 10-meter Velocity HDMI cable in our testing.

Many DIY Home Owners and Custom A/V Installers will route HDMI connections through A/V receivers for audio and video source switching. We wanted to see if the RapidRun Digital Cable System could accurately transmit 720p HDMI signals that were switched through our Yamaha RX-V4600 receiver. The test is significant because it adds two more termination points, one for the source and one for the A/V receivers HDMI monitor output. This configuration also adds two additional HDMI cables into the system. There are two ways the RapidRun system can be configured through the A/V receiver. The most common way is to use the A/V receiver to switch audio and video sources.

HDMI source output-> A/V receiver HDMI source input-> A/V receiver HDMI monitor output-> RapidRun Active Wall Plate Module-> RapidRun Digital Runner Cable-> RapidRun Passive Wall Plate Module-> HDTV display HDMI input.

The second and less likely installation scenario would be to use the RapidRun Digital Cable system to transmit HDMI signal from a source in a remote location to the A/V receiver’s HDMI source input.

HDMI source output-> Active Wall Plate module-> RapidRun Runner Cable-> Passive Wall Plate Module-> A/V receiver HDMI source input-> A/V receiver HDMI monitor output-> HDTV display HDMI input.

We found that in both installation scenarios the RapidRun Cable System provided fault free HDMI video and audio transmission. At no time during the evaluation of either system configuration did we experience syncing issues, noise, delay, or HDMI HDCP errors.