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I am about to do my first PC build, and it's got some really great specs. My computer is upstairs, but I have a 4K TV downstairs and I'd like to game on this computer through that to really get the most out of it that I can. I have a path to downstairs planned to wire an HDMI cable and USB extension cable over to by the TV. The USB extension cable would be used for a USB hub which would be used for a bluetooth adapter (for wireless mouse and keyboard so I can control the computer from at the TV) and for an Xbox One Wireless Controller adapter. By my measurements, both cables would have to be about 75 feet long.

I know very little about the details of how these cables work, so I'm a little lost when it comes to this. My main question is, at that length, would I see significant problems? Would I get noticeable input lag, either from the video signal through the HDMI cable, or the signals I send to my computer using the wireless mouse/keyboard/controller through the USB extension cable. Would the video quality hold up over that length? Are there specific types of each cable I might need to get that handle this kind of thing particularly well? I'm not even sure if there are questions I should be asking that I've left out, but in general I just want to know if this could case any noticeable problems when it comes to having a quality gaming experience.

PCRevolt
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  • There’s no such thing as a 75ft HDMI cable. 45ft is as far as you can push it, and that’s too long. http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/how-long-can-hdmi-run.htm – Mike Scott Dec 07 '19 at 19:25

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The question you want to ask is, “How long can my cable be?”

The answer for USB:

About 5 meters. Serial connected USB hubs can be used to get extra length to a point.

Maximum length of a USB Cable?

The answer for HDMI is:

50 feet seems to be a reasonable expectation, but there is no limit defined in the specifications. Cable quality will affect your results.

HDMI-HDMI cable length

What you are trying is not likely to work without significant problems.

Appleoddity
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  • Can you think of any practical way I would be able to use my computer through the TV at that distance? I've heard there's a way to run HDMI over ethernet and that ethernet cables can go considerably longer distances, but that still doesnt solve the USB issue – PCRevolt Dec 07 '19 at 19:41
  • @PCRevolt You’re trying to do this for gaming. By its very nature you need lag free service. Nothing is likely to meet your needs at that distance, that I am aware of. You need to bring the TV and PC together. – Appleoddity Dec 07 '19 at 20:08
  • So if I manage to bring the distance to a regular 50 foot hdmi cable by planning another path for the cable, might that work? Most of my gaming will honestly probably be done in 1440p on the TV rather than 4k anyway. I'm just wondering if I'll be able to use the max refresh rate on the TV (i think 120hz) at 1440p with a 50 foot cable – PCRevolt Dec 07 '19 at 22:15
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I'm from the future, and this is totally achievable now. You can get fiber optic hdmi cables up to 300ft, and usb 3.0 cables with built in repeaters up to 82ft.

I have done exactly what op was looking to do (almost the exact same dimensions) using the two products linked above, and it works flawlessly. Have steam setup so that when it launches big picture mode it automatically switches my primary monitor to my tv in my living room. I plug a ps4 controller into a usb hub I have connected to that 80ft usb3.0 cable and everything just works. I have perceived no noticeable input lag (although anything I'm playing in my living room is pretty laid back so I'm not sure I would notice it even if it was present)

nullReference
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