HDBaseT Alliance and UL Launch a New Cable Certification Program

AMSTERDAM, Feb. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ISE 2017 -- The HDBaseT Alliance, the cross-industry group tasked with promoting and advancing the HDBaseT standard, and Alliance Contributor member UL, the global safety science company dedicated to promoting safe living and working environments, today announced the Certification Program for Power over HDBaseT (PoH) Cables.

This program, targeted at cable manufacturers, addresses the increased performance and safety requirements of audiovisual installations. With increasingly complex installations and the proliferation of power over HDBaseT (PoH) equipment, AV vendors, manufacturers and professionals have indicated the need for standardization and consistency for high performance, regardless of the size of cable bundles.  The new certification program evaluates the cable's ability to carry DC power of up to 100 watts over the four pairs of the cable, per the PoH standard, and to maintain HDBaseT data transmission performance.  The PoH standard is based on the IEEE 802.3at standard (power over Ethernet – PoE), with the necessary modifications to enable safe delivery.

Under the new certification program, UL will evaluate the cables in accordance with the soon-to-be published UL 4299, Outline of Investigation for Power over HDBaseT (POH) cables. The cables will be covered under UL's Follow-Up Services surveillance program that includes both regular inspections at cable manufacturing facilities as well as ongoing testing to determine continued compliance. Once published, UL 4299 will be available at https://standardscatalog.ul.com/.

"Until now, the HDBaseT Alliance had a Cable Recommendation Program in which it tested cables for HDBaseT transmission. The new cable certification program goes one step further, providing increased transparency to vendors and end users and identifying the best cables for complex installations. By cooperating with the leading safety company in the world, the Alliance reiterates our commitment to the highest performance levels in the industry," said Ariel Sobelman, President, HDBaseT Alliance.

"As HDBaseT became the standard for the transmission of high-throughput content, it was natural for UL to join the efforts to help address the safety and performance issues of powering over these cable installations," said L.F. Lai, VP and general manager of UL's Wire and Cable division. "Through the cable certification program, both vendors and end users will benefit from knowing that these cables are not only suitable to transmit HDBaseT, but also do so according to highly respected industry standards."

Read more about the PoH Cable Certification Program for HDBaseT Installations.

About the HDBaseT Alliance
The HDBaseT Alliance advances and promotes the adoption of HDBaseT technology as the global standard for ultra-high-definition, digital connectivity. Since its founding in 2010 by LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Valens, the Alliance has brought together the leading names in the consumer electronics, professional AV, industrial and automotive sectors, and it counts today with more than 180 members and thousands of products. 

About UL
UL fosters safe living and working conditions for people everywhere through the application of science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges.  The UL Mark engenders trust enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. We test, inspect, audit, certify, validate, verify, advise and train and we support these efforts with software solutions for safety and sustainability. To learn more about us, visit UL.com.

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SOURCE HDBaseT Alliance