Can a broken HDMI connector be fixed?

January 9, 2012 11:19 AM

Fixing an HDMI connector: I broke the connector on one end of an in-wall HDMI cable. Is fixing it possible? This AskMeFi thread proceeded with some of the answers I found on the internet until the poster realized they had a DVI cord. So, I have an HDMI cable, one connector is broken, it runs 35 feet on a convoluted run through the walls and ceiling of an old house, so running new cable will not be as simple as just affixing a string to the old one and pulling it through. Is fixing it possible?
posted by oneironaut to technology (9 answers total)

If it's an old house, they probably pulled it through the walls anyway, didn't they? You're probably going to have to pull a new one through.
posted by empath at 11:29 AM on January 9, 2012

Are you sure the in-wall cable is broken or is it just the keystone module in the wall plate?
posted by wongcorgi at 11:29 AM on January 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

I considered repairing a 35 foot HDMI cable until this article explained what was necessary. I bit the bullet, bought a new cable and spent half a day fishing it through a wall.
posted by buggzzee23 at 11:30 AM on January 9, 2012

You can also consider pulling cat6 instead (will be a lot easier, I think) and using cat6 to HDMI adapters on either end. Should also be less expensive. Something like this.
posted by TomMelee at 12:21 PM on January 9, 2012

The answer depends on which piece is broken. Often the wall plates have a keystone jack that has the wire plug in. Check this pic from Amazon. If you can, replace the wall jack alone, then do it!

If it is the actual HDMI cable's connector that is broken, then you will need to replace the cable. Repairing the HDMI connector is hell and not feasible.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 12:26 PM on January 9, 2012

Avoid pulling anything through walls if at all possible. It's a nightmare in even the best circumstances. Take the wall plate off and look behind it. It's likely replaceable as in the picture Mister Fabulous linked to.
posted by odinsdream at 12:32 PM on January 9, 2012

Man, I just paid to have that cable run through the wall. Luckily I have another backup, and one Cat5e. Good to know about Cat6...that will be easier to run if I have to do another.

It is the cable's own connector that broke. The original plan was running it into a keystone jack, but there wasn't enough room between the brick and the drywall for it to turn and jack in. So it's bullnose out the wall.

Oh well, guess I'll be using a switcher from Monoprice.
posted by oneironaut at 1:09 PM on January 9, 2012

Just a heads up, the switcher from Monoprice is a good solution but is likely to present its own set of headaches. Make sure you at least read this page before committing. It looks like devices that require specs beyond HDMI 1.2 may not work. Also, unshielded cat5e may not be sufficient for what you need.
posted by dosterm at 1:33 PM on January 9, 2012

It was actually this switcher that I had in mind. The main point of the second HDMI cable was to allow for a direct connection (like a laptop), or an ARC channel. This will do the trick.
posted by oneironaut at 1:54 PM on January 9, 2012