This is a review of the PortKeys Ultra-thin 10-core Coaxial HDMI 100cm cable. I am a full-time freelance director of photography with my own kit, and so this review is biased from that perspective. I am not going to go into home televisions or gaming setups. This is strictly how this cable performs and lives in a professional video production environment.
PortKeys is not paying me any money for this review, but they did send me the product for free and I do get to keep it. You should be aware of this because, on some level, that could possibly sway my opinion.
The PortKeys Ultra-thin 10-core Coaxial HDMI 100cm cable is a prosumer-quality 8K UHD cable that is easy to use and rig, and it won’t break the bank at about 20 US dollars online.
It supports 8K UHD at 60Hz, that is 7680×4320, not 8K DCI which is 8192×4320. I have to take the manufacturer’s word on that since none of my equipment is 8K at the time of this review.
Fortunately, the cable is backward compatible and works perfectly on my Sony PXW-FS7 Mark II monitoring 4K DCI in 1080p on my PortKeys BM5 III WR monitor.
PortKeys says their cable has strong anti-interference capabilities which provides a stable signal. I haven’t used the cable very long but it seems to perform perfectly under normal filming situations, including hot and humid exteriors in 90° Tennessee heat. Time will tell how long the cable will actually survive professional use, though it seems robust and versatile enough to last a long time.
The cable has two male connections: on one end you have a straight connector, and an elbow on the other end, so you have options to aid in cable management.
The cable itself has a rubbery, soft feel, and is very thin with a diameter of 2.4mm, but it doesn’t feel flimsy. It seems durable enough, cinched up, for monitoring on-camera and being a part of the camera gack where it won’t be under the kind of stress the video village cables are typically under.
It comes in either 50cm or 100cm lengths. The 100cm length is perfect for my purposes. Being soft and thin makes this cable versatile for keeping the camera rigging nice and neat which is a quality the AC in me appreciates. Its size and weight will help rigs stay lightweight so it’s probably a perfect HDMI cable for gimbals and handheld.
In conclusion, the PortKeys Ultra-thin 10-core Coaxial HDMI 100cm cable so far seems like a well-made HDMI cable for lighter video systems and is a great option for smaller footprint rigs like handheld gimbals. It’s also economical; at the time of this review you can find it online for about 20 U.S. dollars. Time will tell how long it’ll put up with daily professional use, but I have no worries that it won’t last for many years.