Australian company ZILR has new 12G-SDI BNC Cable Reels. The ZILR 12G SDI Cable Reels support signals from 12G-SDI, 6G-SDI, HD-SDI, and 3G-SDI.
They are designed for use with professional equipment requiring an SDI connection over a long distance. According to ZILR, the maximum resolution support is 7680 x 4320 at 30 Hz.
Key features
- Rated for up to 12G-SDI Video
- Supports up to DCI 4K60 Resolutions
- 28 AWG RG-6 Coaxial Cable
- Gold-Plated BNC Connectors
- Copper Braid Shielding
- Standing Reel with Top Handle
What lengths are available?
The kits are available in the following lengths:
- 32.8′ / 10m
- 65.6′ / 20m
- 164′ / 50m
- 328′ / 100m
At least to my knowledge, the maximum length a 12G-SDI BNC Cable can be run without signal degradation is around 100-120m / 328-393′.
What would you use these for?
These types of BNC Cable Reels are arguably primarily for small to medium-sized productions where you need to hardwire equipment over larger distances. This could be in studios, houses of worship, events, news, etc.
How much does it weigh?
The ZILR 12G-SDI BNC Cable Reel (164′) weighs 5.1kg / 11.24 lb.
Build Quality
If you are not familiar with ZILR they are an Australian company that has been around for almost 4 years now. They also make high-quality HDMI cables and power solutions.
There are a lot of bad SDI cables out there on the market, and finding a decent one can be a tricky endeavor. If you are working with cameras or equipment that have 4K 6G or 12G inputs or outputs, then having reliable, well-made SDI cables is a must.
I think a lot of us have been guilty of buying 6G or 12G capable SDI cables from Amazon in the past, and a lot of them fail to last very long or don’t actually lock correctly on connectors.
As I previously mentioned, if you are using a single cable to send a 4K single over SDI, you need to make sure you get a decent one. I have bought a few so-called 12 SDI cables in the past that actually didn’t work as advertised.
The cable reel is nicely made and well designed.
The ends of the SDI cable are protected by a hard sealed casing, so they won’t get damaged during transport or storage.
I like the design of the cables, and the large protective casing offers protection so that your cable won’t get easily snapped. I have been using ZILR SDI cables for over 3 years now, and I have had a couple of instances where an onboard monitor fell and the cable didn’t break or snap.
There is a nice contoured handle on the reel that makes it easy to pick up and carry.
On the front casing of the reel, there are clips, as well as a velcro strap you can use to secure one end of the cable to keep things neat and tidy.
ZILR also clearly labels the cable reel so you know exactly what it is. This is very useful if it’s in a truck, etc, and you have multiple different types of reels.
Real World Use
The cable had no problem sending a 4K 60p signal from a camera to a monitor when it was fully extended out to 50m / 164′.
Having a long SDI cable is crucial for certain situations or environments where you need a hardwired connection and a wireless signal just won’t cut it.
If you are doing productions with multiple cameras in certain-sized environments, being able to run 50-100m SDI cables back to a switcher, etc., is very handy.
Price & Availability
Below are the prices for the various lengths that are available:
