What is the max length of an usb cable?

[TheShinyMac]

As the title says, What is the max length of an usb cable? I plan on buying http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html for christmas and I plan on putting it over my xbox 360 and I need a longer cable than the one probably supplies. What is a good length before the video quality starts to degrade. I dont need a super long one, maybe 5 feet
http://www.hauppauge.com/site/products/data_hdpvr.html

 

[mkrishnan]

As the title says, What is the max length of an usb cable?

Video quality degradation isn't the issue -- it's a digital transmission, not an analog transmission, is it not?

Per spec, I believe what Wikipedia says:

The maximum length of a standard USB cable (for USB 2.0 or earlier) is 5.0 metres (16.4 ft).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus

Is correct. Latency, as they note, and possibly also impedance for the 5V power component of the signal, are the issues, though, not signal degradation.

 

[Bill Gates]

You can get a USB repeater for longer cable lengths than what the spec allows.

 

[m85476585]

Be careful. When I tried to hook up my EyeTV Hybrid with a random 2 foot USB cable, the video showed up as green blocks and the audio was still there. I suspect the cable isn't up to the USB 2.0 spec.

That doesn't mean you should spend a lot of money on a cable, though. You can't go wrong with Monoprice.com

It is best to use just one cable if you can, rather than an extension cable plus another cable.