I just noticed this thread at Secrets of Home Theater regarding the emergence of a few problems with HDMI. The information is still a bit sketchy. Several issues are listed. First, some cable boxes with HDMI outputs are not delivering video to displays with HDMI inputs. Additionally, there is talk of revising the HDMI plug design to be more sturdy (which may or may not relate to the planned v1.3 of HDMI, mentioned separately in the post, that is supposed to offer higher resolution 5.1 audio than is currently available with v1.1 or the forthcoming v1.2). More curious still, there are two comments about problems with HDMI coexisting with coaxial and optical digital outputs: some sources with HDMI outputs are not able to output digital audio via coaxial or optical when the HDMI output is connected to an HDMI display (no mention of whether this is also true when connected to a DVI display) and some HDMI displays are permanently messing up coaxial and optical outputs in HDMI-connected sources like DVD players as part of the two-way communication "handshake" between devices (again, no mention of DVI displays doing this and no mention of how "permanent" or "messed up" the effects are on digital audio outputs). Secrets is going to try to gather some input from engineers on possible solutions - it will be interesting to see what comes out of their digging.

Since everything is so up in the air I'm just running a 3/4" conduit from the AV rack to the vicinity of the display - is that going to be plenty you think? It's intended to be a video only feed of course.

If one is going to use pre-fabricated cable, conduit would have to be large enough to allow the connector/s to pass.

The run is a little over 30 feet. I suspect I'll be fabricating my own. Or using a signal extender.

Ideas?

DOn't even THINK about fabricating your own HDMI. It ain't possible.

A DVI connector will probably not fit through a 3/4" conduit - if I remember correctly, the connector width is around 1-1/4" or so (EDIT: Had one on my desk, and it is 1-1/2" wide). Since DVI is rapidly thinning out on video gear, you probably won't be pulling one through. An HDMI connector (using the current design) is a good bit smaller than that, and would probably fit through that conduit assuming there wasn't much else already in there.