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HDMI cables can deteriorate over time. If you're plugging and unplugging the cable consistently, it will wear down faster, and HDMI cables made of better materials last longer. Eventually, though, HDMI cables will become faulty. Often, PC-centric display devices will support both HDMI and DisplayPort (providing inputs for both), so the choice then comes down to which one works best for your specific usage case. (See our feature HDMI vs. DisplayPort: Which Should I Use for My PC Monitor? for some guidance on that.) However, based on HDMI 2.1’s improvements, it is a better choice for home entertainment needs for some reasons that may be new to you. It's also working up some steam on the PC and console-gaming side. The only other "fail" mode of HDMI cables is sparkles. This looks like snow on the screen. It can be heavy enough to look like static, like an old TV tuned to a dead channel, or it can be random-but-regular flashes of white pixels. This means you'll need new cables.
To put it another way, a poorly made 3-foot cable will probably work fine for most people, but a poorly made 15-foot cable probably won't. With any long-run solution you're considering, make sure it can handle 4K/60, HDR and so on. Many options can't. There are three technologies to consider: Devices that support HDMI 2.1 will likely say so in their product details, under their input/output connections. However, as mentioned up top, just because a device has an HDMI 2.1 port doesn’t mean that it supports all HDMI 2.1 features. Taking advantage of this new technology requires faster cables that can handle speeds of up to 48Gbps. If you want to upgrade, HDMI 2.1 cables are required. These cables will still work with all your old devices as well. Whether you're looking for a short but durable cable or a bundle of multiple, there are options for everyone on this list. It's all connected correctly, but no sound. The TV's remote does trigger the speakers' volume LED, it blinks when the volume is triggered, but still no sound. An HDMI cable will have a trapezoid-shaped connector on either end of the wire. This connector will have 16 tiny pins that will be used to transmit the digital signal to your TV or monitor. HDMI cables will have the same connector on both ends of the wire.Active: An active HDMI cable has a small chip built into the cable that takes a little power from the device's HDMI connector and uses it to boost the HDMI signal. These cables cost a little extra, but are far more likely to work. A long passive cable might work for you, but it might not. It depends on your gear. Since they're not significantly more expensive, they're worth considering for any long run.
Worried about potential lip-sync problems? HDMI v1.3, launched in 2006, added automatic audio syncing, although it was only optional. This means some ARC-enabled products will play together nicely, others might not. The latest version of HDMI is called 2.1. This is a huge leap forward in terms of bandwidth, capable of up to 8K resolutions and beyond. There are also new cables, called Ultra High Speed, and these can carry 8K signals as well as the popular 4K/120Hz used by the Xbox Series X and others. If you're into gaming, it's worth trading up to one of these, and as we found with the Cable Matters cords above, it doesn't incur much of a price premium. First I bought a better eARC HDMI cable (AudioQuest Vodka), one that positively supports all current standards.There’s scope for eARC to deliver up to 32 channels of audio, including eight-channel, 24bit/192kHz uncompressed data streams at speeds of up to 38Mbps. Be warned of some crucial jargon here with real-world consequences. Be careful not to confuse Ultra High Speed HDMI cables with Premium High Speed HDMI cables. The latter are Category 2 cables that went through HDMI’s optional certification program to guarantee support for 4K60. Ultra High Speed HDMI cables are also required to go through a certification program, and will always be marketed as an Ultra High Speed HDMI. In broad strokes, the build and material quality is much more important in a long HDMI cable than short. Over 15 feet there is a much higher chance that a mediocre cable won't work, or won't work at the resolution you want. This still doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune on a long cable, there are plenty of options for roughly the same price per-foot as the ones mentioned above. It does mean that no-name cables might be less likely to work. This isn't a forum to name and shame, however a message to manufacturers "If your to sell technology, please ensure you and your support staff understand it! HDMI ARC (that's Audio Return Channel) is a clever protocol that sits within the HDMI standard and it can help simplify a complicated AV setup and significantly reduce the number of cables you need.
Another HDMI 2.1 benefit for gamers, QFT technology reduces, though doesn’t eliminate, what is called "input lag": the brief delay between your input on a control pad or keyboard and something happening in-game. QFT shortens the delay sending active video across the HDMI cable. This technology is just beginning to make an appearance in HDMI 2.1 devices. Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) To get into the specifics here, this means on a technical side that the PS5's 2.1 HDMI has a bandwidth of 48Gbps, which is almost three times more than a 2.0b.It also boasts notable specs such as 4K support, 48-bit deep color, and improved shielding to ensure a stable connection. The good thing is, if it works, it works. For example, if you're sending a 4K HDR signal from your 4K Blu-ray player to your 4K HDR TV and the TV shows a 4K HDR signal, you're set. It's not possible to get a better image using a different 4K HDMI cable. That's not how the technology works. As we mentioned above, the PS5's HDMI cable and port are the HDMI 2.1 standard, which means the cable can transfer data much faster than a regular HDMI port. If, for example, you're playing the PS5 game on a 4K TV which has an HDMI 2.0b port – which is limited to an 18Gbps bandwidth – you'll be looking at gameplay in 4K still, but it will run at a maximum 30fps. Bravissimo594 said:How is a single optical audio cable more of a "messy solution" than a single HDMI cable? Is it that the HDMI cable can allow powering up/down a sound system?
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The most famous of the cheap HDMI brands, Monoprice has dozens of options to choose from, including the Monoprice Select Series. The linked cable is "Premium Certified." That means they're guaranteed to perform to a certain level. In this case, passing 4K at 60Hz. Plenty for HDR. LG was the first manufacturer to go all-in with the new standard, producing the first 4K TVs to sport HDMI 2.1 ports in 2019. All LG's 2022 and 2023 OLED TVs have up to four HDMI 2.1 ports, with Samsung offering one on most models and four on its flagship sets. Meanwhile, much of Panasonic and Sony's 2022 and 2023 ranges also sport a mixture of ports. Put another way, you could have a streaming box connected to your TV via HDMI 2.1, then connect the TV to an A/V receiver or a sound bar with another HDMI cable. It’s a true passthrough to simplify a home theater setup with fewer cables. Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) It is important to note that while the new consoles use HDMI 2.1 as the connection, it doesn't mean your TV also needs to support HDMI 2.1. Or perhaps your smart TV is using a built-in video app such as Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video. Either way, you don’t want to use your TV’s speakers for audio – you’d rather hear everything played through a soundbar or AV receiver instead.
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