How to navigate the jungle of HDMI cables

Game consoles, televisions, computers, Blu-ray players, all of its devices have one thing in common: they are generally equipped with one or more HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors for the transmission of sound and images. .

But since its inception in 2002, the HDMI standard has undergone many changes to accommodate new elements such as 3D, 4K video, as well as higher display frequencies. The specification has thus evolved to lead to version 2.1 which accepts 8K and even 10K video.

The table above summarizes the differences between the two most widespread versions (1.4 and 2.0) and the latest version 2.1. Display speeds shown are typical 2D maximums.

HDMI cables are differentiated by their speeds

There is now a very wide choice of cables on the market and it is becoming difficult to navigate your way around buying the one that meets your needs. Like Ethernet or USB cables, HDMI cables offer maximum overall speed that will be used to transmit sound, images and other digital data.

For the image, the necessary bit rate will depend on the definition and the display frequency, but also on the chroma subsampling (4: 2: 0, 4: 2: 2 or 4: 4: 4), color depth (8 or 10 bits, or even 12 bits or 16 bits per base color) and the presence of HDR metadata. It is therefore necessary to ensure that you have a cable ensuring a sufficient flow and above all to beware of misleading advertisements. A manufacturer can announce that its cable is compatible with the HDMI 2.0 standard but this is not guaranteed. And above all, there are no official certifications cables with the different versions of the HDMI standard.

Also beware of cables advertised as offering specific functions such as ARC (audio return channel) or CEC (global control of all HDMI devices with one remote) as these functions are mostly device dependent. For example, some TVs have multiple HDMI sockets, but sometimes only one supports the ARC function for connection to an audio amplifier. As long as the cable has the necessary speed, these functions will be available.

The only exception is the possible Ethernet channel (HEC) to transfer network data between two devices. For example, if a television and a Blu-ray player have the HEC function, just connect one to your box so that the other can also access the Internet. This function must be mentioned on the cable.

The HDMI forum tries to clear things up

The body that manages HDMI certifications has decided to take matters into its own hands and tries to encourage users to no longer take into account the standard versions (1.4, 2.0, etc.), but rather the needs (3D, 4K video , HDR, etc.). In addition, it offers certification of HDMI cables according to a limited number of categories. Thus, the “Standard” HDMI cable is limited to transmitting 720p and 1080i videos, while the “High Speed” HDMI cable accepts 1080p, 3D, Ultra HD 4K (up to 30fps), HDR and Deep Color.

Finally, the “Premium” certification guarantees that the cable will be able to transmit Ultra HD 4K video at 60 fps (HFR) and benefit from the BT.2020 color space, as well as HDR with dynamic data. This type of cable is for example interesting with the latest game consoles (PS4 Pro, Xbox One X), which have 4K games with a display at 60 fps.

The organization is also planning an “Ultra High Speed” HDMI logo for cables capable of transferring 8K HDR video. There are also “With Ethernet” versions of cables which, as their name suggests, mention the presence of a specific channel for an Ethernet network link. “Automotive” versions indicate that the cables have a specific connector for cars.

Choose a certified cable

• When purchasing an HDMI cable, you must first check the connector (standard, Mini or Micro), as well as whether or not you need an integrated Ethernet network link. Beware of too cheap models, for example at 5 euros, because they are generally of poor quality.
• For older game consoles and Blu-ray players, any newer HDMI cable is fine, as long as it is of good quality.
• To watch the majority of movies in Ultra HD 4K (at 24 or 30 fps), a “High Speed” cable will generally do the trick. For example, an AmazonBasics cable is sold around 8 euros for a length of 3 m.
• For the latest game consoles, gaming PCs and Apple TV 4K, go directly for a certified “Premium” cable because there are 2-3 m models around 20 euros and you are guaranteed that they will offer the best. bit rate required for 4K display at 60 frames per second.

If you are buying online, we recommend that you look at customer reviews as some models, even certified ones, sometimes suffer from very restrictive flaws, such as connectors that are very difficult to remove once plugged in. Also pay attention to the length because cables longer than 5 m sometimes have trouble transmitting the electrical signal correctly. You can then use active HDMI cables which embed a circuit responsible for amplifying the signal strength in order to make it go the distance. The other solution is to go through fiber optic cables, insensitive to interference. These cables are now affordable (around 50 euros for 10 m) and use the same connectors.

Finally, you must also check the HDMI specifications of the devices you are going to connect. For example, there may be several HDMI connectors on a device, corresponding to different versions of the standard. The connection will always be made with the weakest version (downward compatibility). So no need to blame the cable if you plug your new 4K (HDMI 2.0) game console into your TV’s HDMI 1.4 port.