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. Denon's AVRs from the AVR-X2700H and up have at least one HDMI 2.1 input and output, and Yamaha's latest models are HDMI 2.1 certified, too, although are still waiting on a firmware update in August 2022 to enable VRR and ALLM, while QMS and QFT are still in the works. It's also worth noting that both companies (and more besides) have had issues around support for 4K@120fps via the Xbox Series X, but there are now a number of fixes available. A good example to use here is the difference between Monster Hunter: World on Xbox One and Xbox Series X. In this example, performance has nothing to do with the HDMI cable but instead your TV's refresh rate. This technology streamlines audio from a source, such as a cable or streaming box, through a TV to a destination audio/video receiver or speaker bar. This was possible prior to HDMI 2.1, but not through a single HDMI cable.

With an eARC channel, you can enjoy the depth of movie theatre quality surround sound via DOLBY ATMOS and DTS:X. Due to the limitations of regular ARC, only eARC is able to process these formats. Previously the only way to overcome this constraint was to use active HDMI cables, which employ an amplifier to boost the signal allowingit to be maintained for longer distances without degradation, and are typically found in professional settings.

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. We all know good old HDMI. For quite some time, it has been the typical cable you use to connect a laptop, a game console, or a cable or satellite box to a TV. HDMI Cable Power overcomes the limitation of HDMI 2.1's Fixed Rate Link signalling system, which delivers ultra-fast, high bandwidth signals but can only be preserved for short distances, meaning that passive cables are restricted to just a few metres in length.

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. There's no debating that HDMI 2.1 presents major new opportunities. And, yes, you will need to buy a new television eventually to take full advantage of all its benefits. But for HDMI 2.1 to take off, we need actual content that can take advantage of it and use the technologies and resolutions outlined above.

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Yet another improvement for gamers, ALLM lets a TV or other display know when the signal is coming from a game console or PC. When that happens, the display can automatically turn off any picture processing that could introduce latency or lag. You’ll never have to select Game Mode on your TV again. No more lip-sync issues