Despite efforts on the part of some manufacturers to label their cables as HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 2.1, what differentiates one HDMI cord from another isn't the HDMI version. That version number (1, 1.4, 2.0, 2.1, etc.) describes the capabilities of your hardware — from OLED TVs and soundbars to AV receivers, etc. — not your HDMI cables. What's the difference between a certified and a non-certified HDMI cable? Not much. If an HDMI cable is truly a high-speed cable, it will perform all of the needed duties like transmitting 4K at 60Hz, high dynamic range (HDR), and 4:4:4 deep-color video, plus uncompressed audio. This is the AV world's workhorse. High Speed HDMI cables can manage any device or content all the way up to video with 4K resolution at 30Hz. 3D video, deep color, and, of course, 1080p HD are all supported. Static HDR (like HDR10) will work, too, although we don't recommend this kind of cable if you want to experience Dolby Vision HDR. As a dynamic version of HDR, it uses a lot more data and thus benefits from a faster cable. This is great news for gamers, because HDMI 2.1 enables a 3D graphics processor to render and display images in real time, which will result in more fluid gameplay and greater detail.

When using this feature, there's only one correct way to connect the HDMIcable between the source and the display, and it's properly marked on the cable. If it's reversed, the HDMI Cable Power feature simply won't work and it won't transmit its maximum bandwidth. Display Stream Compression 1.2 HDMI 2.1 is a technology that is designed with the future in mind, already capable of transferring a 10K resolution that few screens or computers can produce. Because of this, it makes a lot of sense that Belkin has reflected this with a highly durable cable, that could last you for years.With the new, higher bandwidth requirements of HDMI 2.1, new methods of compression are required. The most common method of compressing video streams is a technology called Display Stream Compression (DSC). Itwas initially developed with computers in mind and couldn't encode most TV signals efficiently. The VESA groupresponsible for maintaining DSC released an updated version of DSC, known as DSC 1.2, which increases the maximum color depth to 16-bit and enables native YCbCr 4:2:0 and YCbCr 4:2:2 encoding without the need to convert to RGB first.

If you bought your TV or any other piece of AV equipment in the last three or four years, Premium High Speed is the way to go. For use with Laptops/Computers and portable headphone amps/dacs, the QED reference USB A-Micro B uses our Ferrite insulation to reduce Jitter, as well as isolating the data and power lanes for a cleaner overall signal. While the design and construction of the cable might not make any difference to your image or sound quality (as long as it works properly), it will make it more robust and reliable, or affect how easy it is to connect your screen and source devices. This is about defining a new specification of a HDMI cable's speed, with so-called 48G cables (for now just a working title) offering 48Gbps bandwidth for sending uncompressed 8K video, with HDR, over a HDMI 2.1 cable.The HDMI 2.1b Specification includes a new cable - the Ultra High Speed HDMI ® Cable. It’s the only cable that complies with stringent specifications designed to ensure support for all HDMI 2.1b features including uncompressed 8k@60 and 4K@120. The cable’s increased bandwidth capability supports up to 48Gbps. The big elephant in the room here is that it was revealed in December 2021 that many TVs labelled HDMI 2.1 might not come with all of the features you'd expect from HDMI 2.1. We cover why this is important in this guide, but what you need to know is that just because a TV says it has HDMI 2.1 capabilities doesn't mean it'll do everything you need it to. The increased bandwidth supported by HDMI 2.1 allows TV manufacturers to release new devices with resolutions as high as 10k (10420x4320). It's not likely that displays with these ultra-high resolutions will be available on the market for many years. However, the main advantage of having HDMI 2.1 support on a 4k TV is that it cansupport 4k @ 120Hz content, which is what the newer gaming consoles output. Highwings 8K HDMI 2.1 Cable offers a durable and capable HDMI cable for a very competitive price. Despite this low price, you’re still getting all the premium features HDMI 2.1 is capable of. This includes the 12 Bit colour processing technology which results in more accurate depth, detail, contrast, and colours than ever before.

When it comes to Samsung, you'll find HMDI 2.1 in a handful of sets from last year, which includes the Samsung QN85A, and Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV. But again, HDMI 2.1 will be available in more of Samsung's TVs for 2022. This LINKUP Ultra High-Speed HDMI 2.1 cable offers a unique twist, giving it an advantage over the other cables on this list. As you can see from the image above this cable can be swivelled and angled across two axes, 90 degrees up and down and a full 360 degrees around. READ NEXT: The best 1080p, 1440p, 4K and ultrawide monitors Does the physical construction of the cable matter? This data is transported along a cable with a robust 2-layer shielding design which protects the delicate internal wiring both from physical and electrical damage. Now we're in 2022, HDMI 2.1 has become much more commonplace. But 2021 is the year it went mainstream. Before that it only received piecemeal support on a handful of high-end sets, often with only one HDMI 2.1 port with two or three HDMI 2.0 ports alongside.HDMI 2.1 also enabled VRR (variable refresh rate), which helps to keep games looking smooth by switching up the refresh rate on the fly to best suit how much is happening onscreen. That means less image lag, stutter and frame tearing similar to the effect achieved by FreeSync and G-Sync. The Ultra High Speed HDMI Certification Program is a mandatory certification program for all Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables; and ensures quality Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables reach the market and support 4K and 8K video, HDR, VRR, eARC, and all other HDMI 2.1b features. Cables are also required to be tested and certified to ensure low EMI to reduce the possibility of interference with wireless networks, streaming media players, Bluetooth devices and mobile phones. Speed is the single biggest consideration when choosing an HDMI cable because if your cable isn't fast enough for your specific equipment, HDMI version, and media sources, it won't be reliable. Gamers can also make the most of variable refresh rate (VRR) technology now possible with HDMI 2.1. This protects against screen tearing, which occurs when the refresh rate of your monitor or TV is out of sync with the one provided by your console or gaming PC. The result of this is temporary image jitters or freezes that can affect immersion and gaming performance. VRR stops this by varying the frame rate of the monitor or TV to match its input. If you pair this with one of the best HDMI 2.1 monitors you can be sure it’ll be compatible with the same technology. This technology, which is supported by HDMI 2.1but not necessarily by all devices that support HDMI 2.1, drastically increases the maximum bandwidth that HDMI cables can transmitwithout compromising image quality. DSC is only required for very high resolution, high refresh rate devices, and it may be many years before it's needed. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Which devices will support it?