The HDMI cable has in fact become the standard with which to transport the audio and video signal in high quality between a PC and a monitor or between TV and the various entertainment devices that we can connect to it (console, Blu-ray player, DVD player, Home-Theater system etc.). Although the HDMI cable always looks the same, there are actually various types of cables available, suitable for connecting different devices. Choosing the wrong or obsolete cable may not make some modern devices work correctly: in this regard, we have created this guide in which we will show you how to choose a new HDMI cable and what differences there are between the different types of cable, so you can choose the right one to the link we want to make.
READ ALSO: HDMI adapters to connect TV boxes to older televisions
HDMI versions
Currently we can choose between 4 different versions of HDMI cables, which offer transmission speed, signal quality and additional features as the declared version increases:
- HDMI 1.3 : the older version still supported and still widespread on older DVD, Blu-ray players and TV Boxes. It supports a bitrate of up to 10.2 Gbps, so as to offer better color depth and to fully support all resolutions up to Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels).
- HDMI 1.4 : the first recent version of HDMI, as it supports Ultra HD 4K resolutions up to 3840 × 2160 pixels (at 24 Hz, 25 Hz and 30 Hz frequency), with the possibility of using the 4096 × 2160 pixel resolution at 24 Hz. As additional features we find support for the 3D signal (for Blu-ray compatible) and Ethernet support, to bring the Internet signal directly from the audio / video cable and the HDMI ARC, for the transport of the return audio signal ( for Home Theater systems) Compatible with any modern device, it should be the reference cable to make the best use of Smart TVs and PC monitors.
- HDMI 2.0 : one of the most modern versions, since it supports HDR and HFR technology for 4K videos (2160p) with 48 or 60 FPS frequency and allows you to manage 32-channel audio. There are also improved versions (2.0a and 2.0b) that add support for resolutions greater than 4K UHD and support for HDR. One of the best cables we can use when we need to connect a device via HDMI.
- HDMI 2.1 : this is the most modern cable that we can use to connect two devices via HDMI. With this cable we can have support for resolutions up to 10K, eARC, (ie Enhanced Audio Return Channel), support for Dolby Atmos, support for Game Mode VRR and dynamic HDR, for unprecedented quality!
When we go to buy a new HDMI cable, then make sure to check the version of the same, so as to avoid buying an unsuitable cable to take advantage of modern devices; to avoid errors we always choose only HDMI 2.0 or higher cables, since they are perfectly backwards compatible with devices that only support HDMI 1.3 and 1.4 cables.
Note : HDMI cables cannot be longer than 20 meters.
Types of HDMI cables
In addition to the type of version, we can find HDMI cables with different types of sockets, so that you can also connect devices other than the classic monitor or Smart TV. Three types of HDMI cables are currently available:
- Type-A : is the standard HDMI socket, usable on any modern TV, on any monitor or multimedia device with digital socket (console, Sky decoder, player etc.).
- Type-C : the reduced version of HDMI, present on some laptops in order to save space and thickness (given that notebooks are increasingly thinner). Usually they are one of the two sockets of the cable is type C, so you can connect the other end to the TV, monitor or any other device capable of receiving the HDMI signal.
- Type-D : it is currently the smallest version of HDMI, to the point that it can be inserted into a micro-USB port on smartphones. This type is dedicated to the latter, so that you can connect your smartphone to the TV or monitor using a single cable.
The most common type of HDMI cable is obviously type A, but there are still portable types with type C; Type D is not widespread and is now rapidly disappearing, as USB Type-C supports high quality audio / video transmission.
Best HDMI cables on the market
After seeing together how to choose an HDMI cable and what differences there are, in this part of the guide we will show you the best HDMI cables that we can use for our devices. We have divided the cables according to the type of need, so that we can make a precise and careful choice of the HDMI cable we need. In a separate chapter we will also show you the HDMI converters, so that you can also connect old devices with VGA, DVI and SCART to the TV.
HDMI cables for Smart TVs, consoles, decoders etc.
The best cables to connect Smart TVs, consoles, decoders, TV boxes, players are:- Rankie High Speed HDMI Cable (€ 5)
- AmazonBasics - High Speed HDMI 2.0 Cable (€ 6)
- HDMI cable 4K 2m, Snowkids (9 €)
- CSL - 3, 0m HDMI CABLE 4k 60Hz HDR | HDMI 2.0 a / b (9 €)
- two-room High speed HDMI cable - HDMI 2.1 (€ 30)
HDMI cables for PC monitors
If we need to connect a Full HD or 4K monitor to the PC, we use the following cables:- AmazonBasics - 1.8m braided HDMI cable (€ 6)
- ALCLAP - High speed HDMI 2.0 cable (9 €)
- Syncwire HDMI cable 3 m, High Speed HDMI 2.0 (11 €)
- Primewire - 2m Ultra HD 4k HDMI cable | High Speed with Ethernet (11 €)
HDMI cables for notebook
If our notebook has a mini HDMI port, we can use it to connect a monitor or a Smart TV using one of the following cables:- Linkinperk mini hdmi to hdmi cable (6 €)
- AmazonBasics - High speed mini HDMI to HDMI cable (7 €)
- CSL - 1 meter Mini HDMI to HDMI cable (7 €)
- High speed HDMI to Mini HDMI cable (9 €)
HDMI cables for compatible smartphones
Do we want to connect a smartphone with micro HDMI to the TV or monitor? We then use one of the following cables:- AmazonBasics - High speed micro HDMI to HDMI cable (€ 6)
- LinkinPerk - High speed Micro HDMI to HDMI cable (7 €)
- UGREEN Micro HDMI to HDMI 3D 4K cable (10 €)
- CSL - Micro HDMI to HDMI cable (type D) to HDMI (type A) (10 €)
HDMI converters
Finally, we have collected in the list below all the best converters from and to HDMI, so you can connect recent devices to old TVs or connect an obsolete device to modern Smart TVs or gaming monitors.- Rankie HDMI to DVI cable (24 + 1 Dual Link), CL3 (€ 6)
- AmazonBasics DVI to HDMI adapter cable (7 €)
- Rankie DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (7 €)
- AUKEY HDMI to VGA adapter (7 €)
- Rankie HDMI to VGA adapter with 3.5mm audio port (€ 8)
- Hipopapo - Adapter converter from HDMI to AV signal (9 €)
- AMANKA SCART to HDMI converter (17 €)
- ESYNiC HDMI to SCART Converter (22 €)
Conclusions
Although apparently all the same, HDMI cables can have significant differences, so better pay close attention to detail and choose only the perfect HDMI cable for our needs and for the devices we intend to connect.To know in detail the various differences between the video cables present on PC and TV, we recommend you read our guide to the Differences between HDMI and VGA cable, and between DVI and DisplayPort sockets .
If, on the other hand, we are undecided whether to use DisplayPort or HDMI on a computer monitor, we refer you to our in-depth analysis. Should I use HDMI or DisplayPort?
