How to choose the right HDMI cable

The HDMI cable has become the de facto standard with which to carry 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.).
Even if the HDMI cable always looks the same, various types of cables are actually available, suitable for connecting different devices. Choosing the wrong or obsolete cable may not make some modern devices work properly: 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 cable types, so you can choose the one that fits the connection we want to make.READ ALSO: HDMI adapters to connect TV Box to older TVs

HDMI versions

Currently, we can choose between 4 different versions of HDMI cables, which offer transmission speeds, signal quality and additional features as the declared version increases:

1. HDMI 1.3: the oldest version still supported and still very popular on old DVDs, Blu-ray players, and TV Boxes. It supports a bitrate up to 10.2 Gbps, so as to offer better color depth and fully support all resolutions up to Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels).
2. HDMI 1.4: the first recent version of HDMI, as it supports 4K Ultra HD 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 transporting the return audio signal (for the Home Theater systems) Compatible with any modern device, it should be the reference cable to take advantage of Smart TV and PC monitors.
3. HDMI 2.0: one of the most modern versions, as it supports HDR and HFR technology for 4K (2160p) video with a frequency of 48 or 60 FPS 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 HDR support. One of the best cables we can use when we need to connect a device via HDMI.
4. HDMI 2.1: this is the most modern cable we can use to connect two devices via HDMI. With this cable we can support resolutions up to 10K, eARC, (ie the Enhanced Audio Return Channel), support for Dolby Atmos, support for Game Mode VRR and dynamic HDR, for an unprecedented quality!

When we go to buy a new HDMI cable, then make sure we check the version of the same, so as to avoid buying a cable that is not suitable for using modern devices; to avoid errors we always choose only HDMI 2.0 or higher cables, since they are perfectly backward 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 plugs, so you can also connect devices other than the classic monitor or Smart TV. Currently, three types of HDMI cables are available:

1. Type-A: it is the standard HDMI socket, usable on any modern television, on any monitor or multimedia device with digital socket (console, Sky decoder, reader, etc.).
2. 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 that you can connect the other end to the TV, the monitor or any other device that can receive the HDMI signal.
3. Type-D: currently it is the smaller version of HDMI, to the point of being able to be inserted inside a micro-USB port of the smartphone. This type is dedicated to the latter, so as to be able to connect your smartphone to the TV or to the monitor using a single cable.

The most common type of HDMI cable obviously types A, but there are still laptops in circulation with type C; Type D is not very widespread and is now rapidly disappearing, as the 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 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, readers are:

• Rankie High Speed ​​HDMI Cable (€ 5)
• AmazonBasics – High Speed ​​HDMI 2.0 Cable (€ 6)
• HDMI 4K 2m cable, Snowkids (€ 9)
• CSL – 3.0m CABLE HDMI 4k 60Hz HDR | HDMI 2.0 a / b (€ 9)
• bivani Very 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 – Braided HDMI cable, 1.8 m (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 notebooks

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 – Mini HDMI High-Speed ​​Cable over HDMI (€ 7)
• CSL – 1 meter Mini HDMI to HDMI cable (€ 7)
• High-Speed ​​HDMI 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 over HDMI cable (€ 6)
• LinkinPerk – High-Speed ​​Micro HDMI to HDMI Cable (€ 7)
• UGREEN 4K Micro HDMI to HDMI 3D cable (€ 10)
• CSL – Micro HDMI to HDMI cable (type D) to HDMI (type A) (€ 10)

 

HDMI converters

Finally, we have listed all the best converters to and from HDMI in the list below, so you can connect recent devices to old TVs or connect an obsolete device to modern Smart TVs or gaming monitors.

• Rankie HDMI Cable on DVI (24 + 1 Dual-Link), CL3 (6 €)
• AmazonBasics DVI-HDMI Adapter Cable (€ 7)
• Rankie DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (€ 7)
• AUKEY HDMI to VGA Adapter (€ 7)
• Rankie HDMI to VGA adapter with 3.5 mm audio port (€ 8)
• Hipopapo – Adapter converter from HDMI to AV signal (9 €)
• AMANKA Converter from SCART to HDMI (€ 17)
• ESYNiC HDMI to SCART Converter (€ 22)

Conclusions

Although apparently all the same, HDMI cables may present significant differences, so better pay close attention to details and choose only the perfect HDMI cable for our needs and the devices we intend to connect.

To know in detail the various differences between the video cables present on PC and TV, we advise you to read our guide to Differences between HDMI and VGA cable, and between DVI and DisplayPort sockets.
If instead, we are undecided whether to use DisplayPort or HDMI on a computer monitor, we refer you to the reading of our in-depth analysis Should you use HDMI or DisplayPort?