After purchasing the new Ultra HD TV, one is faced with the question of which HDMI cable transmits the desired quality. Starting with the HDMI version through the different connector types to other names such as CEC, Ethernet or DTS-HD. We explain the differences and what to look out for when buying the cable.
What are the technical differences in HDMI cables?
HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface and has been an interface that has been developed since 2002 for digitally transmitting picture and sound. For example, you can connect your Blu-Ray player or game console directly to a television via HDMI in order to display both picture and sound at the same time. The current version of HDMI is 2.1 - however, according to the license agreement, HDMI products may no longer be marked with version numbers. The names are now called "HDMI Standard", "HDMI High Speed", "HDMI Premium High Speed" and, in the latest version, "HDMI Ultra High Speed". Whether it's Full HD or HDMI 2.0 - our table will help you understand the differences between the individual HDMI cables and HDMI standards:
| designation | version | Max. Transfer rate | Maximum resolution | new color formats
| additionally supported audio formats and channels | New features compared to its predecessor |
| HDMI standard | 1.0 | 3.96 Gbit / s | 1080p @ 60 Hz | RGB and YCbCr with 8 bits each | 8 channels (PCM, MPEG, Dolby Digital, DTS) | |
| | 1.1 | 3.96 Gbit / s | 1080p @ 60 Hz | RGB and YCbCr with 8 bits each | DVD audio | |
| | 1.2 | up to 7.92 Gbit / s | 1080p @ 60 Hz | RGB and YCbCr with 8 bits each | SACD | CEC (from version 1.2a) |
| HDMI high speed | 1.3 | 8.16 Gbps | 1440p @ 60 Hz | RGB and YCbCr with 10/12/16 bit each, color space xvYCC | Dolby Digital Plus, True HD, dts-HD | Lipsync, Deep Color |
| | 1.4 | 8.16 Gbps | 4096 × 2160p @ 24 Hz
3840 × 2160p @ 30 Hz
2560 × 1600p @ 60 Hz
1920 x 1080p @ 120 Hz | SYCC-601
color space Adobe RGB
color space Adobe YCC-601 color space | Audio Return Channel (ARC) | HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) |
| HDMI Premium High Speed | 2.0 | 14.4 Gbit / s | 3840 × 2160p @ 60 Hz
1920 × 1080p @ 48 Hz (3D) | Color space ITU-R BT.2020 | Up to 32 channels, Dolby Atmos, eARC (from version 2.0b) | HDR (from version 2.0a) |
| HDMI Ultra High Speed | 2.1 | 42⅔ GBit / s | 7680 × 4320p @ 60 Hz
3840 × 2160p @ 120 Hz (3D) | RGB with 14 bit
color subsampling each YCbCr 4: 2: 0
video compression DSC 1.2 | DTS: X | HDR 10, Dolby Vision |
| designation | version | Max. Transfer rate | Maximum resolution | new color formats
| additionally supported audio formats and channels | New features compared to its predecessor |
| HDMI standard | 1.0 | 3.96 Gbit / s | 1080p @ 60 Hz | RGB and YCbCr with 8 bits each | 8 channels (PCM, MPEG, Dolby Digital, DTS) | |
| | 1.1 | 3.96 Gbit / s | 1080p @ 60 Hz | RGB and YCbCr with 8 bits each | DVD-Audio | |
| | 1.2 | bis zu 7.92 Gbit/s | 1080p @ 60 Hz | RGB und YCbCr mit je 8 Bit | SACD | CEC (ab Version 1.2a) |
| HDMI High Speed | 1.3 | 8,16 Gbit/s | 1440p @ 60 Hz | RGB und YCbCr mit je 10/12/16 Bit, Farbraum xvYCC | Dolby Digital Plus, True HD, dts-HD | Lipsync, Deep Color |
| | 1.4 | 8,16 Gbit/s | 4096 × 2160p @ 24 Hz
3840 × 2160p @ 30 Hz
2560 × 1600p @ 60 Hz
1920 x 1080p @ 120 Hz | Farbraum sYCC-601
Farbraum Adobe RGB
Farbraum Adobe YCC-601 | Audio Return Channel (ARC) | HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC) |
| HDMI Premium High Speed | 2.0 | 14,4 GBit/s | 3840 × 2160p @ 60 Hz
1920 × 1080p @ 48 Hz (3D) | Farbraum ITU-R BT.2020 | Bis zu 32 Kanäle, Dolby Atmos, eARC (ab Version 2.0b) | HDR (ab Version 2.0a) |
| HDMI Ultra High Speed | 2.1 | 42⅔ GBit/s | 7680 × 4320p @ 60 Hz
3840 × 2160p @120 Hz (3D) | RGB mit je 14 Bit
Farbunterabtastung YCbCr 4:2:0
Video-Kompression DSC 1.2 | DTS:X | HDR 10, Dolby Vision |
In summary, depending on the transmission rate, you should use the following HDMI variants for the transmission of HD up to 8K:
- HDMI Standard : Supports a transmission rate of up to 7.92 Gbit per second (Gbit / s), which is sufficient for the transmission of an HD signal (1080p) at 60 Hz - i.e. Full HD .
- HDMI High Speed : Supports a transmission rate of up to 8.16 Gbit / s and masters 4K , 3D or deep color
- HDMI Premium High Speed : Supports transmission of up to 14.4 Gbit / s for 4K at 60 Hz. This standard also guarantees that the bandwidth required for this is actually made available.
- HDMI Ultra High Speed : Has a maximum bandwidth of 42 ⅔ GBit / s. This allows you to transmit 8K at 60 Hz and 4K with a repetition rate of 120 Hz.
In addition to the technical features, there are different connector types for HDMI cables. The normal plug is the type A connector . You can usually find this on all entertainment devices or notebooks. In addition, there are Type C and Type D . Similar to USB plugs, this is smaller than the standard.
What should you look out for when buying?
When buying a cable, you should first compare the technical possibilities of the cable and consider which HDMI cable is most useful for your purpose. Our table above will help you with this. If you need an HDMI cable for Ultra HD, Deep Color and Dolby Vision, it hardly makes sense to buy an old, cheaper standard HDMI cable. In this case you should invest in an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable or at least a cable with HDMI 2.0 or higher. In addition to the cable name, the following points are important when buying:
- Choose the optimal length : Longer cables are firstly more expensive and secondly have a negative impact on quality. So the motto is: as short as possible, as long as necessary.
- Find the right connector type : HDMI Type A is the standard for TVs or consoles. For smartphones, for example, you need type D.
- Ethernet HDMI cable (optional): These have an integrated network cable and thus offer the option of broadcasting the Internet.