It doesn’t matter whether there’s a brand new television in the living room or an old TV that’s just supposed to show a nicer picture: With the right HDMI cable, film fans and gamers get the best and sharpest out of their television set. The abbreviation HDMI stands for “High Definition Multimedia Interface”. But not everything that says “HDMI” on it is the same. There are not only differences in processing, but also in the technical possibilities of HDMI cables. Only when the maximum resolution and speed meet the requirements of the TV and beamer do the devices also deliver the correspondingly sharp images. If you want to be sure when buying, the COMPUTER BILD Selection is always the right choice. In cooperation with the accessories specialist Hama, COMPUTER BILD offers HDMI cables for demanding users, with ultra high speed, flexible sheathing and gold-plated connectors. All information can be found at cobi.de/go/hama.

Not everything that says HDMI is the same inside. The following tips will help you get the most out of your TV.

Tip1: Note the HDMI version

Full HD or 4K? With or without HDR? And at how many frames per second (FPS)? The version of the HDMI sockets gives an indication of what is possible with a television or player. HDMI1.4 is usually found on older devices and is ready for content in Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels). The 3840 x 2160 pixels of Ultra-HD, i.e. 4K, are only available here with 30 FPS, 4K with 60 FPS are gone HDMI1.4 the generation 2 possible. This standard is also fit for HDR (Hugh Ddynamic Range), i.e. material with increased contrast and a larger color gamut. HDMI2.1 is the current standard, for example for 8K resolution. Depending on the HDMI standard, the cable should offer a certain minimum performance (see tip 2) so that you can exploit the full potential of your technology.

Tip 2: Enough bandwidth

The bandwidth of a cable must be right for the perfect picture. You can recognize them by the following designations:

HDMI High Speed: The cable transports up to 10 gigabits per second. This is sufficient for Full HD resolution, but not always for Ultra HD (4K).
HDMI Premium: 18 gigabits per second are guaranteed here. 4K resolution with 60 FPS and HDR is no problem – it’s becoming more and more common with streaming providers, console games and Internet videos.
HDMI Ultra High Speed: Up to 48 gigabits per second flow through the cable here. If you want to equip yourself for 8K resolution and thus for four times as many pixels as Ultra-HD, you need so much speed.

Tip 3: Material and processing

In order to survive in practice, the HDMI cable should not only shine with top technical performance, but also with impeccable workmanship. A high-quality casing shields the data transmission and thus prevents interference signals, for example from power sources in the immediate vicinity. If the sheath is also flexible, the cable follows every bend when it is laid, i.e. without kinking. And a robust connector extends the service life.