What Factors Should I Consider when Purchasing a HDMI Product?

With the development of high-definition digital video technology, HDMI has become a daily product for consumer electronics and PC applications. You can easily find countless multi-brand HDMI products in e-retail stores or major online store platforms, but that doesn't mean you can buy the HDMI products on the market to meet your desired functional requirements. So when we buy HDMI products, what factors do we need to consider?

It is true that there are already many articles on how to choose HDMI products on the Internet. We will not introduce the history, working principle, advantages and disadvantages and applications of HDMI here today. We only focuses on some factors that users should pay attention to when purchasing.

FAQ:

Q: Do we need to pay attention to the HDMI standard version?

A: The current common version of HDMI is 1.3, 1.4, 2.0; the latest version is 2.1.As shown in the figure below, the higher the version, the more coverage features. Each version is backwards compatible, so the first thing we should do is to figure out which features are supported by your device and then choose the right HDMI version. Also note that the HDMI version of the product itself does not mean that all the latest features have been implemented, and the features listed in each version of HDMI are optional, not mandatory.

Q: Will the size or port connection type of different versions of the HDMI port be different?

A: Regardless of the standard version of the HDMI cable, the port type and size of the connected port are the same.

Q: What HDMI cable types are there on the market?

A: There are currently 8 types of HDMI cables available, and there are 4 common types, including high-speed Ethernet, high-speed without Ethernet, standard speed with Ethernet, and standard speed without Ethernet. We should always choose a high-speed wire to ensure that it supports the current technology. Qualified HDMI cable will have a label logo designed by HDMI authorized company to indicate the functions supported by the cable. For details, please refer to the following HDMI official website:

Q: How to judge the quality of HDMI cable?

A: The main factors affecting the performance and life of the wire are the raw materials and the manufacturing process. In terms of material cost, brands with HDMI certification will have higher quality credibility, but this is not to say that the quality without HDMI certification is not good. The reality is that people cannot judge the quality of their products by appearance processing and materials alone. The pictures of such products on the Internet look similar, and the key factor to distinguish HDMI performance is to look at its video resolution and running speed. Therefore, it is difficult to say that the performance parameters advertised are the same as the actual operation without personal testing. If you find it difficult to choose, it is best to go to the physical store to understand the experience before buying.

Q: How far can the HDMI cable transmit?

A: This depends on the situation. You may have heard that the HDMI cable has a 5 meter limit. In fact, the HDMI specification does not give a distance limit. Cables that meet the HDMI test standard have been tested to deliver a certain level of signal to poorly performing HDMI electronics. In addition, the design and construction of the cable, the installation of electronics , and the resolution of the video are all factors that affect the signal transmission distance. As cable runs longer and longer, the quality of the cable becomes even more important. For most applications, an HDMI extender should be considered when the cable length is greater than 10 meters. Using too long a cable not only wastes money and space, but the signal is also attenuated.

Q: Can my HDMI 2.0 device upgrade firmware to HDMI2.1?

A: In theory, it is ok. Only a few manufacturers generally use expensive chips that support firmware upgrades.

More content is continuously updated, so stay tuned.