We have just done with a new television at home and when establishing the appropriate connections with other peripherals such as a Home Cinema or musical equipment we realize that we do not have an HDMI cable (High-Digital Multimedia Interface) at hand, so we have to buy one.
We go to the store or surf the Internet in search of getting one and well advised by the buyer or the opinions of other users we think that all are equal and there are no differences … crass error. Quiet; do not rush because even if they seem like it, all the cables are not the same and here we are going to help you differentiate them.
HDMI means “high definition multimedia interface” and through this connection to transmit digital audio and video we can exchange data between various devices such as televisions, media players, tablets, smartphones or PCs.
A single cable that will allow us to send multiple video and audio signals with high rates of data transfer (we have already seen 4K cables) so that the reproduction of high definition content without interference is allowed.
Not all HDMI cables are the same
The first thing we have to do is differentiate based on the version that each cable has (it is established in the box) and that is related to the features or requirements of the equipment that we are going to connect and the needs of the content that we are going to transmit so that not all versions allow, for example, 4K or the use of the same number of audio channels.
HDMI 1.0: It is the first version that came to light and allows up to 1080p / 60Hz resolution and 8 audio channels in 192 kHz / 24-bit with a maximum transfer rate of 4.9 Gbit / s.
HDMI 1.2: Exactly the same as the previous one and also adds support for One Bit Audio, used in SACD.
HDMI 1.3: Now the bandwidth increases up to 10.2 Gbit / s and support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD is added.
HDMI 1.4: Now the differences are remarkable, because now it allows sending and receiving data through an Ethernet connection on the same cable. In addition, the maximum resolution is increased to 4096 × 2160 pixels at 24 FPS or 3840 × 2160 at 30 FPS. Also, support for surround sound systems directly connected to a TV is added.
HDMI 2.0: The bandwidth goes up to 18 Gbit / s, allowing video in 4K resolutions, support for 32 audio channels at 1536 kHz and capacity to carry the simultaneous signal of up to 2 video streaming. It is the most important update.
Types of HDMI cable depending on the connections
Once we have seen the different varieties if we stick to the specifications we must refer to the 5 different types of HDMI connectors that we can find in the market. These are types “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “E”, although only the first four are used as usual.
HDMI type A: The most common, consists of 19 pins and a size of 13.9 x 4.45 mm.
HDMI type B: Uses 29 pins allowing carrying twice the bandwidth of the previous one and has dimensions of 21.2 x 4.45 mm
HDMI type C: It is a clone in characteristics of type A but with reduced dimensions that fall to 10.42 x 2.42 mm.
HDMI type D: With 19 pins is the most used in portable devices and has a size of 5.8 millimeters.
HDMI Type E: With a minority use, its structure is designed to withstand high temperatures and movements in a way that is often used mostly in the automotive industry.
These are the different types of HDMI cables that we can find Sopto market and when making us with one we must study what is the use we are going to give it, the specifications that we will specify and the compatibility of the connections, taking into account also that the latest versions of HDMI are retro compatible and we can use the most modern for devices that require the older ones.