Don’t fall for these common HDMI cable myths

At this point, I’d wager most American households you didn’t have dozens of HDMI cables lying around their houses. The days of the red, yellow, and white cables to plug in your devices are long gone, and while composite might still have its uses, it’s a largely HDMI world now.

For what it’s worth, HDMI is superior in practically every way. You don’t have to deal with three separate cables anymore, as it’s just a single cord that you plug into your TV and forget about. Audio and picture quality especially blow it out of the water. Despite all that, there are still some myths that need to be cleared up. HDMI is a rather mature format, but it changes so often that it’s hard to keep up unless you’re already in the know. To be fair, not all of these things are made abundantly clear, and there’s a chance you might be leaving performance on the table by falling into some of these traps.

1

Those gold-plated HDMI cables just look cool

Don’t expect performance gains

I know the appeal of gold-plated HDMI cables, I really do, but you need to know why you want them. If you’re looking for something that’s going to give you better performance, you should start looking elsewhere. The best thing the gold-plated cables do for you is not corrode as fast, although I don’t have any HDMI cables that have started doing that so far.

There are no performance gains to be had from a gold-plated HDMI cable, so the visual aspect of the cord itself is a big reason to pick it up. I wouldn’t recommend paying a premium for it since you’re getting the same performance out of a cheaper cable. If you’re somebody who likes to hide their cords in walls, so nobody can see them, I’d say you should give these a pass and go for something cheaper.

2

Your cable does actually matter

Pay attention to what you buy

While the gold-plated HDMI cables don’t make a difference, there is a difference between each cable. HDMI 2.1 is the current widely adopted format, and it’ll likely take a little while before HDMI 2.2 replaces it fully. It’s important to check your cable, especially if you’re using a new device such as an Apple TV 4K or PS5, because a 2.1 cable unlocks your best performance. Your HDMI 2.0 cable still works, but you aren’t getting the highest speeds possible if that’s what you’re using with these devices.

What you’re looking for is a cable marked as High-Speed Ultra-HD because that means you’ll get the 48 Gbps speeds offered with HDMI 2.1. All of these cables are backward-compatible, so there’s no reason not to buy the newest format if you can afford it. Even if you’re not using it now, something you buy in the future will.

These speeds matter a lot if you’re looking to get the most out of your audio setup. Even if you have a basic soundbar, using a high-quality cable plugged into your TV’s eARC port will get you the best audio you can get. The difference between 18 Gbps and 48 is massive, and when HDMI 2.2 becomes mainstream, you can double that to 96 Mbps.

3

Don’t go too long with your HDMI cable

Longer isn’t better

When you mount your TV, it’s not uncommon that you have to reach down quite a way from your TV to a game console. In most cases, you won’t be going too far, so it’s fine, but you start to run into trouble when your cable goes beyond 25 feet. This isn’t something you commonly see, but when you pass that, your signal quality can degrade.

There are ways around this, but it’ll be pricey. You can grab a 50-foot cable if you’d like, but I’d only grab one from a reputable brand and go for a fiber optic cable. These are higher quality, and you’ll likely run into far fewer issues if you grab one. Realistically, I’d just find a way to avoid using a long HDMI cable like this, because running a 50-foot cord through my house just doesn’t sound fun.

4

An expensive cable doesn’t mean a better cable

Price isn’t always a deciding factor

Pocket-lint/Canva

In a lot of cases, it’s better off spending a little extra to get a better brand, but that’s not exactly the case with an HDMI cable. Yes, you should go for something you’ve at least heard of instead of a random knockoff, but HDMI cables either work or they don’t. I haven’t run into a cable fraying or anything like I have with a USB-C cable, and the big reason why that’s the case is that I don’t mess with my HDMI cable after I plug it in.

If you stick with reputable brands such as Anker or Monoprice, even Amazon Basics in many cases, then you should be just fine. I don’t see any reason you need to spend $50 on a cable, and you often find one for under $10. I’ve had no issues with cheaper cables, and I suspect it’ll be the same for you.