4 new HDMI cable tips I wish everyone knew

HDMI cables have become a vital part of my everyday life, and if I didn’t have any, I wouldn’t be able to do much. While my PC has largely phased out HDMI cables, that’s not the case for anything else in my house. My TV, game consoles, and streaming boxes all need HDMI cables, so it’s important to me to find something that’s worth the money.

There are so many types of HDMI cables out there nowadays that it can be difficult to find out what’s right for you. With the advent of HDMI 2.2 here, you still might not even know the difference between HDMI 2.0 and 2.1, and I don’t blame you. The HDMI format hasn’t done a great job of explaining the difference, but fortunately, it doesn’t matter for the vast majority of people just watching their favorite show on Netflix. For those of you out there looking to get the most performance out of your game console and TV, it’s far more important. Quality cables are easy to come across, and this is the bare minimum I’m looking for with every HDMI cable I buy.

A short cable if I can get by with one

Longer cables are no good for me

HDMI cables can be very long, but you might not know that the longer you go with your cable, the more problems you can run into. If you go too long, you run the risk of having your signal interrupted, and that’s never a good thing. Fortunately, most people don’t come close to that, and while that’s a concern of mine, the main thing I’m looking for is a short cable that I don’t have to spend time hiding.

I’m not the greatest at cable management, and I’d be frightened to show anybody what the inside of my PC looks like. I’m very lazy when it comes to things like this, so if I can use a shorter cable, you better believe I’m going to do that. Luckily, most of my devices that I plug in are close to where my TV is, so it’s not like I’d benefit from having a 50-foot cable.

Durability is always nice to have

The biggest upgrade I made to my USB-C phone charger was grabbing a braided cable. I no longer have to worry about it tearing or fraying, and I’m grateful for that. While an HDMI cable doesn’t undergo that type of wear and tear, it’s still worth springing for a braided cable if you come across one. This is especially helpful if you have dangling cables that a cat likes to play with or little kids who like to pull on things.

Braided cables aren’t indestructible, but they’ll hold up to more hazards than your run-of-the-mill cable. They don’t cost much more than a regular cable, so if you have a cable that’s in the line of fire more than you’d like, a braided cable could help ease your worries. Maybe you should skip the gold-plated options, but it’s up to you.

Ultra-high speed or bust for me

No sense getting slower speeds

HDMI manufacturers might not have been the best at explaining the shift, but HDMI is a constantly evolving format, and we’re about to see HDMI 2.2 hitting store shelves and entering homes. If you have a console such as an Xbox Series X or PS5, then you need the speeds of an HDMI 2.1 cable to get the best experience. This is how you’ll experience things like 4K resolution at 120 FPS. When I buy a new cable, I make sure it’s an HDMI 2.1 cable. Those are usually labeled as Ultra-high speed, so it’s tough to miss them if you know what you’re looking for.

Older cables still have their uses, and if you have older devices plugged in, then you’re just fine using a 2.0 or even a 1.4 cable. The nice part about the HDMI format is that it’s completely backwards and forward compatible. You can use an HDMI 2.1 cable with your Xbox 360 if you want, or a 1.4 cable with your Xbox Series X or PS5. Of course, using an older cable with a new console is going to hold it back, and using a modern cable with an old piece of hardware won’t magically make it look better.

Brand names that I can trust

Don’t cheap out if you don’t have to

I don’t blame you for buying Amazon Basics-branded stuff because I’m guilty of the same thing. In a lot of scenarios, that’s a fine option, and you might be able to get away with it for HDMI cables as well. I would only buy cheap, no-brand cables for secondary TVs, however.

The thing with HDMI cables is that brands you’ve heard of aren’t really that much more expensive. Something from Anker or Monoprice won’t break the bank by any means. This also means you can pick up a durable braided cable from a reputable brand without having to spend too much more than you would on a random cable. I’m not saying you should ditch your cheap cables entirely, but it’s nice to splurge sometimes, just for peace of mind.