A Guide to HDMI and Its Many Versions

January brings with it new gadgets, for the home, the pocket, office, even transportation – the car is a huge gadget, obviously – at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. So that means everything will magically work wonderfully together, right? Right? 

Obviously not. It means we have to wait for the concept-like products to launch all through the year and hope that they work as advertised. One of the things that are underrated to work as well as advertised is perhaps the HDMI cable. And that is because there is nothing wrong with the cable but rather which version of it one is using and what they are connecting with it. 

There needs to be perfect compatibility between the HDMI cable, and the input-output devices. Again, sometimes there is no HDMI port in devices, so you have to resort to HDMI adapters, and even with those, finding the best compatible one can be challenging. 

The HDMI Licensing Administrator, the body that certifies HDMI versions and standards, says that your latest TV which says it supports HDMI 2.1, is actually not really required to offer any of the 2.1 features. The versions of HDMI suggest the features they have and support, thereby being an important factor for any gadget purchasing decision. Television or home entertainment systems are, after all, things that customers buy for many years on end, and future-proofing on what connectivity standards it supports, matters a great deal to that. 

Here’s a breakdown of all the features for each version:

When it comes to adapters, HDMI adapters are mainly used when you don’t have the port itself on your gadget, namely when your device is either too old or too new. Years ago, a DVD player came with RCA ports and now some of the most popular laptops come with only USB C ports. In either of these cases, you need an adapter. 

You’d need an old DVD player if you want to occasionally watch a DVD without buying a new, plug and play player. Just get an HDMI to RCA adapter and you should be able to watch your DVD. Similarly, if you want to plug in your laptop with USB C to your TV because your TV is not new enough to accept screencasting, you need a USB C to HDMI adapter or a USB C hub to do the trick. 

CES might as well be known as the TV show because that is often the main attraction there. Display technology scaling to show off minuscule pixels, freestanding TVs, wall-sized panels, modular display panels, and whatnot. It also shows off projectors of varying dimensions. While the concept and show of the whole thing are commendable, not everything is affordable by the average consumer. This especially holds true in the ports that get shipped on TVs. The latest standards are always expensive and the mid-tier TV variants may not always ship with those to cut down on cost. 

When choosing any display for yourself, TV or monitor, or projector, consider the longevity of the same. Are you going to be able to use these ports for years to come as you upgrade the other parts of your workflow? If the answer is yes, get the display. But remember to not read the details of each part of the gadget before buying it.