Hi all. My parents are looking at a new telly and of course currys want to sell them HDMI cables. They know not to buy them there, but apparently there's a 'new version' of HDMI cable. I'm not up on things like this at the moment - what's the deal?

It's for a 4K Sony set. From the brief things I've just read, the old HDMI should work ok. Either way - I assume the trusty cheap Amazon ones would do the same job?

Also, would peripherals such as Blu Ray players be affected by having a 4K set/different HDMI cables?

Thanks!

http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/hdmi-2-0-what-you-need-to-know/

 

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_2_0/

 

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_2_0/hdmi_2_0_faq.aspx

As long as it's HDMI 2.0 then you're futureproofed. I just got 4 cheap jobbies from Amazon with my 4k Sony at Xmas.

 

You'll only need a 2.0 cable if you've got a 4k source though. For now it's likely that any HDMI cable will work for you, until you start buying 4k Blu-Rays and the like.

HDMI 2.0 Specification does not define new cables or new connectors as such.

 

So i expect, the main issue will be if you have purchased a really iffy/cheap HDMI 1.x cables in years gone buy.

 

We regularly do "teardowns" on HDMI cables offered and have seen some pretty horrendous attempts especially with poor shielding connections.

Amazon basics should be fine and if it isn't they'll taken them back.

 

Expensive cables are snake oil. You might get a benefit if you are running very long cables but otherwise the standards are all digital and they have error correction built in.

 

We use poundshop hdmi cables. They work absolutely fine. But we're not using a 4k set.

Cheap cables are doing fine for me. Digital is all 1's and 0's, as long as they arrive at the destination, cable "quality" doesn't play a part.

 

 

 

Years ago Belkin did modem cables made from CAT5 "so your modem could run at up to 100Mbit. Hmmmmm........

Don't buy Currys over priced cables, you can source them alot cheaper elsewhere.

What most other people have already said really.

 

Don't know specifically about HDMI V2.0 but previously, pretty much any cable will do over a 2-3M run or shorter.

 

Only occasions better cables yield better results is where people go the whole rewiring the house for HT and have say 10M plus cable runs of HDMIs.

 

Betetr off buying a couple of different cheap HDMI cables. The connectors and shrouds are likely to have more of an impact than buying a "Monster" cable etc.