What is an HDMI Cable?
SCART leads were previously used for such purposes. However, the development of HDMI allowed for the transfer of HD sound and vision for optimisation of the entertainment experience. There is a wide variety of HDMI cables to choose from, with only the latest models providing support for 4K TV and HDR (High Dynamic Range).
What Does HDMI Stand for?
HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. It is a type of proprietary audio/video interface used for the effective transfer of uncompressed video data and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data from an HDMI source device to a range of audio and visual systems. The majority of modern-day systems only allow for connection via HDMI cables. HDMI is used in the commercial AV sector and is the preferred cable connection for home entertainment systems. This single cable solution allows for the convenient connection of devices such as games consoles and set-top boxes to your television screen.
HDMI Cable Features and Versions
HDMI cables are the preferred choice for the connection of digital entertainment systems due to the associated audio-visual quality. There are four main varieties of HDMI cables, excluding those which are designed for automotive purposes. These are the standard, standard with ethernet, high speed, and high speed with ethernet. The type of cable must be clearly displayed. A number of cable varieties have been introduced over the years and the physical connector type has remained the same across the range, although there have been updates to the HDMI cabling capabilities. You should be aware that each successive type of HDMI cabling is compatible with previous versions.
What is an HDMI connector used for?
In almost all standard use scenarios, HDMI cables and connectors of all types will be used to transfer simultaneous audio and video signals from a source to a receiver or display. After all, that’s what they were originally developed to do, without users having to link up multiple different sets of cables (or the much more unwieldy DVI connectors) to get both types of signal carried at once.
However, in some cases, HDMI can also be used purely for either audio or video signals due to its broad backwards compatibility with older connection standards. This is particularly useful because, with the addition of the right adaptor, it allows HDMI cables and connectors to link hardware devices with a number of different port types.
