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How is a single optical audio cable more of a "messy solution" than a single HDMI cable? Is it that the HDMI cable can allow powering up/down a sound system? Dynamic HDR improves on this by allowing frame-by-frame tuning for a better visual experience. It allows each scene in a movie to use the full range of colors, contrast, and brightness. HDMI 2.0 partially supports it for 4K60 content, but HDMI 2.1’s increased bandwidth allows dynamic HDR with 4K120 and future HDR standards. Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) If the TV is receiving the same resolution you're sending it (e.g., the TV says it's 4K HDR when you're sending 4K HDR), you're all set. A different cable won't make that image sharper, brighter or anything else. The difference between HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 is pretty noticeable too. A PS5 game, running in 4K at 60fps (or 120fps) will look and play magnificently compared to 4K at 30fps. As we mentioned above, just because you're getting a new TV doesn't necessarily mean you need new HDMI cables, even if you're upgrading to something with 4K and HDR. Over short distances, say under 6 feet, just about any recent "high speed HDMI cable" should work fine. "High Speed" is the rating used by HDMI companies to indicate cables that have the bandwidth to handle 1080p and greater video resolutions.
If you're playing certain games on a TV which has an HDMI 2.0b port, though, you'll find that you can up the frame rate if you drop the resolution, say HD at 120Hz compared to 4K at 60fps. This does vary between games, though. According to HDMI.org, if you currently use a standard HDMI cable with Ethernet, or a High-Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet, you should be fine. Ultra High-Speed HDMI cables with Ethernet will definitely work. With that in mind, we have some recommendations for inexpensive options that should work with any TV and source combination you have... as long as they connect with HDMI. This means all those high bitrate formats currently available on Blu-ray discs, 4K Blu-rays and some streaming services – Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and object-based formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X– will all be compatible.It also boasts notable specs such as 4K support, 48-bit deep color, and improved shielding to ensure a stable connection. Plenty of products other than TVs also offer eARC connectivity. Onkyo and Pioneer were the first to offer eARC updates on select AV products such as the Onkyo TX-RZ830, Integra DRX-5.2, Pioneer SC-LX502 and Pioneer VSX-LX503 AV receivers.
Now, it's important to note that you will be limited by your TV's capabilities. If your TV doesn't support 4K resolutions, for example, you won't be able to play PS5 games in 4K, at any frame rate – likely making do with HD. You'll need an 8K TV for 8K gameplay, too, but there aren't really any 8K PS5 games in sight (at least not right now), so that's a problem for another day. First I bought a better eARC HDMI cable (AudioQuest Vodka), one that positively supports all current standards.Nowadays, though, our old buddy can do much more than that, especially once you factor in the HDMI 2.1 specification. This latest HDMI spec has been bandied around for a couple of years now (hit the link for our earlier primer on it), but the latest consumer electronics are only now starting to support the new standard. And 2.1 brings with it some exciting "today" improvements—plus some future-looking potential—over existing HDMI specifications. These cables tend to be a bit pricier than those that support HDMI 2.0 or lower, but that, unfortunately, comes with having the latest and greatest tech.
The good thing is, if it works, it works. For example, if you're sending a 4K HDR signal from your 4K Blu-ray player to your 4K HDR TV and the TV shows a 4K HDR signal, you're set. It's not possible to get a better image using a different 4K HDMI cable. That's not how the technology works. With many TVs, HDMI ARC will work automatically. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to grab a remote and tweak a few of your TV settings, including turning off your TV’s built-in speakers and enabling your telly to send audio out to an external speaker or amp. HDMI ARC (that's Audio Return Channel) is a clever protocol that sits within the HDMI standard and it can help simplify a complicated AV setup and significantly reduce the number of cables you need. Its braided cable is a cut above the typical heat shrink tubing you'll find on more affordable options, mainly because it stands up to significantly more wear and tear. You won't have to worry about frayed wires or a cord that gives up on you at the drop of a hat, and reliability is a price worth paying for. On paper, HDMI eARC also makes the handshake between compatible devices much smoother and negates the need to activate HDMI CEC (which doesn’t always work properly) - so operating multiple products shouldn’t require any extra steps to get things up and running.Intriguingly, it may be possible for device vendors to make HDMI 2.1 features available on HDMI 2.0 devices via firmware upgrades. This, however, is by no means a guarantee, and no firmware upgrade will give you all HDMI 2.1 features. Optical: Though a similar technology to the old-school audio interface, HDMI-over-optical is capable of far greater bandwidth. It's also capable of far greater distances. It's easy to find options that are over 330 feet. Prices have dropped radically in the last few years, with options available for similar prices per-foot as traditional copper cables. Most don't even need external power. They work and look just like a thin HDMI cable. To get into the specifics here, this means on a technical side that the PS5's 2.1 HDMI has a bandwidth of 48Gbps, which is almost three times more than a 2.0b. For home entertainment buffs, HDMI 2.1 also supports 8K (7,680-by-4,320-pixel) content at 60fps. Like 4K TVs increasingly came to dominate the TV field in the mid-2010s, 8K TVs will become more and more the norm as we head into the mid-2020s. That said, streaming video content even at 4K is relatively new. So it will likely be several years before 8K devices and, just as important, their supporting content become mainstream. Dynamic HDR The only other "fail" mode of HDMI cables is sparkles. This looks like snow on the screen. It can be heavy enough to look like static, like an old TV tuned to a dead channel, or it can be random-but-regular flashes of white pixels. This means you'll need new cables.
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