Ooberpad’s HDMI cable buying guide for Indian buyers

In 2017, HDMI is the go to interfacing standard for digital video and audio connections. This HD multimedia interface is one the first types of cable that allowed transmission of high-resolution uncompressed data simultaneously via a single cable. Unlike its predecessors, HDMI is a one connector solution for modern AV interfacing requirements. It is widely used to connect Blu-ray players, media players, DVD players, Gaming Consoles and even laptops/computers to other HD TV’s, displays and AV receivers.

With so many options available, it becomes difficult to buy HDMI cables online in India that perfectly fit your requirement without having a few sour buying experiences. In your search, you would notice that there are plenty of technical terms and jargons thrown around, needlessly confusing the buyer. You probably skip this part and don’t pay much attention to it. However, these specifications are important to know in order to make the right buying decision. Knowing these will help you greatly in your quest to buy the right HDMI cable for your home theatre system.

If you are looking to buy HDMI cables, you should know these key technical terms. Let’s looks at the key specifications of the HDMI standards and protocols.

Key HDMI Specifications

HDMI 1.4: Released in 2009, most TVs and display launched since then support V1.4 easily. Unlike its predecessors, HDMI 1.4 bought in features such as deeper colour reproduction, 4K/2K support, Audio Return Channel, 3D support and HDMI Ethernet Channel. In simple words, it can be used to interface with most widely available HD TVs, Blu-ray players, media players and gaming consoles in India.

HDMI 2.0: Introduced in 2013, version 2.0 is the one of the latest and widely found HDMI-standard that is used actively in numerous devices such as 4K UHD TVs. Apart from all the features of  version 1.4, this version boasts of increased data transfer speeds, 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (fps), 25 fps 3D formats, Rec. 2020 colour space for deeper hues, 21:9 aspect ratio and HE-AAC & DRA audio support among a wide list of other features.

HDMI ARC: HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) is a great way to connect high-resolution audio to AV receivers, TVs, home theatre system and soundbars with a single remote. In a nutshell, it lets you route audio signals between the various connected HDMI devices without interchanging cable physically.

HDMI CEC: Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is a great feature that allows you to control multiple and different devices, such as a TV, set-top box, and DVD player, that are connected via HDMI from the same remote control. Needlessly to say, all your connected AV equipment need to be CEC-enabled for this to work seamlessly.

HDCP: In the HDMI specifications, High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) is a digital copy protection protocol. It is aimed at stopping encrypted content from being played on unauthorised devices to minimise piracy. If your media player or HDMI device has mentioned HDCP support, make sure you buy an HDMI cable that supports this to avoid any compatibility issues.

It is crucial to know that all new HDMI versions are backward-compatible. We would like to highlight that earlier this year, the HDMI Licensing Group unveiled the HDMI 2.1 cable specifications, adding support for dynamic HDR, 8K60, & 4K120. You can read more about new HDMI 2.1 specifications in our detailed blog post here.

We hoped this post equipped you with information to buy the right HDMI cable in India at the best price. Here’s to buying the perfect HDMI cable for your needs.