Does it matter which HDMI port you use on your TV? Short answer: Without question

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET cardinal takeaways

• Not each HDMI ports enactment the aforesaid features.
• Use HDMI 2.1 for PS5/Series X gaming and ARC/eARC for soundbars.
• Plugging into the incorrect larboard works, but it whitethorn effect successful reduced performance.

Most newer TVs travel with 3 oregon 4 HDMI ports, and connected the surface, they each look identical. 

They each person the aforesaid signifier and enactment with the aforesaid HDMI cable, but not each larboard supports the aforesaid features. Choosing the incorrect 1 tin permission your PS5 stuck astatine 60Hz, your soundbar silent, oregon your PC incapable to output astatine a precocious refresh rate. 

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The bully quality is it's casual to larn what each HDMI larboard does and however to lucifer your devices to the close one.

HDMI larboard types explained

All HDMI ports tin transportation video and audio, but they enactment antithetic bandwidth levels, which find the devices you should usage with them. If you hap to plug into the incorrect HDMI port, thing volition break, but you volition not get afloat show oregon sound.

For example, an HDMI 2.0 larboard supports 4K astatine 60Hz, HDR, and ARC audio, making it bully for streaming media players and cablegram boxes. Meanwhile, an HDMI 2.1 larboard supports 4K astatine 120Hz (or 8K astatine 60Hz), VRR, ALLM, and eARC, which is large for next-generation consoles similar the PS5. HDMI 2.1 tin sometimes scope 4K astatine 240Hz with Display Stream Compression (DSC).

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Then determination is usually an ARC / eARC port, oregon audio instrumentality channel. It looks similar an HDMI port, but it tin nonstop audio backmost retired to a soundbar oregon AV receiver. ARC supports modular Dolby Digital 5.1, portion eARC supports uncompressed Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

How to archer isolated your HDMI ports

Your TV apt has labeled HDMI ports, truthful instrumentality a look astatine the backmost to spot for yourself. 

Usually, they're called HDMI 1, HDMI 2, and HDMI 3, and past you'll spot ARC oregon eARC. Some manufacturers people descriptions nether the labels. You mightiness spot an HDMI 2.1 larboard described arsenic 4K120, VRR, Game, oregon Enhanced, oregon it mightiness adjacent accidental the nonstop solution and framework complaint it supports. If there's nary statement for an HDMI port, presume it's modular HDMI 2.0 -- but the 1 showing ARC.

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My proposal is to spot if determination are descriptions adjacent to the ports. You tin besides notation to your TV's idiosyncratic manual for much information. Almost each TVs released successful the past 2 decades person HDMI ports and ARC support, portion HDMI 2.1 and eARC person go much communal since 2017. 

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET / Hisense

Which HDMI larboard should I use?

OK, truthful let's accidental you person a instrumentality you request to plug into your TV, whether it's a soundbar, a PC, a Blu-ray player, oregon thing else. Look astatine the backmost of your TV to find its HDMI ports, and past find whether they're HDMI 2.0 oregon HDMI 2.1, and which 1 supports ARC oregon eARC. Again, spot if determination are descriptions adjacent to the ports oregon notation to your TV's idiosyncratic manual.

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Once you cognize what your TV supports, it's clip to brace each instrumentality with the close port. Use the usher below.

Is determination a emblematic larboard layout I tin follow?

Yes. Most TVs person 3 oregon 4 HDMI ports, with a emblematic layout that you tin follow, but it's inactive a bully thought to cheque your ports to guarantee compatibility.

For example, older Samsung models typically person lone 1 HDMI 2.1 larboard (often labeled arsenic HDMI 3 oregon 4), whereas newer models see more. 

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On LG TVs, particularly newer OLED models, you'll typically find aggregate HDMI 2.1 ports. Sony usually reserves HDMI 3 and 4 for HDMI 2.1. TCL limits HDMI 2.1 to mid- to high-tier models, arsenic bash Panasonic and Hisense (the U7 and U8 person 2 HDMI 2.1 ports). Vizio besides limits HDMI 2.1 ports to high-end models, specified arsenic the P-Series and OLED sets.

Philips gives its newer OLEDs 2 to 4 HDMI 2.1 ports. As for Sharp, astir of its ports are modular HDMI. 

• HDMI 1: Streaming instrumentality oregon Blu-ray
• HDMI 2 (usually HDMI 2.1): Gaming console
• HDMI 3 (usually HDMI 2.1 oregon ARC/eARC): Soundbar
• HDMI 4 (usually HDMI 2.1): Secondary instrumentality oregon PC

If your TV has lone 1 HDMI 2.1 port, marque that the 1 for your superior gaming device.