Ok, so I couldn’t stand up with the crappy picture on our tv any longer and bought myself a nice new LG oled thing.

Really pleased with the telly but the ‘teenager’ in the shop was trying to flog me 4k HDMI leads. I automatically get stroppy when they try the upselling nonsense so refused.

My question is, are 4k HDMI leads a thing or is a lead a lead, so to speak?

Cheers

No.

Only if they’re directional.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/4k-ready-hdmi-cables

Further reading from STW last month:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/4k-ready-hdmi-cables

😀

I should probably ask,

What 4K source are you connecting it to?

You ninja-editing shitehawk.

At the moment I have a PS4 but not the pro, that may get changed at some point if its worth it.

Netflix comes through the tv itself now rather than via the PS4 as I used to do it – assume that bit is nor relevant (ethernet connected).

I guess my concern was the link between the Humax and the tv. Does that need a 4k lead?

I use a dish and Freesat Humax box. The tv has both Freeview and Freesat but If I plug it straight into the dish I won’t have recording functionality? Unless I USB a hard drive in there.

There’s no such thing as a 4K lead, it’s marketing BS. Read my comments on the previous thread.

Is the Humax box 4K? If not then it’s irrelevant anyway.

Specifically,

You need a certified “High Speed” HDMI cable, which most are aside from the real bottom-feeder end of the market. Anything else is marketing or snake oil.

The Teenager probably thought you were soo old you don’t know anything about technology. So probably thought he’ll tell you that you need a 4k HDMI lead, rather than trying to explain that you need a HDMI cable v2.0b and the differences between the versions. 😉

No such thing as a 4k HDMI lead, but there are leads that don’t support 4k, so it almost stands to reason to call it a 4k HDMI lead.

Right – thanks! How recent is the version 2.0b? My leads are prob 4-5 years old…

2.0b supports HDR10 version 2.0 will support 4K however version 2.1 will give you max refresh rates.

There nice and clear. 😕

Right – thanks! How recent is the version 2.0b? My leads are prob 4-5 years old…

Have you tried it? Does it work? Then you’re golden.

2.0b supports HDR10 version 2.0 will support 4K however version 2.1 will give you max refresh rates.

None of which has anything to do with cabling.

You need a High Speed cable for 4K. That’s it. HDMI 2.0a and 2.0b are down to the equipment to support the additional features, the cable doesn’t change.

HDMI 2.1 supports up to 10K. This needs an Ultra High Speed cable, and is an irrelevance here unless you’re concerned about 120KHz which you almost certainly aren’t.

Oil those snakes, oil them I say.

Cougar – my leads work in that I get a picture. I was just wondering wheter or not I was getting the ‘best picture possible’. And whether a humble lead could improve things in that respect.

Now this 2.1 thing seems to suggest gaming repsonse times will be improved and as I’m completely hopeless on COD, that might be nice. But maybe that will only be relevent with a PS4 Pro?

May I interest you in a £550 ethernet cable to speed up your internets?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DENON-AK-DL1-Dedicated-Digital-Link-Cable-1-5m-USED-JAPAN-audio-ethernet-dl-au-/192395551026?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

Now this 2.1 thing seems to suggest gaming repsonse times will be improved and as I’m completely hopeless on COD, that might be nice

Yeah an hdmi cable won’t improve your K/D

I didn’t bother with a 4k lead, I just used the two 2k leads I had from my old tv.

Cougar – my leads work in that I get a picture.

There you go then.

I was just wondering wheter or not I was getting the ‘best picture possible’. And whether a humble lead could improve things in that respect.

No, it can’t. Not unless as Drac is alluding to you’re worried about fringe cases that the PS4 Pro can’t hope to get anywhere near.

The whole “high quality interconnect” thing is a throwback to analogue days where it does make a huge difference. HDMI is digital, for most practical purposes it works or it doesn’t. Inferior equipment / cables might mean fewer features are available but assuming you’re actually receiving a 4K signal (and by the sounds of things you don’t have anything that can provide such a thing anyway) then you’re not magically going to get a better picture by spending £40 quid High Street Retailer Tax on an oxygen-free gold-plated cable encased in unicorn hair hand-stitched by Filipino virgins.

You can pay a couple of quid extra for a cable that isn’t going to fall apart in five minutes, and there’s a “Premium” programme which certifies additional testing for things like shielding from interference, but if you’re paying more than £10 for a 1M HDMI cable then you’re having your pants pulled down.

If you want to get the best picture, your time would be better spent over on AVForums finding out how to set up brightness, contrast etc optimally on your TV model rather than worrying about cabling.

If you want to get the best picture, your time would be better spent over on AVForums finding out how to set up brightness, contrast etc optimally on your TV model rather than worrying about cabling.

^^ Very much this!
When I bought my Bravia seven years ago I thought the picture was pretty damned good, but then I read somewhere about using AVForums for setting up a set properly, and spent some time tweaking mine based on recommendations from AVF, but adjusted to my taste, and the two or three hours total time spent was well worth it.

Agreed, some tv’s have hidden, well maybe not hidden, but not obvious options that are worth fiddling with beyond the standard ‘sport’ ‘movie’ ‘natural’ etc. Display options.

As far as digital video cables go, as above, I’d pay a little more for something with decent quality casing and terminals, but not much more, as technically they are no better than the generic cables assuming they are up to spec. Other than looking nicer and potentially more robust for flexing etc. Not that they are likely to be flexed often once you’ve plumbed it all in.

<similar to broadband over wets string test> 🙂

You need a High Speed cable for 4K. That’s it. HDMI 2.0a and 2.0b are down to the equipment to support the additional features, the cable doesn’t change.

Not entirely correct. 4k @ 60fps you need a high speed cable that supports v2 and 2a/b for 4K HDR. I’d assume the TV you bought does HDR, its good to keep this in mind when you add equipment in the future that does 4k @ 60fps in HDR. I had a few problems getting getting 4k HDR @ 60fps, it was because it was a High Speed Cable supporting 1.4 and not 2. I thought the same as you, until I had this problem.

The simple answer is: set your source to the highest quality output it supports, then check if you get a picture. If yes, your cable is fine.

Not entirely correct. 4k @ 60fps you need a high speed cable that supports v2 and 2a/b for 4K HDR.

Which is pretty much any cable bought in the last 9 years or so.

I had a few problems getting getting 4k HDR @ 60fps, it was because it was a High Speed Cable supporting 1.4 and not 2.

Kinda. Let me expand on what I said the other day: “If you’re going out and buying a cable then you need a High Speed cable for 4K. That’s it.”

All High Speed cables ever made will support 4K. If you already have a High Speed cable that you bought five years ago then it might well struggle at the upper limits that weren’t part of the testing standard at the time, which is the issue you hit.

If you’re running 60Hz HDR then I’d recommend going for the Premium certified cables which are tested to higher tolerances (or an Ultra High Speed cable). But that wasn’t really the question. (-:

We’ve just bought some HDMI cables that list at over £400 and guess what they really are directional! 🙂

We’ve just bought some HDMI cables that list at over £400 and guess what they really are directional!

Active cables then. How long’s the run?

If going for budget cables on Amazon it is worth scanning the comments to see if someone has your same setup, in case you don’t trust the quality of all the budget cable and their compliance to the standards they list.

They are 50m fibre optic but they do them up to 100m. Works fine over 50m at 1920 x 1080 without a power injector. We use a 5v usb power supply at the da if we are then distributing from there.

Mm, cable porn.

Cougar – Moderator
Mm, cable porn.

Toslink ?

They are 50m fibre optic but they do them up to 100m.

£8 a metre seems about gong rate then.

Drac – Moderator
They are 50m fibre optic but they do them up to 100m.
£8 a metre seems about gong rate then.

Tell me another, that’s got bells on…

HDMI Cable 2M High Speed PRO GOLD HDMI Cable v2.0/1.4a 3D 2160p PS4 SKY HD 4K@60Hz Ultra HD Ethernet Audio Return Virgin BT – IBRA RED

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002U38E9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_auttAbDFVR5PV

Toslink ?

Oh, very good. *applause*