Best HDMI 2.1 cable for the new Apple TV 4K?

[ascender]

FWIW, I bought the Belkin HDMI cable from the Apple Store this week, plugged everything in and its worked first-time which wasn't the case with the similarly specced cables I bought from Amazon.

 

[theorist9]

Linus Tech Tips just posted a test of HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 cables. Results were posted Nov. 8, 2021 (earlier this week).

YouTube video:

Excel spreadsheet with results*:

I Spent a THOUSAND Dollars on HDMI Cables.. for Science

We told you we’d do it, and here it is! Testing a whackload of HDMI 2.1 and 2.0 cables to find out if you’ve been wasting your money on cables for no good reason. Data from tests is attached to this post. If you are an educator or otherwise have a legitimate reason for wanting to look at the .jso...

linustechtips.com

*Pass/fail is for whatever standard the cables claimed to meet. So 2.0 and 2.1 cables were labeled pass/fail based on the 2.0 and 2.1 standards, respectively.

Summary: Infinite Cables (https://www.infinitecables.com) were the only HDMI 2.1 cables that passed at all tested lengths (6' and 10'). And they're priced less than Amazon Basics.
I think these are them--they're the only non-active HDMI 2.1 cables I could find on their website:

HDMI 2.1 Ultra High Speed 8K@60Hz 48Gbps UHD HDR Cable - CL3 30AWG

Overview This High-Speed HDMI® cable consists of a HDMI male connector on both ends. It is typically used to connect a HDMI source and display which supports 4K and 8K video, HDR, VRR, eARC, and all other HDMI 2.1b features. The cable is backwards compatible with HDMI 2.0 and lower and works...

www.infinitecables.com

I'll add my own caveat: I don't know Infinite myself, so I don't know if they passed because they've got rigorous QC, or because they just happened to get lucky with this particular batch from their source in (I'm guessing) China.

 

[400]

My teeth itch when cables are called 2.1 etc. Cables are tested to standard, High Speed, or Premium or Ultra etc. not 2.x.

HDMI Cables - Different Cable Types

HDMI cable overview with the different HDMI cable types, their port capabilities, and how to tell the HDMI connector types apart. HDMI 2.1b

www.hdmi.org

Really, just buy a cable fit for purpose and certified and make sure there is a returns policy. Saves watching videos. Wouldn't buy a Belkin myself, way over priced.

 

[hwojtek]

My 2021 Apple TV 4K will be delivered on Tuesday. I am now looking for a good HDMI 2.1 cable that works flawlessly with Apple TV 4K. Any suggestions?

Any cable compliant with HDMI 2.1 standard.

 

[HDFan]

Any cable compliant with HDMI 2.1 standard.

Any certified cable that complies. Don't trust the manufacturer.

See:

Do I need a HDMI 2.1 cable for New Apple TV 2021 with Sony A80J

I'm confuse about hdmi cables, I have some 2.0 18gb speed I'm trying to get good cables before get my new sony a80j. My goal is to connect my new Apple TV, nvidia shield tv 2015 and later on a sony HT-A9 sound system using the eARC, please make a comment thank you.

forums.macrumors.com

posts #6 & #9.

 

[hwojtek]

Any certified cable that complies. Don't trust the manufacturer.

True, however certification by a 3rd party is rare. Usually if the manufacturers process and components are up to the standard, it passes as "certified".

 

[Rigby]

Linus Tech Tips just posted a test of HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 cables. Results were posted Nov. 8, 2021 (earlier this week).

YouTube video:

Excel spreadsheet with results*:

I Spent a THOUSAND Dollars on HDMI Cables.. for Science

We told you we’d do it, and here it is! Testing a whackload of HDMI 2.1 and 2.0 cables to find out if you’ve been wasting your money on cables for no good reason. Data from tests is attached to this post. If you are an educator or otherwise have a legitimate reason for wanting to look at the .jso...

linustechtips.com

*Pass/fail is for whatever standard the cables claimed to meet. So 2.0 and 2.1 cables were labeled pass/fail based on the 2.0 and 2.1 standards, respectively.

Summary: Infinite Cables (https://www.infinitecables.com) were the only HDMI 2.1 cables that passed at all tested lengths (6' and 10'). And they're priced less than Amazon Basics.
I think these are them--they're the only non-active HDMI 2.1 cables I could find on their website:

HDMI 2.1 Ultra High Speed 8K@60Hz 48Gbps UHD HDR Cable - CL3 30AWG

Overview This High-Speed HDMI® cable consists of a HDMI male connector on both ends. It is typically used to connect a HDMI source and display which supports 4K and 8K video, HDR, VRR, eARC, and all other HDMI 2.1b features. The cable is backwards compatible with HDMI 2.0 and lower and works...

www.infinitecables.com

I'll add my own caveat: I don't know Infinite myself, so I don't know if they passed because they've got rigorous QC, or because they just happened to get lucky with this particular batch from their source in (I'm guessing) China.

This is a good video. But remember that the ATV4K does not require an "HDMI 2.1 cable", since it can't make use of more than 18 Gbps bandwidth anyway. See post #25. If you have an "HDMI 2.0 cable" lying around it will most likely work fine.

 

[HDFan]

True, however certification by a 3rd party is rare. Usually if the manufacturers process and components are up to the standard, it passes as "certified".

When I said "certified" I meant by one of the outside certification agencies. There are multiple articles about why manufacturer self-certification can't be trusted besides the one posted by Linus.

From Widescreen Review issue 251 August/September 2020 (paywalled):

"the industry put us here by way of false claims, substandard cable designs and manufacturing, to be only thrown over the fence to make money."

"But how do you know your products have passed all these new requirements [for high bandwidth cables]? This has become a very important part of the test certification. Every cable product determined by its gauge, its length, and its material has to be tested individually. This is not an inexpensive process. Companies that do strive for this level of product should be congratulated. This is where intellectual theft can cost, but how does the consumer public get protected with this? The only way this can be accomplished is if each cable product carries an anti-counterfeit mark [from an outside certification agency] on the product, so the customer knows it passed all of these test standards."

If you have an "HDMI 2.0 cable" lying around it will most likely work fine.

Probably. When you have a failure, is it the cable, or some component in the chain? Much easier to spend a few dollars more for a certified cable to reduce the odds that the cable is causing the problem. Sound United has reported that 90% of the signal problems they handle are caused by cables failures.

 

[Rigby]

Probably. When you have a failure, is it the cable, or some component in the chain? Much easier to spend a few dollars more for a certified cable to reduce the odds that the cable is causing the problem. Sound United has reported that 90% of the signal problems they handle are caused by cables failures.

If you have a cable lying around you presumably already know if it works from prior use. Just pointing out that the ATV4K does not require a "2.1 cable" (i.e. 48 Gbps bandwidth). Getting a new cable when you already have a working one just produces more e-waste.

 

[400]

Always worth giving the cables in place a punt first. Certified is a handy goto if needing new but Belkin released theirs before there a was a standard for Ultra High Speed to certify against.

Is anything totday giving the Ultra specification a good work out at full tilt? Gaming perhaps?

Sound United has reported that 90% of the signal problems they handle are caused by cables failures.

Who are sound united and what do they do and where are the cables in their infrastructure?

Just curious to understand the issue.

 

[hwojtek]

Who are sound united and what do they do and where are the cables in their infrastructure?

 

[400]

View attachment 1911508

Ah right, understood.
Thanks