I was wasting half my TV

Until not long ago, it was one of those that connected the play or the device that went to the TV without looking at which port HDMI I didn’t do it or what cable I was using; Whatever I had lying around the house was fine. Over time I discovered that there are many details to take into account and also configurations with which you can get the most out of your HDMI.

Not all HDMI ports are the same

Let’s start with the most obvious. If you look at the back of your TV, next to each HDMI port a legend appears that tells you what type of port is it. Typically you will have several “normal” HDMI ports, one or more ARC ports, and at least one higher bandwidth port.

ARC stands for ‘Audio Return Channel’, so if what you want to connect is a sound bar, You will have to do it in one of these ports no matter what. In the case of eARC, it is the improved version of the standard.

In the case of the port with the highest bandwidth, it may be identified as HDMI 2.1 or 2.2, which are the versions that support more resolution and refresh rate. It is also possible that it directly tells you the details, as in the case of my TV that is marked ‘4K, 120Hz’. If you are going to connect a console or a gaming PC, this is the port you should choose.

Regular HDMI ports may be marked HDMI 2.0 or simply HDMI. In these you can connect devices like Chromecast or Fire Stick, TV decoders or any older device.

The cables don’t either

Be very careful with the cables. If it is a current cable there should be no problem, but if you have been using the same cable for many years, it almost certainly does not support the most current versions, so you will not be seeing the image with the appropriate quality.

Each HDMI version supports certain resolutions and refresh rates, so when choosing it, take into account the use you are going to give it. The characteristics of the most current versions are the following:

• HDMI 2.0: supports 4K up to 60Hz. It is the most common cable and is sufficient for most uses.
• HDMI 2.1: Go up to 8K resolution and 120Hz. Ideal if you want a high refresh rate, for example for video games.
• HDMI 2.2: 12K at 120Hz or 4K at 480Hz. They are cables that are designed primarily for professional use, and they are also more expensive.

Set the signal format for each port

It is very likely that the HDMI ports on your TV come configured in the standard format, which prioritizes compatibility over image quality. This implies that you are not enjoying the best quality nor functions like HDR.

Enter the menus of your TV and look for the channels and inputs section to configure it. On Android TV, the path is Settings – Channels and inputs – External inputs – HDMI signal format.

For the ARC and HDMI 2.1 ports we have more options, including Dolby Vision and the improved VRR format for devices with variable refresh rate such as consoles.

Set the picture mode for each input

Most modern televisions include the option to adjust the picture mode for each input. For example, we can make it so that when we choose the input where we have a Blu-ray player connected, the cinema mode is automatically activated, or the game mode when we are playing the console.

Not only can you choose the modes, you can also configure it to your liking. On Android TV, just open the image menu within the HDMI that we want to configure, for example the PS5. In the case of Samsung TVs with Tizen, you can do it in Settings-Settings for experts.

If your TV has HDMI 2.1 ports then it means it has ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). This activates game mode automatically when we connect the console.

Take advantage of the CEC standard

CEC stands for ‘Consumer Electronics Control’a standard that allows you to control multiple devices with a single remote control. Each manufacturer includes this standard under a different name, For example, in the case of Sony they call it BRAVIA Sync, Samsung calls it Anynet+ and LG calls it SimpLink.

With this activated we can make the TV turn on when we connect another device, such as a console or a Chromecast-type dongle. It also allows us to control aspects such as volume or power off. This way everything works in an integrated way and we avoid having to use multiple controls.

Images | Amparo Babiloni, Xataka

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