Display Cables - An Overlooked Issue When Upgrading

[Steve R.]

Eventually, as time progress, we tend to upgrade our computers and smart TV systems. Several months ago I bought a new video card to work with my 4K (2160p) monitor. I also bought a new Roku to work with my 4K TV. In both cases, I merely re-utilized my existing HDMI and DisplayPort cables, which are now several years old. As time progresses, standards tend to improve too, but I had not thought of my (video) cables as an upgrade consideration.

I am now looking into upgrading my soundbar. In doing that, I researched what I would need. I ran across several articles that raised the potential that continuing to use existing (video) cables may not have been a good idea.

As a quickie test, since the HDMI (video) cable for the TV was cheap, I bought an HDMI cable that met the new 8K standards. The image on the TV appeared better, but that may simply be a subjective interpretation since I'm hoping for better image quality. Nevertheless, even if the results of upgrading the HDMI and DisplayPort cables are not spectacular, it still may be good idea to check that your (video) cables are current in terms of what video it will carry.

DisplayPort vs HDMI: Which is Better?

HDMI ARC vs. Bluetooth - Is ARC/eARC Better Than Bluetooth?

Find out if HDMI ARC or Bluetooth is best and the differences between them.

www.techreviewer.com

DisplayPort Cables: Types and Specifications Explained | Eaton

If you are connecting a high-resolution monitor (or two) to your desktop PC, laptop or dock, DisplayPort is an excellent choice. But which DP cable should you buy? We answer all your questions... types, resolutions and features to consider.

www.tripplite.com

 

[Minty]

I agree wholeheartedly - some of my older cables wouldn't work properly when I purchased a new Sonos ARC soundbar, turned out they weren't transmitting the eArc data. So my Dolby Atmos encoded stuff wasn't as good as it should have been.

I didn't need to spend a fortune, but some newer ones cured the issue.
Except I now want to buy the Sonos Sub to go with it... Darn it.

 

[oleronesoftwares]

it still may be good idea to check that your (video) cables are current in terms of what video it will carry.

Cables are accessories and they are also improved upon by the manufacturer when the main equipment is upgraded, so your observation is spot on.

 

[Steve R.]

My new DisplayPort cable arrived today. Good news and Bad news.

Good news: HDR mode (using Windows 10) for my monitor with the new cable was activated. As a subsequent test, I went back to the old DisplayPort cable, HDR mode worked too!! That means, that I must have made a mistake in prior (Windows 10) testing. Maybe I can claim that Microsoft fixed something obscure which allowed HDR mode to finally work.

BAD news: Still no HDR mode in Linux. Evidently that has to do with the Linux Kernel, which is beyond my control. I've been aware that HDR mode was unavailable in Linux, but that (to me) doesn't mean that the monitor wouldn't report that HDR is "on" even thought won't play HDR content. The fact that, with Windows 10, the monitor does show HDR as being "on", but not in Linux implies that the HDR signal is originating from the operating system so it never makes it to the monitor under Linux.

 

[oleronesoftwares]

HDR mode (using Windows 10) for my monitor with the new cable was activated. As a subsequent test, I went back to the old DisplayPort cable, HDR mode worked too!!

I would advise you use the new cable and discard the old, the fact that a cable works now does not mean it can not damage the monitor.

A client recently got a system, within a month the cable caused a malfunction in the CPU,(Not sure if the cable was new or not)

 

[Steve R.]

The new cable stays. Hopefully, Linux will eventually implement HDR.

 

[oleronesoftwares]

The new cable stays

Good decision, but ensure you use it as against the old.