Don’t buy another HDMI cable until you know this QR code trick

It's easy to spend hundreds or thousands on TV, PC, or console upgrades without touching the most important link in the chain — your HDMI cable. While modern HDMI 2.1 devices support flagship features like 8K 60Hz, enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) lossless audio, and the HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC), you won't be able to use them without a supported HDMI cable in the mix. Unfortunately, it's harder than it should be to look at an HDMI cable or its packaging and decipher which HDMI version of features it supports. That said, there's finally a way to verify an HDMI cable actually has the certification required before you buy it.

A few years ago, HDMI had a proprietary iOS and Android app that let you scan cable packaging to confirm it was authentic. That system is now gone, and the app is unavailable on the App Store and Google Play Store. Instead, HDMI came up with a simpler solution. There are now hologram certification stickers with QR codes that you can scan with any device, no app required. You should use it every time you buy a new HDMI cable, but there's one big catch you need to know about.

You can't tell an HDMI cable by its version number

There are two different naming schemes, because why make things simple?

Cable standards seemingly never use consistent naming schemes, and I'm disappointed to report HDMI is no exception. The version number system for HDMI releases is simple enough. The most common versions in use today are HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and HDMI 2.1, with the HDMI 2.2 release soon to join them. They all correlate to unique maximum resolutions, supported bandwidths, and extra features. The problem is that HDMI only uses version numbers to describe the capabilities of HDMI ports, not cables.

HDMI cables have their own nomenclature, and the specification's version numbers are nowhere to be found. Instead, HDMI cables fit into one of the following categories:

As you can see, HDMI cable names do correlate to HDMI version numbers and features, but the cables aren't branded that way. If you pick up an HDMI cable or its packaging, you won't find the version number listed anywhere. Instead, you'll find either the Standard, High Speed, Premium High Speed, Ultra High Speed, or Ultra96 branding on the box. This puts the onus on you, the consumer, to know specific HDMI cable names, their corresponding versions, and their supported features.

If you don't realize the difference between Standard, High Speed, Premium, Ultra, and Ultra96, you could end up buying the wrong cable. Plus, since the HDMI hologram certification stickers and their QR codes only refer to the official cable names, they won't help you identify cables unless you are aware of these brand names. I wish HDMI just picked either the version numbers or brand names to use across all HDMI products — ports and cables. Until then, you need to keep an eye out for the difference.

Scan the cable's box to check its HDMI certification

The HDMI certification reveals its specs, brand, model, and length

Now that you know what each HDMI cable name means, you'll be able to interpret these hologram certification stickers and QR codes. I took a trip to Best Buy in search of my next cable, and made sure these stickers actually exist in the wild. Sure enough, they're on all HDMI-certified cables — even the generic ones. Near the top of the sticker, you'll spot the HDMI cable name. In this case, I picked up an HDMI Premium High-Speed cable. Using the chart, I now know this is an HDMI 2.0 cable that supports up to 4K@60Hz, 18Gbps bandwidth, and ARC.

That's all without scanning the QR code. Open your camera app, point your phone lens at the QR code, and tap the link that appears to view a more detailed view of the cable's specs. The site that appears lists the cable's brand name, model number, type, and length. You'll notice that it doesn't list the specific HDMI version by number, but you can figure that out yourself using the cable name.

The details listed on HDMI's website for your cable are more important than you might think. Non-compliant cables are a real problem for any connection protocol, whether it's HDMI, USB, or something else. These are cables that claim to support a certain specification and tout certification, but skirt the official process. These non-compliant cables could lack features, bandwidth, or even damage your devices. This is why buying official, certified HDMI cables is paramount.

Details like the cable brand name, model number, and length could seem circumstantial, but they help you confirm the QR code on the sticker actually matches the HDMI cable's packaging you are holding in your hand. Check that the model number, cable brand, and cable length all match up between the certification report and the retail box. In my case, I confirmed that this was a Best Buy Essentials cable, that the model number was correct, and that the length was indeed 12 feet.

Once you've verified the HDMI cable is certified and have understood its capabilities, you can feel confident about purchasing it.

I wish HDMI also put stickers on the cables

The QR codes are worthless after you've thrown away the box

By now, you've probably figured out the problem with HDMI's certification sticker system — it only really works when a cable is new and in its original box. The stickers are only on the HDMI cable boxes, not the cables themselves. This feels like an oversight to me. It would've been easy to stick a certification QR code on the cable itself, and buyers could remove them later if they want. Instead, cables often have no indication of which kind they are or which HDMI version they support.

Sometimes, you'll run into a cable with its brand name printed on it, like the Premium High Speed HDMI cable pictured above. However, there are three HDMI cables in that photo, and only one of them sports a printed label. That should tell you that the labeling of HDMI cables could use a serious overhaul. Until HDMI improves its naming scheme, keep an eye out for the correlation between HDMI cable names and HDMI port version numbers. When buying an HDMI cable, check the certification details before throwing away the packaging.