HDMI Cables and Streaming: What Actually Matters

For standard HD streaming, almost any HDMI cable will do the job. Higher resolutions and features add requirements that an older or cheaper cable might not meet.

When your current cable is probably fine

If you're streaming in standard or high definition and everything looks and sounds normal, there's no need to replace the cable that came in the box.

When it's worth upgrading

• You're setting up 4K or HDR streaming — see our 4K and HDR requirements guide
• The cable is old, visibly damaged, or longer than a few meters
• You're seeing intermittent picture or sound dropouts that aren't explained by your internet connection

A quick way to rule out the cable

If you have a spare HDMI cable, swapping it in temporarily is the fastest way to confirm or rule out the cable as the cause of a picture problem.