As a rash of new streaming players hit the market I have been receiving a lot of questions about new HDMI cables. Do you need a new HDMI cable for a new player? Is it worth the extra money to buy the high-end cable? Will inexpensive cables give the same image?

Typically there is no reason to buy a new HDMI cable. Most cables sold the last few years are at least the 1.4-HDMI standard that will support 4K.

If you want a new HDMI cable there is no reason to buy the high-end HDMI cable. Inexpensive HDMI cables will give the same image and sound quality as expensive cables.

Don’t trust what I say? Geoffrey Morrison from CNET says: “Here’s the deal: expensive HDMI cables offer no difference in picture quality over cheap HDMI cables.”

So what do I recommend? I recommend buying the $1–$3 6ft HDMI cables on Amazon. They may take a while to get to you but they are inexpensive and do a great job.

Want something quicker or don’t trust generic cables? Buy an Amazon basic cable for about $6.50—a great quality cable for a fraction of the price.

Here are a few cables I recommend on Amazon: (Yup these are affiliate links but I’m not trying to make money here. If I was I would recommend the expensive cables.)

C&E 6FT HDMI Cable

DVI Gear 6FT HDMI Cable

Amazon Basic HDMI Cable

So don’t get caught up overpaying for HDMI cables. Honestly anything over $8 for a 6ft HDMI cable is overpaying.

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