Stop plugging your HDMI cable in wrong — it's ruining the 4K TV you paid for

You finally bought yourself a 4K television. Maybe it was a Black Friday steal, maybe it’s a Super Bowl purchase you’re still mentally rationalizing. Either way, you have this beautiful screen on your wall, and there's a good chance you've been accidentally throttling its performance since day one.

What they don’t tell you when you’re scrambling to get ready for game day is that not all the HDMI ports on your television are the same. They look the same. They use the same cord, but which one you pick is very important.

All ports look the same, but they're not
It’s like USB ports on a laptop. A USB-A port from 2012 and one from 2022 look identical, but the speed difference is enormous. Same with HDMI.


Your TV's older HDMI 1.4 ports are fine for regular HD, but they start to choke when you try to push 4K content through them at higher frame rates. HDMI 2.0 will give you smooth 4K at 60 fps, which is great for most streaming. But if you have a PS5 or Xbox Series X, you need HDMI 2.1, which supports 4K at 120Hz, 8K resolution, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) for gaming. MKAU Gaming’s HDMI standards tech breakdown suggests that using a PS5 or Xbox Series X with a 4K 120Hz display can make the most of HDMI 2.1. If you don’t have that, then you won’t have access to things like Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode, and you’ll notice the biggest performance differences when you’re gaming at a fast pace. Plug your console into the wrong port, and you never get the performance you paid for, and your TV won't tell you.

Your soundbar is probably suffering as well
This is where it starts to sting a bit more for anyone who has invested in audio gear. Most modern TVs come with a dedicated port labeled ARC or eARC. If your soundbar or receiver isn't plugged into it, you're missing out on full-quality audio.

The ARC standard streams compressed audio to your soundbar. The newer standard, eARC, has a lot more bandwidth and can carry lossless, uncompressed audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X in their full form. According to WhatCableWorks' comparison of the two standards, ARC transmits compressed audio at roughly 1 Mbps, and eARC transmits uncompressed, lossless audio at up to 37 Mbps, which allows for full Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and 7.1-channel sound, something that ARC cannot transmit.

If you spent money on a Sonos Arc, a Yamaha receiver, or any decent sound system, it needs to be plugged into the eARC port. Everything else is like watching a movie in 480p audio.

The right device in the right port
A simple way to think about it is: your PS5 or Xbox Series X plugs into the HDMI 2.1 port. End of story. Your soundbar or AV receiver goes in the eARC port. Your Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV Stick, or cable box? These are relatively low-bandwidth devices and will work just fine in any remaining HDMI 2.0 port.

One last thing you're probably missing
Even if you have everything plugged into the right port, there is one last step that most people completely overlook. Most TVs have their high-speed HDMI modes turned off by default, a factory setting meant to be backward compatible with older equipment.

You'll need to dig into your TV's settings, usually picture, display, or input settings, and manually turn on “Enhanced Format," "HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color," or whatever your brand calls it. Samsung, LG, and Sony call it different things, but it’s on every major TV.

It takes around two minutes, and it’s the difference between using your TV and getting what you paid for.