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What kind of HDMI cable do I need if I want to connect my Raspberry PI to a full HD ( 1920 x 1080 ) TV (which has HDMI input)?

According to the Wikipedia, there are 5 types of HDMI connectors: A, B, C, D, E, and several types of cables: Standard, High Speed, Automotive. Which one should be used?

Mark Booth
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asalamon74
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3 Answers3

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You want a HDMI Type A to HDMI Type A; they are the most common cable used to connect DVD players to TVs.

Any type of cable should do. If you want to watch high-quality video and listen to high-quality audio, it's worth spending a little more on the cable. For example, gold connectors will the contact between the cable and the connectors on the RPi or the TV. If you are just using the console, a cheaper cable with probably be fine.

Automotive cables will be extensively tested for extreme conditions, such as low/high temperatures; they are unnecessary for every day use.

Alex Chamberlain
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    I agree with everything except the gold connectors (IMO they are a waste of money.) – finnw Jun 14 '12 at 10:33
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    They probably are most of the time, as HDMI video signals are digital. – Alex Chamberlain Jun 14 '12 at 10:36
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    Well I would say the same about analog audio cables :-) – finnw Jun 14 '12 at 10:46
  • Really? It's worth it then, the noise difference is noticeable. – Alex Chamberlain Jun 14 '12 at 10:48
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    See this skeptics question: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/2886/new-led-tv-need-monster-cable-hdmi-for-or-do-regular-hdmi-work-just-as-wel

    Personally I have a vendetta against expensive "gold-plated" HDMI cables - I've never seen a difference in picture quality between two, and have never seen an independent study that's shown any noticeable difference either. Legalised fraud IMO.

     – berry120 Jun 14 '12 at 11:45
  • The A/V accessory industry has been prone to scams for decades. The cable one is prevalent because it sounds plausible. Gold is a good conductor and doesn't corrode, right? – winwaed Jun 14 '12 at 13:40
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    In the time the HDMI cable corrodes, then HDMI will have been superseded by another standard (damp house and 20+ years). The audio piggybacked on HDMI is digital as well, it's ones and zeros so there will be no degradation (over short distances <25 metres). For the record non-HDMI analogue cables (jack cables, RCA, etc) of a decent quality can make a massive difference if your using a decent stereo system (5.1 would be digital). But unless your using the jack output or an external USB soundcard with your Raspberry then this is a moot point. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Audio.2Fvideo – wonea Jul 06 '12 at 08:48
  • hdmi is digital: a digital comes either through or not at all. not a bit. and when it doesn't come through you will not hear any sound at all, and nothing on the screen. not extra noise, but nothing. – Folkert van Heusden Nov 27 '12 at 13:32
  • Buy the cheapest HDMI cable you can find. Obviously price can differ which area you are in. We buy them USD 1.5/piece retail, USD 100 bulk for 100 cables. Never had one underperforming/broken. Ever. – EDP Mar 12 '16 at 10:48
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I would only advise on gold plating if the other connector is also gold plated. Mixing metal connectors can cause corrosion issues, depending on the metals (gold will not be the problem).

On my Pi-B the SD slot is not gold plated, but the Ethernet plug is. The RCA video is not, and it looks like, but I cannot confirm, the HDMI is gold plated.

Depending on your long term goals, and the environmental conditions where the Pi will be living most of the time, you gold may be worthy. I myself spend the 10-20% more on the gold as the quality of the cable is often much higher as well.

Dave Henderson
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I bought this cheap $7 gold-plated HDMI to DVI cable adapter from amazon.com and it works perfectly with my Raspberry Pi and Dell LCD.

Richard Żak
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  • $7 is not that cheap for a hdmi cable, they can be had for <2.00 monoprice etc... –  Mar 11 '16 at 18:22