AudioQuest HDMI 4K Compatibility
Just as 4K technology and content have matured, customers are now seeing 8K TVs in stores and the eventual transition from HDMI 2.0 to HDMI 2.1. Naturally questions arise. First and foremost, are AudioQuest HDMI cables compatible with 8K and the new features potentiated by HDMI 2.1?

The answer, of course, is Yes.

All AudioQuest 18Gbps High Speed HDMI are guaranteed to have the 18Gbps bandwidth required for compelling features like 8K/30, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel).

In addition, AudioQuest’s HDMI Active Pearl, Forest and Cinnamon cables employ active frequency-equalization to enable full 18Gbps performance at lengths up to 49.2ft (15 meters). Cherry Cola is a Hybrid Active Optical HDMI model that offers full 18Gbps performance at lengths up to 100 feet (30.48 meters).

Video Up to 8K/30

AudioQuest 18Gbps High Speed HDMI cables have the bandwidth required for video up to 8K/30 (8-bit, 4:2:0), which is 7680 x 4320 resolution (over 33 million pixels) at up to 30 frames-per-second (fps). 24 and 30 fps are the frame rates for almost all movies and many TV shows. Currently, there is no widely available 8K content, nor are there any widely available 8K source components, so up-conversion in the TV is the likeliest scenario for 8K early adopters.

HDR (High Dynamic Range)

AudioQuest 18Gbps High Speed HDMI cables support High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Dynamic HDR. HDR content expands the contrast of the image for blacker blacks and brighter whites/highlights as well as greater color saturation and brightness. In addition, 4K Ultra-HD content allows for a wider color range.

This combination of technologies results in more realistic HDR images with greater perceived depth. Dynamic HDR (HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision for example) enables frame-by-frame HDR optimization rather than HDR settings that are fixed for the entire program. The most prominent current HDR formats are HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. AudioQuest 18Gbps High Speed HDMI cables are compatible with all these flavors of HDR, which can be found on Ultra-HD Blu-ray, iTunes, Vudu and more.

Audio Return Channel (ARC) and Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)

HDMI hardware’s previous ARC capabilities max out at lossy (compressed) 5.1-channel surround sound. Not only do all generations of AudioQuest HDMI cables “with Ethernet” support ARC, in order to ensure superior audio performance, the ARC-channel conductor-pair is internally controlled for direction, running in the opposite direction from the 4 pairs that carry information to the TV.

Upcoming HDMI 2.1 hardware support Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which increases the digital bandwidth dramatically to support uncompressed and lossless high-resolution multichannel audio, including Dolby TrueHD and Atmos, and DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS: X. All AudioQuest HDMI cables “with Ethernet” have the conductors and bandwidth required for eARC’s enhanced sonic capabilities.