4 HDMI tricks I use for the best TV experience

The HDMI cables you use might sometimes feel like the least important part of a home theater setup. In practice, though, they can matter a huge amount — a $10,000 Dolby Atmos system is going to be irrelevant if the rest of your hardware can’t talk to it properly. At any budget, the way you have HDMI connected and configured can become a bottleneck.

Whether you’re buying your first TV or your fifth, there are a variety of tips I can offer to help get your HDMI in order. Some of these may be obvious, but hopefully others will be things you haven’t considered before.

Matching the right devices to the right ports and cables

Your top priority

As annoying as it might be, there are many different versions of the HDMI specification, reflecting the evolution of the technology over the years. HDMI 1.0 dates back to 2002. The latest spec, 2.2, was introduced in June 2025.

Most cables and devices produced in the last several years will support at least HDMI 2.0, but it’s preferable that any new console, PC, or media set-top you buy be connected using HDMI 2.1 or later. Why? For starters, it’s only the 48Gbps bandwidth in 2.1 cables that enables 4K up to a 120Hz refresh rate, or 8K up to 60Hz — you won’t get the smoothest possible motion if you use a 2.0 cable. Gamers in particular will appreciate 2.1’s support for VRR (variable refresh rates) and ALLM (auto low-latency mode), which combat screen tearing and input lag, respectively. Everyone will want to exploit 2.1’s support for dynamic HDR formats like Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

Soundbars and other speakers need HDMI 2.1 if you want the uncompressed forms of spatial audio formats like Atmos and DTS:X. Their compressed versions should actually sound fine — but if you’ve got a free 2.1 port and an eARC-compatible sound system, you’re needlessly limiting yourself if you use 2.0/ARC instead.

Since many TVs continue to mix 2.1 and 2.0, you may need to triage your port selection. If you’ve got a game console, a PC, or a high-end media streamer, those devices should get first dibs on 2.1. eARC speakers come next in the hierarchy, but you may be fine using an ARC port instead if you don’t care about compression. There’s a way around port limitations that I’ll get to later.

Switching on enhanced input features

And disabling the demon that is motion smoothing

You’d think a state-of-the-art TV would automatically configure itself for the best possible HDMI presentation, but you’d be wrong. You may have to manually enable something as basic as VRR, or HDMI Deep Color, which extends color depth from the standard 8-bit to 10-, 12-, or even 16-bit, depending on what your TV and connected device(s) support. If you don’t see “Deep Color,” look for input options with labels like “HDMI UHD Color,” “Enhanced Format,” or the incredibly vague “Input Signal Plus.”

You should also be able to set broader picture modes for inputs. If you’re a cinematic purist, you’ll want to use Filmmaker Mode, which disables all post-processing in a bid to preserve a director’s (or at least studio’s) intent. Game console inputs should be set to Game Mode to reduce lag, and some TVs may have a special PC Mode for computers. Game Mode can work just as well with PCs, I should note, and TVs with ALLM (see the last section) should be able to flip it on automatically.

Avoid any modes or options that enable motion smoothing, such as Sports. These attempt to eliminate blur by inserting artificially-generated frames, but completely backfire with anything running at the standard cinematic 24 frames per second. What you’ll get is the dreaded “soap opera effect,” making a $200 million blockbuster look like it was shot for $20,000. It’s also largely unnecessary in an era of 120Hz VRR panels.

Adding a switch to get around port limitations

A cheap solution to the HDMI 2.1 dilemma

Given that some TV makers can be stingy with ports, you may want an HDMI switch to expand your options. It’s quite easy to find a model that will turn a single HDMI 2.1 port into two, four, or five connections, automatically flipping between them as needed. Alternately, you may want to foist more low-end devices onto a 2.0 port, say if certain devices are picky about having a direct 2.1 hookup.

Aside from the number of ports they offer, there are two main considerations for switches: their HDMI version and remote control. You will, naturally, need an HDMI 2.1-ready switch to maximize 2.1 hardware. As for remote control, having that option will prevent you from having to get up to turn devices off and on in some circumstances, or hit a button on the switch itself.

Avoid confusing switches with splitters. They sound similar, but a splitter does the reverse of a switch, repeating a single input across multiple TVs. You may be able to find products that handle both tasks, but be sure of that before you pull the trigger on a purchase.

Sticking to braided cables under 10 feet

Be sure to label them too

There’s nothing inherently wrong with an HDMI cable that uses a material like PVC for its exterior sheath, but nylon braiding tends to be more durable. PVC cables are vulnerable to fraying and cracking over the years, especially if there’s a lot of friction or exposure to extreme conditions. As a bonus, braided cables are tangle-resistant, so you’ll never need to spend several minutes undoing knots.

Cables under 10 feet (3 meters) are preferable not just for easy management, but because they’re inherently cheaper. Past that length, you’ll need an active (boosted) and/or fiber-optic cable to deliver a sufficient signal. The price penalty just isn’t worth it unless you absolutely need the extra length — say if you want your Switch 2 or Steam Deck sitting next to your couch instead of your TV.

As a bonus tip, think about labeling cables with the accessory you’re planning to connect them to, and/or the HDMI version they support. This can save a lot of confusion when you’re rearranging connections behind your TV, repurposing a cable elsewhere, or packing it up for a move. Don’t write directly on your cable with a pen or market, however — write on masking tape, or use color coding that you won’t have trouble remembering. A cable that has “Blu-ray” written in Sharpie might confuse you if it ends up being used for your Apple TV 4K or PlayStation 5 Pro down the road.