The new HDMI specification provides a maximum speed rating of up to 10.2 Gbps. Called "High Speed". An Accell ProUltra Supreme HDMI Cable With Ethernet has a speed rating of 10.2 Gbps is an ideal choice for flawless support of advanced features such as 1080p, 3D and 4K video. High Speed is also ideal for x.v.Color and other throughput intensive features such as DTS-HD or Dolby True-HD audio. For some system configurations a 10.2 Gbps cable supports more speed than is required. If you want to "future-proof" your system to ensure future system upgrades and technologies are supported by the HDMI cable, than it often makes sense to use a 10.2 Gbps cable even if your current system doesn't require it.

What is Throughput?

What are the Different HDMI Classifications

The HDMI governing organization has created a number of HDMI cable categories or classes. Four important classes to know for Home Theater Audio and Video are;

1. HDMI High Speed With Ethernet - The throughput (speed) of a High Speed cable is 10.2 Gbps. This is the maximum speed specified by the HDMI organization. It is capable of supporting all resolutions, audio and video formats including 1080p, 3D and 4K video. This cable also contains an ethernet channel. The ethernet channel allows the transmission of an ethernet signal across the HDMI cable. This feature may first appear in TV's and DVD players, allowing these devices to connect to the internet via an HDMI cable. If you want to "future-proof" your system to ensure future system upgrades and technologies are supported by the HDMI cable, than this cable is an excellent choice. It's 100% backwards compatible and works with alldevices, even those that do not feature ethernet over HDMI.

2. HDMI High Speed - The throughput (speed) of this cable is 10.2 Gbps. This is the maximum speed specified by the HDMI organization. It is capable of supporting all resolutions and video formats including 1080p, 3D and 4K video. This cable does not contain an ethernet channel.

3. Standard Speed With Ethernet - Is essentially any cable operating at a maximum throughput of less than 10.2 Gbps, however Standard Speed is specified by the HDMI organization specifically as having a throughput of 4.95 Gbps. At Accell, with only a couple exceptions, all of our Standard Speed cables are rated at 6.75 Gbps. At this throughput, these cables are capable of supporting many HD resolutions up to and including 1080p, This cable also contains an ethernet channel. The ethernet channel allows the transmission of an ethernet signal across the HDMI cable. This feature may first appear in TV's and DVD players, allowing these devices to connect to the internet via an HDMI cable.

4. Standard Speed - Is essentially any cable operating at a maximum throughput of less than 10.2 Gbps, however Standard Speed is specified by the HDMI organization specifically as having a throughput of 4.95 Gbps. At Accell, with only a couple exceptions, all of our Standard Speed cables are rated at 6.75 Gbps. This throughput is capable of supporting many HD resolutions up to and including 1080p, This cable does not contain an ethernet channel.

Look for these logos - Issued by the HDMI organization to better identify a cable's speed

What HDMI cable speed do I need?

When you assemble a home theater system it's important that all the components, including the cables, share a similar specification. What this means is if one piece of your system, your television for example, has a maximum resolution of 720p, and your DVD player has a resolution of 1080i, the DVD player will automatically scale down the video to 720p so that the TV can receive and process the signal. This means that you are not getting the most out of home theater audio and video experience. The same goes for your HDMI cable. When your HDMI cable is not correctly matched to your system it will not have enough speed to transfer all the data from point A to point B. This will likely result in the system scaling down to compensate for the lack of throughput. For example, instead of getting the billions of colors if your system supported the 36-bit Deep Color feature, the system may scale down to a lesser 24-bit color when using an incorrectly matched cable.

Not all HDMI cable companies are the same

Making a good quality HDMI cable that is compliant to the HDMI specification is not a simple task. It takes premium materials and skilled workmanship to make an HDMI cable that meets the HDMI specification. As the cable gets longer or the cables speed increases, it becomes even more difficult to make a cable that is fully HDMI compliant. What many people don't realize is that most cable companies do not have their own cable factories. Many cable brands are simply resellers, sourcing HDMI cables from suppliers and other third parties and often doing little more than placing their logo on the cable. Purchasing cables from a third party can make it difficult to ensure performance and maintain quality. A disconnect can occur between the supplier and the cable company, allowing HDMI cables that are not fully HDMI compliant to enter the market. What makes Accell different is that our employees make our cables. Accell has their own cable factory including engineering and design, assembly and quality control. This allows us to maintain the highest level of quality and performance that is built in to every Accell HDMI cable.

Not all HDMI cables are the same

HDMI cables are sensitive to variances in construction, especially over long cable runs. A poorly made HDMI cable can have a noticeable effect on the quality of your picture. Artifacts like snow or colored speckles can appear, or effects like ghosting become visible, especially during dark sequences or scene transitions. Accell HDMI cables are designed uses only the highest quality components. From our 24K gold-plated HDMI connectors to our high purity copper conductors, Accell cable and are certified 100% HDMI compliant.