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HDMI 2.1 is the new display port connectivity that offers almost 3 times more data bandwidth than the previous version and might improve the experience when used with the right TV especially for gaming and entertainment.
In this article, we will go over what the new HDMI 2.1 has to offer and we will review the best HDMI 2.1 TVs currently on the market.
What is HDMI 2.1 Port for in a TV?
The new HDMI 2.1 port and the cable is physically almost identical to the previous generation of HDMI.
So both the input device and the TV will work seamlessly regardless of the HDMI version you might have.
Even though the HDMI 2.1 upgrade isn't visible to the naked eye, this is a major upgrade to the current systems, and here is why.
Is HDMI 2.1 TVs Backwards Compatible?
Yes, the new HDMI 2.1 TVs are backwards compatible with the older versions of HDMI, and even if your device doesn't support this new version, TV will still display the video content with no issues.
Even though the physical connector is exactly the same between different versions of the HDMI port, It is important to go over the backwards compatibility of HDMI 2.1.
However if either your TV or your video input device doesn't support HDMI 2.1, It won't have HDMI 2.1 features such as high refresh rate. Older versions of HDMI is still capable of 4K resolution so that shouldn't be an issue.
When Do You Need HDMI 2.1 Connectivity?
The cable connect your input device and the TV is responsible for transferring data, and the data that is required to be transmitted is based on the quality of the picture.
The data requirement depends on the main things, how many pixels that need to be transmitted (that is the TVs resolution), and how many frames per second that need to be transmitted (that is the refresh rate of the TV).
Most of us are familiar with the 4K resolution by now, it means 3840 by 2160 pixels are on the TV.
Most TVs show 60 frames per second, which is annotated as 60Hz that is the usual standard and hasn't changed for a long time.
However with the high refresh TVs started to be introduced recently, meaning that more frames are displayed on the screen every second creating smoother experience.
4K 120Hz TVs
This high refresh rate TV panel technology is fueled by PC and console gaming, because It has an huge impact for competitive gaming.
In addition to gaming, panel technology has been improving with high refresh tablets, such as iPad which offers 120Hz refresh rate.
Eventually TVs started to benefit from all these improvements, however the current version of the HDMI isn't able to output 120Hz refresh rate with 4K resolution.
This is where HDMI 2.1 TVs come in, with this new port, now TVs can output high refresh rate as well.
New generation of Sony and Microsoft gaming consoles are released in 2020 Holiday season, and they all come with 2.1 HDMI port by default
What Are The Best HDMI 2.1 TVs?
Best on the important factors we have outlined, we have reviewed the best HDMI 2.1 TVs on the market.
