As soon as you begin shopping for HDMI cables, you will see that there are many different varieties available. The earliest version was the HDMI 1.0 cable, which when it was launched in 2002 met all digital home entertainment needs.

The HDMI specification has been revised over the years, with new features and capabilities added to each version. The reason this constant revision needs to happen is because the technology world moves so quickly, and new and exciting products are being launched onto the market all the time.

Two of the most commonly used versions these days are HDMI 1.3 and HDMI 1.4 cables, but which are better? You may have to pay a little more for HDMI 1.4 cables, as they are the newest, but are they worth the extra expense?

HDMI 1.3 cables are generally considered to be one of the most reliable, feature-packed versions available, and they meet most people’s needs perfectly. However, the only thing they can’t do is support 3D, which is why you may need HDMI 1.4 cables.

What’s more, HDMI 1.4 cables also have the Audio Return Channel (ARC) and the Ethernet Channel, so it may be worth splashing out a bit more on them.