Will HDMI 2.0 Cable Work With 1.4 Port? [ANSWERED]

When you are willing to get a better resolution and refresh rate then you will require an HDMI cable. Now, let’s imagine that you have bought an HDMI 2.0 cable accidentally but your monitor has the HDMI 1.4 port. Now, you are wondering whether you can use the HDMI 2.0 cable or not.

In short, the answer is yes. You can use the HDMI 2.0 cable with the 1.4 port because of the backward compatibility. But while doing so, you won’t get your desired output. To know in depth about HDMI cable workability, this article will help you in a proper way.

So, without any further ado, let’s begin the journey.

Does the HDMI 1.4 Port Support HDMI 2.0 Cable?

You will find some scenarios where you won’t be able to use backdated things. For example, you can’t use DDR3 RAM in a DDR2 RAM slot and vice versa. But when it comes to HDMI, the thing is totally different. The HDMI cable and port are backward compatible or you can say the cables and ports are identical. It doesn’t differ from version to version.

The Backward Compatibility feature allows the HDMI 2.0 cable with the HDMI 1.4 port. Or you can use the HDMI 1.4 cable in the HDMI 2.0 port. But it’s not ideal work to do. When you are not using the right thing at the right place, you won’t get the actual result. Isn’t it? There you will have differences while using HDMI 2.0 Cable Work With a 1.4 Port.

Why It’s Not Ideal to Use HDMI 2.0 Cable With 1.4 Port?

The main reason behind the not ideal term is the performance. When you are using HDMI 2.0 cable then you must expect a better visual experience on your monitor. There you won’t get the promised max bandwidth, effective bandwidth, HDR, refresh rate, or audio technology from the HDMI 2.0 cable while using it in a 1.4 port.

When you are connecting the HDMI 2.0 to the 1.4 port, the 2.0 HDMI cable will be converted into a 1.4 cable by itself because the 1.4 port is not able to transfer the 2.0 cable’s capability. A table is provided below that will help you to understand the drawback of using HDMI 2.0 cable with a 1.4 port properly.

Parameters	HDMI 1.4	HDMI 2.0
Refresh Rate	24Hz @ 4K	60Hz @ 4K
Max Bandwidth	10.2 Gbit/s	18 Gbit/s
Effective Bandwidth	8.16 Gbit/s	14.4 Gbit/s
HDR	No	Yes
Audio Technology	8	32

When you will use the 2.0 HDMI cable in the HDMI 1.4 port, you will get the HDMI 1.4 performance instead of HDMI 2.0. The performance output dropped almost in half. That’s why it’s not ideal to use a 2.0 HDMI cable in a 1.4 port unless you have any problem with the performance drop.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does HDMI 1.4 need a different cable?

Actually, No. It can fit any version of HDMI cable due to its backward and forward compatibility. But it’s better to use a 1.4 HDMI cable in it.

Is HDMI 1.4 OK for 4K?

Yes, HDMI 1.4 can provide 4K resolution but it’s not capable of HDR (High Dynamic Range) .

Do all HDMI cables work with all HDMI ports?

Yes, but it’s suggested to not do this. The cable and port version needs to be the same for better visualization.

Conclusion

To sum up, the backward and forward compatibility of HDMI cable and the port has made the user flexible. But when the difference between the port and cable is not that close, you will feel disturbed while watching videos or working on your monitor. For this, it’s better to use the identical version of the port and cable for smooth and better output. Gracias!