A key advantage of a USB-C over HDMI is that it can support both charging and video output. Moreover, USB-C's small and sleek design means they take up less space than the more bulky HDMI cable. Ultimately, the HDMI is not necessarily better than the USB-C, nor the USB-C is better than the HDMI.
Short answer: USB type C cables are quite likely to replace HDMI cables, but HDMI will live on within the USB type C cables. So no, USB type C won't replace HDMI, it will just provide HDMI connectivity in a different physical form. Read on for an explanation….
A USB-C cable supports resolutions up to 4K and a Thunderbolt 3 cable even supports 8K with a refresh rate of 60Hz, or 60 frames per second. The new DisplayPort 1.4 and 2.0 get a USB connector as well and both support resolutions up to 8K.
HDMI transfers signals at a faster speed than USB. USB transfers data at a slower speed. HDMI supports higher resolutions. USB supports lower audio and video resolutions than HDMI.
That being said, the quality is almost negligible when it comes to USB C to HDMI adapters. The main reason behind that is the high data transmission rate supported by both USB Type C and HDMI. If you are going with a premium option, you can even get up to 4K resolution output at a 60 Hz refresh rate, if not higher.
You don't lose quality with a USB-C to HDMI adapter, but you have to make sure the display supports the right HDMI specification. Monitors, projectors, and TVs with HDMI 1.4 ports support 4K at 30Hz, no matter which adapter or HDMI cable you use.
In addition to the common HDMI connector, you can sometimes choose between a DisplayPort or USB-C port as well. HDMI is more suitable for console gaming, while DisplayPort and USB-C ports are better for PC gaming.
More often than not, if you're connecting something to a television, HDMI will be your best, and likely only, bet. Most PC monitors will also include an HDMI input. The good news, where it comes to 1.4 versus 2, is that you don't need to rush out and buy new cables.
An HDMI cable only transmits signals. It doesn't make the audio and video quality better than your TV or other devices' capabilities.
Contrary to popular belief (and misinformation) HDMI cables don't actually make all that much difference in overall picture quality. Sadly, people are still buying overpriced HDMI cables in droves, spending far too much money than necessary, believing they'll get far better quality video.
Yes. Just like in standard DisplayPort connectors and cables, DisplayPort over USB-C can take advantage of the four high-speed data lanes in the USB-C connector and cable to provide 4K display resolutions and beyond on supported products.
The USB-C is known as the all-in-one connector. It is a one-cable solution with the ability to transmit power, audio, and video across a single cable from one mighty port.
Even without these situational features, DisplayPort 1.4 has significant advantages over HDMI 2.0 – being the two most common implementations of the standards. This makes USB-C a better option for connecting a monitor to your computer than HDMI.
USB-C supports older versions of the HDCP copy protection standard, but cannot yet handle the latest HDCP 2.2 standard. Only HDMI can currently do that. You'll still need HDMI cables to support “legacy” devices which weren't built with USB-C ports and will take years to disappear from homes.
Ethernet-equipped HDMI is increasingly obsolete, so this option is also of little concern. Most new devices that use HDMI connect to the internet via WiFi, so unless you absolutely need a hardwired internet connection for your device, you can probably go without Ethernet HDMI.
HDMI has been around for about three decades or so at this point, while USB-C is simply the next step in the progression that USB was designed to follow in creating a universal (hence, universal serial bus) cable to replace every other cable type.
While both HDMI and DisplayPort can be used to connect a computer to a display, there are some key differences between the two standards. HDMI is more popular and ubiquitous. DisplayPort is better for high-resolution displays, and can transmit more data.
The HDMI cable standard can impact color and resolution, but newer versions are not required for 4K TV.
The “4k HDMI” label is mostly marketing, so it doesn't mean a specific feature that will improve image quality. But if you have any cables past the HDMI 1.4 version, then they will be moving the same 4k image across the cable regardless of any marketing.
If you've just bought a new 4K TV, you might be wondering if you need to buy a new HDMI cable to go with it. If you already have an HDMI cable, the quick answer is: Probably not.
Despite DP's advantages, HDMI is still the more popular choice among consumers. One reason for this is the ubiquity of HDMI ports in devices such as TVs, projectors, and gaming consoles. Many people simply choose HDMI because it's the most widely available option.
HDMI: Audio and video signal, best for TV to PC connections. DVI: Video only, perfect for older systems or for 144Hz at 1080p. DisplayPort (DP): The best connector for an audio and video signal, and can transmit 144Hz up to 4K. VGA: Old, legacy video connector.
USB has different standards namely 3.0, 2.0, etc. These differ in terms of data transfer speed. A USB type C port may support any of these standards but to provide output for an HDMI port, your device needs to have a USB-C 3.1 port or a thunderbolt 3 port, which supports DP Alt mode.
This means that HDMI Alt Mode for USB-C connections will be able to output up to 4K resolution, 3D video, and support HDMI-CEC, but it does not support capabilities like HDR video and other features that were introduced in HDMI 2.0b.
Thunderbolt-3 supports refresh rates of 30 to 240 Hz at resolutions upto 1440p and 4K from 30-120 Hz. HDMI is limited to 1 30 Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.0 supports 1080p output at 144 Hz. Initially thunderbolt is limited to Apple devices. Thunderbolt-3 supports other PCs and devices.