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Best HDMI Cable – Apple TV 4K

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The Chase

Best HDMI Cable for Apple TV 4K: Belkin Ultra High Speed 4K Cable

Scenic Route

What’s the best HDMI Cable for the new Apple TV 4K? The Belkin Ultra High Speed 4K HDMI Cable (Mfr. Part Number: AV10175ds2M-BLK). Another option is the Atevon 4K HDMI Cable (Model # 4330484374).

There are probably other acceptable cables. Unfortunately, one must dig through product reviews to find out. For example, the AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (Latest Standard, Model # HL-007308) seemed to initially work, passing the Dolby Vision test, but later began to cut out intermittently.

If you want to use a Dolby Vision enabled Apple TV 4K on your Dolby Vision enabled TV, the correct HDMI cable is necessary. Though there is some debate as to whether or not all HDMI cables are created equal, the Apple TV 4K does require a certain standard. The Belkin is one of the only, if not the only HDMI cables currently rated to HDMI 2.1, supporting 48Gbps (nearly 3x that of HDMI 2.0) and up to 8K resolution. The Belkin is sold by Apple, and thus seems to have their blessing. At $30, it’s not the cheapest option, but after paying $150+ for your Apple TV 4K, it might be worth it.

Dolby Vision & the Apple TV 4K

Dolby Vision is an HDR format that produces greater contrast between your dark and light portions of the screen. Another HDR format, HDR10, does essentially the same thing, but is open source and subsequently free for device manufactureres. Dolby Vision requires a paid license. Thus, not as many set-top boxes provide Dolby Vision…yet. The Apple TV 4K is unique in this regard.

How to check if your HDMI cable works?

The Apple TV 4K supports Dolby Vision and HDR10. To watch Dolby Vision enabled content, a compatible cord is required. The Apple TV 4K has a “Check Cable” feature. Here are the steps to perform this feature:

  • Turn on your Apple TV and your…display…TV
  • Click “Menu” on the remote enough to get to the home screen showing the apps
  • Scroll to “Settings” and select it
  • Scroll down to “Video and Audio” and select it
  • Under “Video”, select “Check Cable”
  • Select “Check Cable” again
  • If it works, select “Ok”
    • It worked if it says: “We switched your TV to 4K Dolby Vision at 60Hz.”
    • It will also say: “If you see a clear picture, select OK. Select Cancel if you see sparkles, static, or other display problems.”
  • If it doesn’t work, select “Cancel”
    • It didn’t work if: The screen displays “sparkles, static, or other display problems”

This confirms whether or not your HDMI cable is capable of playing Dolby Vision Content. The HDMI cable might work initially, and then develop problems later on. These problems might include the screen cutting out during a movie, or the Apple TV not displaying anything at all.

Which Set-Top Boxes Support Dolby Vision?

Apple TV 4K is one of the few devices to use it. Chromecast Ultra was originally advertised as being Dolby Vision capable, but there is some debate about this. According to a blog post in Google’s “The Keyword”, written in September, 2016, “Chromecast Ultra supports 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision”. However, their current product page only states HDR.  According to a post on a Google forum, Chromecast Ultra was working with Vizio TVs, but not LG TVs, but that a firmware update was on the way to resolve this. On a google forum, there was a post in December, 2016 stating that Google would release a software update, specifically allowing Chromecast Ultra to use Dolby Vision with LG TVs. It seems that Dolby Vision may be working on some TVs, but not others. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of clarity on the matter.

Hope this helps.