Most people don't consider their cables when upgrading their home cinema projector, but with advances in 4K you'll need to think carefully about your setup. If you're looking to upgrade your home cinema projector but are still stuck with an old HDMI cable this guide can show you how your cable will perform.

How to setup my 4k projector

There is debate over whether HDMI cables should be listed as their 'version' number or just as 'standard' or 'high speed' but essentially version 2.0 and above is high speed. A 4K Home Cinema projector like the Acer V7850 has a HDMI 2.0 input specifically for 4K so you will need a HDMI 2.0 cable to get the full 4K experience.

HDMI 1.4 only supports up to 4k 30hz, whereas HDMI 2.0 can support 4k 60hz, ideal for 4k home cinema viewing. Connecting your HDMI 1.4 to a 4K projector will give you an up-scaled 1080p image, not quite the 4K clarity available.

Any High-speed HDMI cable will do for your home cinema, they are now relatively cheap, and 'high speed' is just the name for HDMI 2.0 cables which are now the most commonly available since 2013.

What is HDMI 2.1?

Essentially, HDMI 2.1 has the capability to double-down on what HDMI 2.0 can manage. 2.1-standard cables will be able to easily outstrip the 4K limit, future proofing your set up with a maximum sending a maximum of 10K content at 120fps down the cable. HDMI 2.1 can even handle dyanmic HDR and variable refresh, adjusting pixels on-the-fly for crystal clear depth and focus.

Will I need anything else for my 4K Home Cinema?

You also need to consider the source of the 4K content, whether it's a Blu-ray player, games console or a AV receiver you'll need something that can send a 4K signal.

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