Cable Label Decoder
Type in what is printed on your cable, its box, or the product listing, and this page tells you what that marking actually guarantees. The short version: on HDMI, only Standard, High Speed, Premium High Speed and Ultra High Speed are real certifications, and on DisplayPort only DP8K, DP40 and DP80 are. Everything else — including “HDMI 2.1 cable” — is marketing.
HDMI cable labels
The top HDMI certification: 48 Gbit/s signaling, about 42.67 Gbit/s of usable video bandwidth.
What it carries: 4K at 120 Hz, 8K at 60 Hz, HDR, VRR and eARC
Watch out: Genuine ones carry a holographic certification label with a QR code you can scan in the HDMI Cable Certification app. This is the only HDMI marking worth paying a premium for.
Certified for 18 Gbit/s signaling, about 14.4 Gbit/s of usable video bandwidth.
What it carries: 4K at 60 Hz with HDR and full 4:4:4 color
Watch out: Also sold as "Premium Certified". Plenty for 4K 60 Hz movies, streaming, and most console gaming - but not enough for 4K at 120 Hz.
The older Category 2 rating: 10.2 Gbit/s signaling, about 8.16 Gbit/s usable.
What it carries: 1080p at up to 144 Hz, or 4K at 30 Hz
Watch out: Very common in drawers and in boxes from the 2010s. This is the cable that quietly stops a PS5 or Xbox Series X from offering 4K at 120 Hz.
The original Category 1 rating: 4.95 Gbit/s signaling, about 3.96 Gbit/s usable.
What it carries: 720p and 1080i only
Watch out: Obsolete for anything modern. If a cable says only "Standard", it will not carry 1080p at 60 Hz reliably, let alone 4K.
Nothing. There is no such thing as an HDMI 2.1 cable - version numbers describe devices and the specification, never cables.
What it carries: Unknown. The phrase carries no guarantee at all
Watch out: This is the single most misleading label in the category. What you actually want is "Ultra High Speed HDMI" with its certification label. A cable sold as "HDMI 2.1" without that wording may perform like a High Speed cable.
A resolution claim with no testing behind it. Neither phrase is part of the HDMI certification program.
What it carries: Unknown without a real certification alongside it
Watch out: "4K" says nothing about refresh rate, and 4K at 30 Hz needs a fraction of the bandwidth of 4K at 120 Hz. Look for Premium High Speed or Ultra High Speed instead.
The cable includes the HDMI Ethernet Channel wiring.
What it carries: No effect on video bandwidth whatsoever
Watch out: Almost no consumer devices ever implemented HDMI Ethernet Channel. It does not improve the picture and is not worth paying extra for.
DisplayPort cable labels
Certified for UHBR20: 80 Gbit/s signaling, about 77.37 Gbit/s usable.
What it carries: The full rate of DisplayPort 2.1 - 4K at 240 Hz or beyond, 8K at high refresh with DSC
Watch out: Needed to get UHBR20 rates out of a DisplayPort 2.1b graphics card. An older DP8K cable will silently fall back to HBR3.
Certified for UHBR10: 40 Gbit/s signaling, about 38.69 Gbit/s usable.
What it carries: 4K at 240 Hz with DSC; comfortably ahead of DisplayPort 1.4
Watch out: The middle DisplayPort 2.1 tier. Matches UHBR10 and UHBR13.5 cards well.
Certified for HBR3: 32.4 Gbit/s signaling, about 25.92 Gbit/s usable.
What it carries: 4K at 120 Hz uncompressed, or 8K at 60 Hz with DSC
Watch out: This is the right cable for a DisplayPort 1.4 graphics card, which covers most PC gaming setups. It does not unlock UHBR rates on a DisplayPort 2.1 card.
As with HDMI, version numbers describe the specification and the devices, not the cable.
What it carries: Unknown without a VESA certification alongside it
Watch out: Look for DP8K, DP40, or DP80 on the cable itself. VESA certification is the only claim with testing behind it.
A smaller connector carrying an identical DisplayPort signal.
What it carries: Exactly what the DisplayPort version and cable rating allow - the connector size changes nothing
Watch out: Common on older Macs and on some graphics cards. A Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable is a plain cable, not an adapter or converter.
USB-C cable labels
A certified Thunderbolt cable, which always carries DisplayPort video as well as data and power.
What it carries: DisplayPort 1.4 or better - typically 4K at 120 Hz or dual 4K displays
Watch out: The safest USB-C cable to buy for video, because video support is guaranteed rather than optional. Passive Thunderbolt cables are short, usually 0.8 m at full rate.
The USB-C port and cable can carry a real DisplayPort signal over the USB-C wiring.
What it carries: Whatever the DisplayPort version behind it supports, often 4K at 60 Hz or higher
Watch out: This has to be supported by the port on the device, not just by the cable. Look for a DisplayPort or Thunderbolt logo beside the port - a plain USB-C port may be data and charging only.
A power delivery rating. It describes how much electricity the cable can carry.
What it carries: Nothing. Power rating says nothing at all about video
Watch out: A 240 W charging cable can easily be USB 2.0 for data and carry no video whatsoever. This trips up more people than any other USB-C label.
A cable wired only for USB 2.0 data and power. It lacks the high-speed pairs video needs.
What it carries: No video at all
Watch out: It plugs in perfectly and charges fine, so the failure looks like a broken port or display rather than a cable problem. Most cables bundled with phones are this type.
A data throughput rating for the USB protocol.
What it carries: Not necessarily any video - a data rating is not a video guarantee
Watch out: A 40 Gbit/s USB4 cable will normally handle video, but a 10 Gbit/s USB 3.2 cable may not. Look for the DisplayPort or Thunderbolt marking to be sure.
DVI cable labels
How many TMDS links the DVI cable carries. Dual Link doubles the available bandwidth.
What it carries: Single Link up to 1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz; Dual Link up to 2560 x 1600 at 60 Hz
Watch out: Count the pins: a Dual Link cable fills the centre pin block completely. Using a Single Link cable on a 2560 x 1600 display gives a blank screen or a forced lower resolution.
Which signals the connector carries: D is digital only, A is analog only, I is both.
What it carries: Digital video on DVI-D and DVI-I; analog only on DVI-A
Watch out: No DVI variant carries audio, so a DVI link always needs a separate audio connection. Check the four pins around the flat blade to tell them apart.
Claims on any cable
Build and materials claims. Gold plating resists corrosion; braiding resists physical damage.
What it carries: No effect on the signal a digital cable can carry
Watch out: A digital link either carries the data or it does not - there is no gradual improvement in picture quality from better metals. These are durability features, not performance ones.
The thickness of the conductors. A lower AWG number means a thicker wire.
What it carries: Indirectly relevant: thicker conductors hold a high-bandwidth signal over a longer run
Watch out: Genuinely useful on long passive runs, where AWG 24 will outreach AWG 30. On a 2 m desk cable it makes no practical difference.
The cable contains electronics. Active cables re-drive the signal over copper; AOC converts it to light over fiber.
What it carries: The rated mode over far longer distances than passive copper
Watch out: Both are directional - the Source and Display ends are marked and cannot be swapped. AOC cables cannot be shortened or re-terminated.
A self-declared claim. Only "certified" points to an actual testing program.
What it carries: Unknown - nothing was independently verified
Watch out: The wording gap is deliberate. "Supports 8K" and "certified Ultra High Speed" are very different promises, and only the second one was tested.
How to tell a real certification from a claim
- Certified beats compliant. “Certified” points at a testing program. “Compliant”, “supports”, and “up to” are self-declared and mean the seller decided it was good enough.
- HDMI's Ultra High Speed label is verifiable. Genuine cables carry a holographic label with a QR code that you scan in the HDMI Cable Certification app. No label, no certification.
- VESA prints its rating on the connector shell. Look for DP8K, DP40, or DP80 on the DisplayPort plug itself rather than only on the box.
- Version numbers never describe cables. HDMI and DisplayPort version numbers describe devices and the specification. A cable has a speed rating, not a version.
- Ignore the metallurgy. A digital link either carries the data or it does not. Gold plating and exotic copper change durability, not picture quality.
Once you know what your cable is rated for, the Max Resolution & Refresh Rate Finder shows the highest mode it can actually drive, and the Signal Reach Advisor checks whether it will hold up over the distance you need. For the full picture on ratings, see HDMI cable types and DisplayPort cable types.
Certification programs reviewed September 2026.
Cable labels: frequently asked questions
Is there such a thing as an HDMI 2.1 cable?
No. HDMI version numbers describe devices and the specification, never cables. A cable sold as an "HDMI 2.1 cable" has made no promise you can hold it to.
Cables carry speed ratings instead: Standard, High Speed, Premium High Speed, and Ultra High Speed. For the features people associate with HDMI 2.1 — 4K at 120 Hz, 8K at 60 Hz, VRR, eARC — the cable you want is certified Ultra High Speed HDMI, with the holographic label and QR code. See HDMI cable types.
Does an expensive HDMI cable give a better picture?
No. A digital link either carries the data correctly or it fails visibly — sparkles, dropouts, or no signal at all. There is no gradual improvement in picture quality from gold plating, oxygen-free copper, or a braided jacket. Those are durability features.
What is worth paying for is the correct speed certification for the mode you are running, and on a long run, a thicker conductor or an active cable. Beyond that, a certified cable is a certified cable.
What does DP8K mean on a DisplayPort cable?
DP8K is VESA's certification for HBR3 rates: 32.4 Gbit/s of signaling, about 25.92 Gbit/s usable. That covers 4K at 120 Hz uncompressed, or 8K at 60 Hz with DSC — the right cable for a DisplayPort 1.4 graphics card, which is most PC gaming setups.
It does not unlock the faster UHBR rates on a DisplayPort 2.1 card. Those need DP40 (UHBR10) or DP80 (UHBR20), and a DP8K cable on a 2.1 card will quietly fall back to HBR3.
Why does my USB-C cable not carry video?
Most likely it is a charge-only cable. A USB-C cable wired for USB 2.0 data and power plugs in perfectly and charges normally, but has none of the high-speed pairs video needs. Because it charges, the fault looks like a broken port or display.
Power ratings such as 100 W or 240 W say nothing about video — a 240 W charging cable can be USB 2.0 for data. Look for a Thunderbolt lightning bolt icon or an explicit DisplayPort Alt Mode claim, and check that the port on the device supports video as well. See USB-C as a display cable.
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