Mini HDMI Vs Micro HDMI [Which One Is Best In 2023]

When I was trying to connect my phone to my television to display it on a large screen I found out that there are two HDMI connector mini vs micro specifications available to use, They were known as micro HDMI and I was interested in digging deeper into the way these connectors functioned and what they did. I was curious about what the latest standards were. We looked up online and studied a number of technical documents and articles about HDMI connections.

I also came across a couple of online discussion forums where users discussed the practicality for these HDMI standards. A few hours of investigation later I had enough knowledge to be able to appreciate the intricacies of these standards of connection. This article was written by utilizing the research conducted and will assist you to understand the meaning of mini HDMI vs micro HDMI are , and what they can do best.

Macro HDMI Type-D, and Mini HDMI or Type C are utilized in smaller devices that must be connected to HD displays that use a standard type of. They differ in only the physical dimensions. Read on to discover the most recent and best developments are in HDMI and how eARC could be the next leap.

What is HDMI?

HDMI stands for High Definition. Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is an interface type that allows the transmission of both extremely high-quality audio and the video to be of high-quality through cables. The information HDMI transmits in the form of audio may be compressed or uncompressed and then video data that is uncompressed. HDMI was introduced in 2002 and, since the time, more than four billion audio devices were sold and HDMI being a method of connectivity that is part of its connections.

It is possible to be as bold as to say it is the case that HDMI is now the most common interface used to connect audiovisual devices to one another. Macro HDMI allows you to link an A/V device to the other, and today, with the advent of digital technology they can be found on virtually any AV device including televisions as well as DVD players Blu Ray players computers laptops, Macs, laptops, Xbox, Play Station, Apple TV, and many more to other sources of AV.

Standards and formats for HDMI include LPCM uncompressed audio, and later EDID. EDID controls and control the quality of the video and audio of HDMI. HDMI incorporates various formats for audio and video from it was first introduced, and has evolved with each new version and we are currently at HDMI Version 2.1.

Mini HDMI vs micro HDMI cables only have been in use since specific HDMI versions that are specifically 1.3 as well as 1.4. Let’s examine these versions and see how they were created and how they impacted HDMI and whether they impact mini HDMI and micro HDMI cables.

HDMI versions

Here are the various macro HDMI versions.

HDMI Version 1.0

It was the first version of HDMI that came out on December 2, 2002. This version was built on the link technology used by DVI and utilized the same format for video transmission. Audio signals as well as other auxiliary data were transmitted in blanking intervals within the stream. At this moment it was the case that each DVI as well as HDMI could transmit the identical amount of data which is the maximum TMDS clock of 165Mhz. This is equivalent to 4.95Gbps.

HDMI’s version HDMI utilized TMDS encoder for video transmission, resulting in 3.96 Gbit/s of bandwidth for video (1920×1080 (or 1920×1200 when 60Hz is used)) along with 8-channel LPCM audio. Regarding its color palette it could support RGB video, but also optionally YCbCr 4 :4:4 and 4 :2.

HDMI version 1.1

The update on HDMI was minor and included support for high-quality DVD audio.

HDMI version 1.2

The version that was released in 2005 , and included the additional possibility of using One Bit Audio that was available for SACD (Super Audio CDs) that could support the use of up to 8 audio channels. This update removed the explicitly allowed formats to be used for streaming video that was prior to that restricted to standard formats. This meant that companies could make HDMI adaptable to any resolution that they felt was appropriate for their products. This was fantastic for PC users as devices that had at least an RGB output (a computer) didn’t need support for YCbCr.

HDMI version 1.3

The HDMI was released in June of 2006. the new version of macro HDMI included a higher maximum TMDS clock, which ran at 340Mhz (which corresponds up to 10.2Gbps). The color depth was increased to 10 12 and 16bpc and was referred to as Deep Color. Also, it had the capability to carry metadata that defined the color gamut limits.

This version could audio output from Dolby True HD as well as DTS-HD Master Audio for external decoding via audio devices. Also, it included the ability to sync audio automatically; this version also saw the introduction of the connector type C (the miniature macro HDMI).

HDMI version 1.4

The version that was released in 2009 and utilized the same bandwidth of earlier versions, however, the resolution of the video was dramatically increased. The resolutions were 4096×2160 at 24Hz, 3840×2160 with 24 25-30Hz and 1920×1080 with 120Hz.

Amazingly, it also included HEC that is the Ethernet channel that is able to accommodate 100Mbps. This will allow two devices connected with an HDMI cable that was running Version 1.4 sharing an Internet connection. The other feature introduced in this version included the ARC (audio return channel) and 3D capability and a broader set of color spaces, as well as also the macro HDMI connector (or type D connector).

HDMI version 2.0

This version of HDMI was a major improvement in terms of performance and capabilities. The version was released in 2013, it had a maximum bandwidth of 18Gbps. Additionally, it utilizes TMDS video encoding , similar to previous versions. This permits video bandwidth of as high as 14.4Gbps. This allows HDMI to play 4K video at 60Hz with 24bit color depth. It has integrated HE-AAC as well as DRA audio standards, and also supports up 32 channels of audio.

Other features include dual streaming (which allowed multiple users to be watching simultaneously on the same screen) as well as chroma subsampling. new support for aspect ratios like 21:9 and dynamic the synchronization of video and audio.

HDMI version 2.1

With regard to our current version that is 2.1 We must recognize that there’s only been two standards that the majority of AV gadgets were built upon that are version 1.4 and 2.1. A thing to keep in mind is that the more data is able to pass via your connection (in this instance it’s one that is an HDMI cable) is the higher resolution, frame rate as well as the audio’s quality. 

In the present, macro HDMI version 1.4 can still be found and popular today and, as we’ve said it can transmit the data rate to 10.2Gbps. HDMI 2.1 provides 48Gbps streaming uncompressed 8k video at 60Hz as well as 4k at 120Hz, with HDR. Dynamic HDR (High Dynamic Range) guarantees optimal brightness, depth and clarity when video is shown.

What makes type-a unique?

The wide spreadness of the Type-A connector is the reason it’s fascinating. The connector, which is made of a square that measures 14 by 4.55mm with corners clipped at the lower part, has taken the entire field forward thanks to its 19 pins, even though the different standards can be confused from time to time.

To make the most of your setup, you may be required to double-check and ensure sure you’ve got the HDMI 2.0 cord for instance regardless of connector type. Let’s look at different connectors.

Mini HDMI – type-C

The Mini HDMI connector commonly referred to as an macro HDMI Type-C connector , takes less space as compared to the Type A. It measures just 10.42 x 2.42mm The Type-C connector occupies 60% less space than the Type-A connector making it more convenient to connect devices with small sizes that aren’t big enough to accommodate the full-size HDMI connector.

However, TVs and DVD Players are both able to accommodate lots of space. What kinds of devices are we discussing? Most commonly, the Type-C connector is found on DSLR cameras as well as camcorders. The cables that come with these devices typically have a Type A port on the other side of the cord, which means you can hook the cables to larger screen.

There are couple of tablets that have Mini HDMI, although more common tablets like the iPad will solve this issue with a dongle that can convert into a Type-A connector. But, Mini HDMI still has the same 19 pins as HDMI Type-A and has the exact same features as HDMI Type-A. However, it’s a smaller size.

Macro HDMI – type-D

Macro HDMI also known as HDMI Type D cables push advantage of space saving to an extreme. With a cross-sectional area of 6.4 inches x 2.8mm The size of the Type D connector is seven times smaller Type-A. As amazing as it may sound that they managed to pack all 19 pins into this shape, and still preserve all the features of HDMI in this tiny box.

There was a period during the first decade of the 2010s when some phones, like those like the Droid X, had a macro HDMI port in the I/O suite of the phone however, the move to standard USB Type-C ports and the widespread availability of wireless streaming options such as Airplay as well as Chromecast have put an end to the use of macro HDMI ports in the early 2010s.

However, there are certain products for which using the micro HDMI port is the best choice. GoPro cameras use macro HDMI for several years, and they’re now deciding to drop this technology to use USB Type-C instead. Overall it’s likely that you won’t find a product requires an HDMI Type-D connector, which is a positive thing: it’s very rare that you require that cable the device you’re using likely have one.

What are the reasons you require the mini HDMI vs micro HDMI cables?

It is evident that despite their dimensions differ however, they all have the same number of pins, and thus have the same functions as each other. Then why do we need various connector types? The reason is due to specific devices. An ordinary HDMI cable is suitable for connecting standard-sized devices with AV together, such as your Xbox to your TV or Blu-ray player, DVD player Amazon Fire TV Stick and others.

The problem is in the case of mobile devices that must make use of HDMI. They cannot utilize the standard HDMI connectors as they are simply too big. DSLR cameras smartphones, DSLR cameras, portable displays, and action cameras and more all utilize mini HDMI and micro HDMI cables. It would be difficult to make mobile devices with an common HDMI connector.

It is important to remember it is that USB kind C can now be considered more widespread on smartphones as is macro HDMI has been almost removed, except for devices that require better quality playback, like action cameras.

Are you able to interchange standard mini, micro or standard HDMI connectors?

Because all connection types are similar in appearance and function, any connection type could be changed to another without issues as well as without loss of information. There are two ways the types of connections can be changed. It is possible to do this by purchasing cables that connect one type of connection to another or purchasing the converter.

Both options work fine and are basically similar to each other. The difference is largely dependent on the HDMI cable you own and the device you want to connect it to as well as the amount of space on each device.

Buying and using the right HDMI cables

If you’re required to use an mini HDMI and micro HDMI (Type-C and Type-D) cable, then your device likely already has one. Because the majority of these cables are limited to 4K resolution and lower (even with 60Hz) and there’s no reason to fret regarding HDMI 2.1 for these cases.

If you’re buying an HDMI 2.1 cable or higher, you may utilize a mobile application to confirm that the cables have been certified. New consoles such as Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will include HDMI 2.1 cables, and replacing those with third-party cables won’t result in an increase in image quality. In actual fact, we recommend avoiding “premium” HDMI cables altogether. Although these cables promise superior protection and data throughput however, they’re nothing more than the cheaper cables.

Final thoughts

HDMI in all its configurations is a flexible technology that can find its use in TVs as well as smartphones. Most HDMI ports you’ll run across are Type-As. others are in more niche devices that may require connection directly to the HD display. Its mini HDMI and micro HDMI ports set themselves apart due to their physical dimensions but they are essentially all ways to their larger counterparts.

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