With televisions, HDMI is the most common connector. But if you want to connect a computer to your TV (or you've got a new computer monitor), the options tend to be HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, and sometimes old-school VGA.
Each connection has its pros and cons, and perhaps the best cable to use with your display is more than just 'what it came with.'
Here are the differences.
Before we start, it's important to note that with the exception of VGA, all the other connections here are digital. So while the pixel resolution potentials vary with each connection, the quality otherwise does not. As in, 1,920x1,080/60 over HDMI is going to look the same as 1,920x1,080/60 over DVI and DisplayPort (assuming all other settings are the same). The logical extension of this is that the cables themselves also don't make a difference, in terms of picture 'quality.' Any cable capable of a specific resolution is either going to work over a certain distance, or not work. Check out my article 'All HDMI cables are the same' for why this is.
HDMI
All TVs and most computer monitors have HDMI. It's easy to use, the cables are cheap, and best of all, it carries audio. If you're plugging your computer into a TV, your first choice should be HDMI. It will save you lots of hassle.
May 08, 2019 UHD or 4k TVs do not have dual HDMI, A single HDMI input works fine. There are monitors that need dual DVI connection or display port to actually show UHD content.
HDMI has limitations, though, and isn't always the perfect choice. For example, your TV likely has HDMI 1.4 connections, which max out at 3,820x2,160-pixel resolution at 30 frames per second. If you've gotten a new 4K monitor, you're limited to 30fps. Not until HDMI 2.0 will you be able to do 4K over HDMI at 60fps. You'll also need new hardware (and probably a new TV).
So in most cases HDMI is fine, but for really high resolutions and frame rates, one of these other options might be better.
DisplayPort
DisplayPort is a computer connection format. There is only one television with DisplayPort, and don't expect it to see much further adoption on the TV side. It's capable of 3,840x2,160-pixel resolution at 60fps, if you have at least DisplayPort 1.2 and the Multi-Stream Transport feature. If you're looking to connect a computer to a monitor, there's no reason not to use DisplayPort. The cables are roughly the same price as HDMI.
DisplayPort can also carry audio.
DVI
The video signal over DVI is basically the same as HDMI. The maximum resolution potential depends on the equipment, though. Some cables and hardware (called single-link) can only do 1,920x1,200, while others (dual-link) can do more.
DVI generally doesn't do audio (it varies). So if you're using a TV, use HDMI. Since computer monitors don't usually have speakers, this isn't an issue.
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VGA (aka PC-RGB, D-sub 15)
The old-school VGA connector is a cable of last resort. It's not too common anymore, and hardly ever found on TVs. A recent e-mail asked about it, so I'm including it.
Don't use VGA, not if you can help it. While it is capable of fairly high resolutions and frame rates, it's an analog signal. You're not likely to get a pixel-perfect image with today's LCD monitors (hence why you'd use DVI).
What about Thunderbolt?
The Intel/Apple love child of Thunderbolt is technically only available on one monitor (Apple Thunderbolt Display). There are likely to be more, but don't expect some sort of Thunderbolt revolution. The connection is compatible with Mini DisplayPort.
Converting
You can convert some of these cables into others. For example, DVI and HDMI are generally convertible using a simple adapter. Some DisplayPort connections will also work with DVI and HDMI with an adapter, but not all.
Native resolution
All modern televisions will convert the incoming signal to whatever their 'native resolution' is. For most TVs, this is 1,920x1,080 pixels. So if you send a TV 1,280x720-pixel-resolution material, it will upconvert that to 1,920x1,080. TVs tend to be pretty good with this (though they won't accept every resolution; check your owner's manual for which ones). However, you're better off setting your computer's resolution to be the same as the TV's (presuming it doesn't set itself automatically, as it should). Matching resolutions mean pixel-for-pixel accuracy and no upconversion blurring or artifacts. This is especially true for computer monitors, which rarely have the quality converting processing that their TV cousins do. Send a computer monitor a non-native resolution, and it will work...but it's not going to look as good as it should.
Check out 'What is upconverting?' for more info.
Bottom line
OK, so, generally, HDMI is fine. If you're using a really high-resolution monitor, go DisplayPort. Otherwise the options all start having serious drawbacks. If you're connecting a PC to a TV, check out this post on how to use your TV as a computer monitor for gaming, videos, and more.
Lastly, the one tricky factor in all this is that not all your equipment might support the native resolution you want to send. With TVs this isn't likely a problem as nearly all are 1,920x1,080, but with monitors and their more varied native resolutions, it's a little trickier. Check your owner's manual to verify what your monitor's native resolution is (always send the native res, when possible), and to make sure it's capable of accepting that resolution with the cable you want to use.
Got a question for Geoff? First, check out all the other articles he's written on topics such as why all HDMI cables are the same, LED LCD vs. OLED, why 4K TVs aren't worth it and more. Still have a question? Tweet at him@TechWriterGeoff then check out his travel photography on Instagram. He also thinks you should check out his sci-fi novel and its sequel.
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You can use 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs with these Mac computers:
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2014) and later
- iMac Pro (2017)*
- Mac mini (Late 2014) and later*
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)*
- MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) and later
- MacBook Air (Early 2015) and later
- MacBook Pro (Retina, Late 2013) and later
* You can learn more about connecting multiple displays to your iMac Pro, Mac mini (2018), or Mac Pro (Late 2013).
HDMI displays
Mac computers with built-in HDMI ports
Any Mac with a built-in HDMI port can support 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs via HDMI at 3840 x 2160 at 30Hz, or 4096 x 2160 at 24Hz. Note that mirroring isn't supported at 4096 x 2160 at 24Hz.
Additionally, the built-in HDMI port on Mac mini (2018) supports resolutions up to 4096 x 2160 at 60Hz.
Mac computers compatible with HDMI via adapter
The following Mac models support resolutions and refresh rates of up to 1080p at 60Hz, and 3840 x 2160 at 30Hz, over HDMI 1.4b when using the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter with macOS Sierra 10.12 or later:
- iMac (2017 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- MacBook (2015 and later)
- MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
- MacBook Pro (2016 and later)
The computers listed above also support 60Hz refresh rate over HDMI when used with a supported HDMI 2.0 display, HDMI Premium Certified cable, and a compatible third-party USB-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter.
If the HDMI display that's connected to your Mac starts up to the Apple logo but then goes dark, you might need to update your HDMI cable. To ensure compatibility, and to achieve 4K resolution, Apple recommends a cable that supports HDMI 2.0 or later, such as the Belkin Ultra High Speed 4K HDMI Cable.
Single-stream transport (SST) displays
Most SST 4K displays are supported at 30Hz.
With OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 and later, most SST 4K (3840 x 2160) displays are supported at 60Hz on these Mac computers:
- iMac (27-inch, Late 2014) and later
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac mini (2018)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
- MacBook Air (Early 2015) and later
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) and later
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) and later
With OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 and later, most SST 4K (4096 x 2160) displays are supported at 60Hz on these Mac computers:
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
- MacBook Pro (2016 and later)
With macOS Sierra, MacBook (2015 and later) supports 4K (3840 x 2160) displays at 60Hz over DisplayPort.
Multi-stream transport (MST) displays
These Mac computers support MST displays at 60Hz:
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac mini (2018)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
- MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) and later
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) and later
If you use a 60Hz MST display with the MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) with AMD Radeon R9 M370X graphics card or iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014), only one additional Thunderbolt display is supported. Learn more about Thunderbolt ports and displays.
Your Mac automatically detects MST-enabled displays. However, your display might require a firmware update to support 60Hz operation. Contact the maker of your display for details.
You need to manually configure 4K displays to use MST. Follow these steps to use the display's built-in controls to enable this feature:
- Sharp PN-K321: Choose Menu > Setup > DisplayPort STREAM > MST > SET
- ASUS PQ321Q: Choose OSD menu > Setup > DisplayPort Stream
- Dell UP2414Q and UP3214Q: Choose Menu > Display Setting > DisplayPort 1.2 > Enable
- Panasonic TC-L65WT600: Choose Menu > Display Port Settings > Stream Setting > Auto
- Other DisplayPort displays: check with the display manufacturer for compatibility information.
Dual-cable displays
Some displays with resolutions higher than 4K require two DisplayPort cables to connect the display at full resolution:
- The Dell UP2715K 27-inch 5K display is supported by iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later and Mac Pro (Late 2013) running OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 and later.
- The HP Z27q 5K display is supported by iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later and Mac Pro (Late 2013) running macOS Sierra.
LG UltraFine Displays
The LG UltraFine 4K Display is supported on these Mac computers with DisplayPort Alt-Mode over USB-C:
- iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
- iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac mini (2018)
- MacBook (2015 and later)
- MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
- MacBook Pro (2016 and later)
The LG UltraFine 5K Display is supported on these Mac computers with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C):
- iMac (21.5-inch, 2017)
- iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017)
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac mini (2018)
- MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
- MacBook Pro (2016 and later)
Adjust your display
Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences, then click Displays to adjust or scale the resolution on your display. This can make text and objects appear larger or give you more space on your screen. If your Mac doesn’t recognize a display you’ve just connected, hold down the Option key to make the Detect Displays button appear, then click that button.
Learn more
- 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs using Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 with Boot Camp use the same rules as macOS. If you upgrade from Windows 8 to 8.1, you should repair Boot Camp drivers.
- To get the best graphics performance from your 4K display, connect the display or its adapter directly to your Mac, instead of connecting through another peripheral or device.