What Are The Different HDMI Ports?

There are a total of five types of connectors used to connect to HDMI ports, namely HDMI type A, B, C, D, and E. Each of these connectors has different functions. These comprise the regular-sized HDMI connector, mini, and micro HDMI.
The standard HDMI connector is the most widely used one for TVs and AV connections. Other types of connectors are used for various other purposes.
Firstly, the HDMI type A and B were released. After this initial standard was released, others were released to be used for specific purposes and smaller devices.

Different Types Of HDMI Connectors

Different types of HDMI connectors have remained as it is after their initial introduction. This is very important, as it has allowed us to maintain backward comparability with all the HDMI standards coming after the first ones.
Backward comparability is which allows us to connect various different HDMI connector types through smart HDMI switches. These switches allow you to switch between different connector types seamlessly, and also lets you connect one HDMI port to multiple HDMI connectors. Check out Kinivo 550BN, which is the best-selling HDMI Switch.
The standard HDMI connector has 19 pins, and this standard is kept the same in every connector to allow for backward and forward comparability.
Here are all of the HDMI connector types explained.

Type A

This is the first-ever launched HDMI connector and is considered the main standard since then. This connector is still the most common one, and it is usually used on old AV systems, DVD players, TVs, Game consoles, and lots of other equipment. This connector is a bit larger as compared to the rest, and can be used on equipment on which space isn’t an issue.
The standard type A HDMI connector has 19 pins in total. It has enough bandwidth to easily handle SDTV, EDTV, HDTV, UHD, and 4K signals.
So, the type A HDMI connector is one of the most commonly used types of HDMI connectors.

Also Read: 4 Components Of Digital Transformation For Electronic Industry

Type B

Type B HDMI connector was also released alongside the type A connector. This connector is capable of transferring dual DVD-I signals. However, this connector was never widely used in products. That’s because HDMI 1.3 helped in increasing the speed of a single link beyond that of a double link. Another reason why this connector wasn’t widely used is that it is larger as compared to the single link connector. This leaves us with no reason to use this connector.
The type B HDMI connector has 29 pins, and six differential pairs instead of six, as in a single link connector (type A).

Type C

The type C HDMI connector is actually a micro HDMI, as it is smaller as compared to the standard type A HDMI connector. However, this connector still has the same 19 pins as in the type A HDMI connector. In terms of functionality and performance, type C and type A are almost at the same point. But the connector is very small as compared to type A.
The mini HDMI or HDMI type C was introduced alongside HDMI 1.3, as the need for a smaller connector arose due to the wide adaptability of HDMI connectors.
The shape and configuration of the mini HDMI have some changes.
You can actually use a Tube C HDMI in a Type A HDMI port, but you’ll have to use a type C to type A adapter.
These connectors can be seen on most of the portable equipment use carry around these days. For example, this is common on DSLR cameras, sat nav systems, and many other types of modern equipment.

Type D

The Type D HDMI connector has a shape like the micro USB connector. That is also the reason why this connector is known as a micro HDMI. This type of HDMI is very small, and yet it retains the same 19 pins used in HDMI type A, 1.3, and Type C. But just like HDMI type C, the pin pairings are different as compared to Type-A.
Type D, of Micro HDMI, was released alongside HDMI 1.4. This connector was made to make audio and video connectivity possible in smaller devices like mobile phones.

Type E

You won’t see HDMI type E in most of the tech products, as it is mostly meant to be used in vehicles. Type E was also introduced alongside the release of HDMI 1.4 and Type D.
This connector has a locking mechanism that prevents it from vibrating out of the port. There is also a shell present around the connector in order to keep it safe from dust and dirt.
With the help of fire modifications, you can actually use this connector to connect your vehicle with an external item.

Make Vs Female Connectors

• When it comes to identifying male and female HDMI connectors, you should keep in mind that the female connector is connected to the source of the signal or power, and the male connector is connected to the item receiving the power or signal. That’s because the pins on a female HDMI connector can’t be shorted by an external metallic object. But most of the modern HDMI connectors also save their male sides from short circuits.
• Female connectors are present on both the sending and receiving device, and a cord having two male connectors, one at either end ends, is used to connect both of the devices.
• One of the main reasons for this is that both of the devices connected together are usually exchanging data. Even the receiving device has to send some signals back to the sending device. This gives us the perfect reason to have female connectors on every device, and the male connectors on the wire used to connect both of the devices.
• Although the female connectors are usually recessed into the device’s body, they can still get damaged because of the stress caused by pulling the wire in the wrong way or something else. So, you’ll be shocked to know those female HDMI connectors sell more as compared to male connectors as they are easily broken.
• Also, if you have a wire with two broken HDMI connectors at either end, the cost of buying a new wire is actually lower as compared to the cost of repairing the broken connectors.