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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Michael Desjardin

Are you using the wrong port for your soundbar or console? Here’s what you need to know about your TV’s HDMI ports

An HDMI 2.1 connection.

Taking a trip to the back of your TV can be an unsettling experience. Amid the dust bunny burrows and crisscrossing cables, you might be startled by scads of seemingly important small print on the back of your TV’s panel, particularly around the ports.

As it turns out, this small print is important. In many cases, you may be plugging a soundbar, streaming stick or PS5 into a port that isn’t right for the job. Let’s take a few moments to talk about which HDMI input does what so you can start connecting consoles with confidence.

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