As I mentioned above, just because you got a new TV doesn’t mean you need new HDMI cables, even if you’re upgrading to something with 4K and HDR. For short distances, say under 6 feet, almost any recent “high-speed HDMI cable” should work fine. “High Speed” and “Ultra High Speed” are ratings used by HDMI companies to indicate cables have the bandwidth to handle at least 1080p and 4K resolutions, respectively.

You can think of bandwidth like a pipe. You should get a lot of “water” through the tube with 4K and HDR content. A high-speed cable must be “big” enough to handle all of this.

The good thing is, when it works, it works. For example, if you’re sending a 4K HDR signal from your 4K Blu-ray player to your 4K HDR TV and the TV is displaying a 4K HDR signal, you’re good to go. It is not possible to get one better picture using another 4K HDMI cable. That’s not how technology works.

There are only two “fails” with the HDMI cable. The most likely is that you will not receive any signal: A blank or flashing screen. First, check that everything is connected correctly and that all the settings on your HDMI device are correct.

Another “fail” mode of HDMI cables is sparkles. It looks like snow on the screen. It can look overwhelmingly static, like an old TV tuned to a dead channel, or it can be a random-but-regular flashing of white pixels. This means you need new cables.

If the TV receives the same resolution you sent (ie, the TV says it’s 4K HDR when you send 4K HDR), you’re good to go. A different cable won’t make that image sharper, brighter or anything else.

Also, remember, if a step in your chain isn’t 4K HDR, it’s gone. If you connect a 4K Blu-ray disc player to an old soundbar and then to a 4K TV, you will not get a 4K signal on the TV. Also, some TVs have one or two HDMI inputs HDMI 2.1 (or newer) compatible. Check your owner’s manual for that, too.