Both hdmi and optical pass digital audio from one device to another.
Optical cable vs hdmi.
Both can pass multi channel audio like dolby digital.
They perform equally well for sound but the hdmi has higher capabilities for sound and video in conjunction.
The vast majority of consoles and displays support hdmi.
Coaxial vs optical vs hdmi which is the best audio connection to use.
An optical digital connection uses the medium of light to transmit data through a cable s optical fibres which can be made.
Both hdmi and optical cables pass the digital audio from one device to another.
When comparing hdmi vs.
Launched in 2002 the biggest benefit of hdmi is it s a one size fits all connection for video and audio.
The digital optical audio cable and hdmi cable types are both prevalent in home and commercial sound systems.
Hdmi is the standard all in one technology that can not only transfer video but also high quality audio.
There is no difference when it comes to passing multi channel audio like dolby digital.
These types of cables work through using a pulsing wave of light to relay audio signals from a source to a receiving device.
The major difference is that hdmi cables can pass higher resolution audio which includes formats found on blu ray like dolby truehd and dts hd master audio.
Moreover with optical cables the usage is limited to speakers up to 5 1 while hdmi takes advantage of dolby truehd and dts hd master audio.
You have your dts hd master audio and dolby truehd that can t get transmitted across an optical cable or even its similar brother in arms digital coaxial.
Unlike optical and coaxial there isn t really a similar rival out there.
Both are better than analog the red and white cables.
Then there s the threat of damage if an optical cable is bent too tightly.
A digital optical cable also referred to as an optical cable will produce a reliable and consistent sound.
Either cable choice is adequate for the average sound system.
Optical on the other hand can only transfer the audio from one device to another with no video support.
It boasts much higher bandwidth than optical allowing for playback of lossless audio formats such as dolby truehd and dts hd master audio.
Most tvs do support optical cables but it s not nearly as popular as hdmi.