HDMI vs DisplayPort: Choosing the Right Port for External Displays

What HDMI and DisplayPort are

HDMI is the connector you will find on most laptops, monitors, and televisions. It carries video and audio over a single cable, which is why it is the usual way to send a laptop screen to a television or to a monitor with an HDMI input. The HP site describes one of its laptop lines as having a built-in HDMI port, a useful example of how a maker lists the port on the laptop itself.

DisplayPort is the connector standard built for computer monitors. On many laptops you will not see a dedicated DisplayPort socket. Instead, the signal arrives through a USB-C or Thunderbolt port. Apple's MacBook Pro spec page states that its Thunderbolt ports support DisplayPort, and ASUS lists Thunderbolt, USB-C, and HDMI among the connectivity on its ProArt line.

Reading the version number on a listing

A spec page or a listing will name a version, such as HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4. The number is the generation of the standard. Read it as a stated name, the same way you read a processor line: the maker's page is the place where the version is written.

Apple's spec pages give a clear example. The MacBook Air states that its Thunderbolt 4 ports support native DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC capability. The MacBook Pro states the same for the M5 model. Those are the maker's stated details for those models, not a general claim about a cable or a monitor.

When you compare two laptops, compare the stated port names and the stated external display support. If one listing says HDMI and the other says DisplayPort through USB-C, the deciding detail is the monitor you already own or plan to buy. The HDMI version article and the DisplayPort version article read those numbers on a listing.

Check the monitor's stated inputs

The laptop is one half of the connection and the monitor is the other. Monitor makers list the inputs on their product pages, the same way laptop makers do. Dell describes its 34 Plus Monitor as offering single-cable USB-C connectivity, an example of a monitor input that is itself a USB-C port carrying a display signal.

Before you pair a laptop with a monitor, read both pages. Note the laptop's stated ports and the monitor's stated inputs, then check that a cable type matches the two ends. If the laptop has HDMI and the monitor takes HDMI, the match is direct. If the laptop offers DisplayPort through USB-C and the monitor takes DisplayPort, a suitable cable connects them.

What to read about external display support

The port matters less than the external display support the maker states. Apple's MacBook Pro spec page states that the M5 model supports up to two external displays over any combination of Thunderbolt and HDMI ports, with figures such as two displays at 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 144Hz, and one display up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 240Hz. The M5 Pro and M5 Max support up to three external displays.

The MacBook Air spec page states up to two external displays with the same resolution figures. Look for the same kind of stated detail on the laptop you are considering before you add a second monitor to your editing desk. The 4K editing laptop guide and the multi-display guide explain how to read that figure.

• The stated ports: an HDMI port, a DisplayPort-capable USB-C port, or a Thunderbolt port with DisplayPort support.
• The number of external displays the laptop can drive.
• The stated resolutions and refresh rates for those displays.

HDMI on an editing laptop

An HDMI port is a practical detail for an editor because it is the direct way to a television, a monitor, or a client's screen. HP's OmniBook 5 lists a built-in HDMI port, and ASUS lists HDMI among the connectivity on ProArt laptops.

For an editor, an HDMI output means you can show a timeline or a finished cut on a television without an adapter. The port is small and common, so it is a reasonable thing to look for when you know you will connect to a TV.

DisplayPort through USB-C and Thunderbolt

When a laptop has no dedicated DisplayPort socket, the signal travels through a USB-C or Thunderbolt port. Apple's spec pages state that the Thunderbolt ports on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air support DisplayPort. On the monitor side, Dell's 34 Plus Monitor states single-cable USB-C connectivity, which is the same idea: one cable carries the display signal.

The point for an editor: a USB-C port can carry the display signal, but you read that the port supports DisplayPort on the maker's page. The article on ports for an editing laptop and the Thunderbolt article cover the other connectors to check at the same time.

When a listing says little about ports

Many laptop titles state the screen size, processor, RAM, storage, and graphics, and leave ports to the spec page. That is normal. If a listing does not name the external port, the maker's spec page is the next place to read.

A second monitor is a buying decision on its own. The MacBook editing guide and the main editing laptop guide can help you shortlist laptops by the stated details that matter for your timeline.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Which port should you read first on a laptop listing, HDMI or DisplayPort?

Read whichever port the listing states. If the listing says HDMI, you have a direct match for a television or an HDMI monitor, and monitor listings can help you compare compatible models. If it says DisplayPort through a USB-C port, you have a match for a DisplayPort monitor. The stated external display support is the detail that tells you how many monitors the laptop can drive.

Does a USB-C port always carry a display signal?

No. Some USB-C ports carry data and power but not a display signal. The maker's spec page states whether the port supports DisplayPort, as Apple does for its Thunderbolt ports. Read that stated detail before you rely on a USB-C port for a monitor.

Why do listings often skip the port version number?

A listing may state only that a laptop has an HDMI port and leave the version for the spec page. The version number is a generation label; when you need it, read it from the maker's page where it is stated.

What does external display support mean on a spec page?

It is the number of external displays a laptop can drive at stated resolutions and refresh rates. Apple's MacBook Pro spec page states up to two or three external displays over a combination of Thunderbolt and HDMI ports, with figures like 6K at 60Hz or 4K at 144Hz.

Can you connect a laptop with HDMI to a monitor that takes DisplayPort?

The two ends need to match. If the laptop outputs HDMI and the monitor takes DisplayPort, you need a connection that converts between the two, or a monitor input that matches the laptop's port. Read the stated inputs on both pages and choose accordingly.