MacBook Pro and HDMI

[Bob the Knob]

I'm thinking of buying a MacBook Pro for audio production. I would like to integrate it with my 5.1 AV system which is totally HDMI 2.1 compliant.
Is there any difference in performance between connecting the laptop thru an onboard HDMI port or using a USB to HDMI adapter?

 

[coffeemilktea]

From what I remember, USB to HDMI adapters don't support the full range of HDMI 2.1 features (for example, if you connected to a display, you'd be limited to 4K 60FPS while the HDMI 2.1 port in a MacBook Pro would support 8K 60fps or 4K 240fps).

But if you're focused mostly on audio production, I don't know if there's any difference when it comes to audio.

 

[Bob the Knob]

Great! Thanks for your response.
I suspected that something like that would be the case.

 

[Crazyblox]

god knows why they decided to put an HDMI on a device that is intended to be moved about. HDMI connectors have a lot of play in them in order to not stress the connector out from the stiffness HDMI cables themselves typically come with. Because of that, it's just as easy for it to lose its connection. Ask me how I know. For static use like desktop, HDMI is fine, but don't even bother using it if you plan to move your device even slightly during use.

HDMI has been able to send up to 7.1 audio since 1.0. That being said, if you care about stable connections, get yourself a USB-C to HDMI cable for a more reliable connection, there are options that support up to 4k 60hz.

 

[Bob the Knob]

Thanks. I probably will only be using the HDMI connection in the studio, so it won't be moved around much.