As an owner of a flat-screen TV, I was recently frustrated when I couldn’t get my HDMI cable to fit into the port. After some research and trial and error, I was able to get it to fit and thought I’d share my experience and what I learned along the way. In this post, I’ll discuss the pros and cons of different types of HDMI cables, as well as tips and tricks to make sure your cable fits.
Reasons as to why your HDMI cable may not fit into your TV include the possibility that your TV doesn’t have a built-in HDMI port, meaning that it might require a different connector to connect your device to your TV. Alternatively, your HDMI port or the pins inside may be bent or damaged.
The use of HDMI cables to connect external devices to TVs has become increasingly popular throughout recent years and has developed into the current standard for most. However, certain older TVs and devices do not have HDMI ports, as the older standards used VGA and DVI ports. You must get an HDMI adapter to connect your device if you don’t have an HDMI port.
| Issue / Solution | Description |
|---|---|
| Issue: No Built-in HDMI Port | Older TVs may have VGA or DVI ports instead of HDMI ports. |
| Solution: HDMI Adapter | Get an HDMI-to-VGA or HDMI-to-DVI adapter to connect your device to the TV. |
| Issue: Damaged HDMI Port Lining | The outer lining of the HDMI port on the TV is bent or distorted. |
| Solution: Bend Lining Back Into Shape | Use a tool, like a screwdriver, to carefully bend the HDMI port lining back into shape. |
| Issue: Damaged HDMI Port Pins | Pins inside the HDMI port on the TV are bent or damaged. |
| Solution: Replace HDMI Port | Send the TV in for repairs to have the HDMI port replaced. |
| Issue: Damaged HDMI Cable | The HDMI cable itself is bent or has damaged pins. |
| Solution: Replace HDMI Cable or Fix Damage | Attempt to bend the cable back into shape or replace the HDMI cable with a new one. |
What To Do If Your HDMI Cable Doesn’t Fit Into Your TV
There are two main reasons for one not being able to fit their HDMI cable into their TV. These reasons include one’s TV either not having a built-in HDMI port or having a damaged HDMI port or cable.
Check If Your TV Has A Built-In HDMI Port
Depending on your TV’s age, you may not have the latest built-in technology that comes standard with newer TV models. This means that the display ports at the back of your TV may not include an HDMI port and would instead have either a VGA (Video Graphics Array) or DVI (Digital Video Interface) port, which you can use to connect external devices.
Check If Your TV’s HDMI Port Is Damaged
If your TV does have an HDMI port and you can’t seem to fit the HDMI cable correctly into the port, it is a very strong possibility that there could be bent pins inside the HDMI port of your TV or the outer lining of your HDMI port may be bent or damaged. If you have checked that the lining of your HDMI port is not bent and that the pins are not damaged, your HDMI cable is probably damaged.
Solutions For Fitting Your HDMI Cable Into Your TV
Before buying a new TV with an HDMI port in perfect condition, there are a few things you can try to make your external device work on your TV.
Get An HDMI Adapter
If you have an older model TV, it is more likely that it doesn’t come with an HDMI port. Older TVs instead come with VGA or DVI ports which you can use with VGA or DVI cables respectively to connect an external device to the TV’s display. However, just because your TV doesn’t have an HDMI port doesn’t mean you can’t connect an HDMI cable to it.
For one to be able to connect an external device to their TV without an HDMI port, you will first have to get the correct HDMI adapter according to the type of display port that you have built-in at the back of your TV. If your TV has a built-in VGA port, you will need to get an HDMI-to-VGA adapter. Alternatively, if it has a built-in DVI port, you will need to get an HDMI-to-DVI adapter.
Use A Tool To Try Bend The HDMI Port Lining
If your TV’s built-in HDMI port has a bent or damaged lining on the outside which has caused it to become slightly distorted, you may not be able to fit your HDMI cable into the port. To fix this yourself, you can attempt to use a tool such as a screwdriver to bend the lining of the HDMI cable back into the correct shape. You must not bend or damage any pins while doing so.
Replace Your TV’s HDMI Port
If your HDMI cable fits into the HDMI port on your TV but doesn’t seem to fit completely inside the port, there are probably bent or damaged pins inside your HDMI port, causing the HDMI cable not to fit in correctly. To see if your TV’s HDMI port has bent or damaged pins, shine a light inside and see if any pins have risen and are sticking out from the sides of the port.
If the lining of your HDMI port is bent beyond recognition, or the pins inside your HDMI port are damaged, you will have to send your TV in for repairs so that someone can replace the HDMI port. The cost of replacing an HDMI port on your TV is much less than purchasing an entirely new one.
Replace Your HDMI Cable
Suppose your TV has a perfectly working HDMI port, and you have ensured that the lining and the pins inside the HDMI port aren’t damaged or bent in any way, and you still can’t fit your HDMI cable into the port. In that case, the HDMI cable itself is the issue and potentially needs to be replaced.
To determine whether the HDMI cable is the issue, check to see if the end of the HDMI cable that plugs into the HDMI port of your TV is bent in any way. If it is bent, you can attempt to bend it back into shape and try to fit it into the port on your TV again. Alternatively, check to see if any pins inside the end of the HDMI cable are bent or damaged; if they are, your cable needs a replacement.
Conclusion
If you’re struggling to fit your HDMI cable into your TV, you can check a few things to help diagnose and resolve the issue. The first thing to check is whether your TV has a built-in HDMI port or not. If you have an older TV, it is likely that you don’t have an HDMI port and would need to use either an HDMI to VGA or an HDMI to DVI adapter, depending on which port your TV has.
If you have an HDMI port built-in to your TV and are still struggling to fit the HDMI cable into the port, the lining of your TV’s HDMI port is bent. However, if your HDMI cable fits into the port but doesn’t go completely in, the pins inside your TV’s HDMI port are most likely damaged. If this is not the case, your HDMI cable could have damaged pins, or the tip could be deformed.
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