Do all USB-C ports support video?

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Let’s say you forgot your HDMI cable at home and needed to plug your device into a display. Suddenly you remember that USB-C supports video output. You can use any USB-C cable to mirror your laptop screen to a TV, right? Not necessarily. Not all USB-C ports or cables support video output. But let’s take a step back: why is this the case? Shouldn’t they all be the same?

Because the word “universal” is often used when talking about USB – which, after all, stands for “Universal Serial Bus” – some people mistakenly believe that all USB ports are the same. This is a common myth about USB-C ports in particular, but the “universal” in the name largely refers to the range of devices that work with them. The internal hardware of the USB ports determines the output power, data transfer rates, and additional features, such as video support. Additionally, there are different types of USB-C ports, including standard USB Type-C, Thunderbolt, and USB4 ports, all of which have distinct specifications and capabilities. In fact, the “C” in USB-C doesn’t even mean anything: it’s simply the next letter in the series after USB-A and USB-B.

If you see a “D” symbol next to a USB port, that means it supports DisplayPort (DP) Alt mode, which means you can use the port to transmit video signals to external displays. For this purpose, you can also use a Thunderbolt 3, 4, or 5 port, all of which are represented by a lightning bolt icon. Keep in mind, however, that not all USB-C cables support video output. To use a USB-C DP or Thunderbolt port, you will need a full USB-C cable that supports the respective protocol, as well as an external display that can receive the signal via USB.

If you want to send a video stream from a mobile device or laptop to an external display, but you don’t have an HDMI port on your machine, you can potentially get around this by using USB-C video output. However, your source device will need to support video transmission over USB-C, and your USB-C port of choice will need to support DP Alt mode. Your external display(s) will also need a compatible video input to receive the signal, whether that’s a USB-C, HDMI, or DisplayPort port.

Provided these criteria are all met, you have several connectivity options. The first is to use a USB-C to HDMI adapter, although you will also need an HDMI cable for this method to work. With over 37,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.6 stars, the Anker 310 USB-C adapter is a reliable choice for this purpose. One end plugs into a video-enabled USB-C port and the other end is an HDMI cable port. If you’d rather go for a more versatile accessory, another option is to use a multiport hub, such as the Ugreen Revodok USB-C Hub, which has a 4.1-star rating after over 250 reviews.

You can also use a USB dock, which is slightly different from a USB hub. Docks act as base units that transmit signals between your devices, including video outputs to external displays. USB-C docks can receive an incoming USB-C video signal and route it to devices plugged into its dedicated video ports, such as DisplayPort, VGA, HDMI, and also USB-C. You can even connect your hub to multiple external monitors to increase your productivity. The pluggable USB-C Triple Display Dock, for example, does exactly what’s described: it can route your video signal to three separate displays. It also contains a myriad of port types to accommodate multi-monitor setups. If you’re in the market for a dock, this list of docks that just work would be a good place to start.