Unlike other cabling standards, the optical audio system uses fiber optic cables and laser light to transmit digital audio signals between devices. ... The port is typically labeled “optical audio”, “TOSLINK”, “Digital Audio Out (Optical)” or something similar, but you certainly don't need a label to identify it.

What is an optical audio cable used for?

A digital optical cable is used to transfer data, usually audio or video, from one source to another. Digital optical cables are typically more expensive than other types of cables, such as coaxial or composite, but are much more effective at reproducing a signal through the transfer.

Is an optical cable the same as HDMI?

Both HDMI and optical cables pass the digital audio from one device to another. ... 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. Fiber optic cables won't be able to transmit these high-res sound formats.