HDMI Cable
HDMI
By now almost everyone who has a high definition Television or a Home Theater System is familiar with an HDMI cable. If not, you should get acquainted with it ASAP! Check out this basic information about HDMI Cables which you should know. You may not need television service to get a more clear picture, you may just need a HDMI cable.
For starters, HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and the name is basically a description of what the cable does. It transmits high definition audio and video through one single cable. The cable is used with Audio and Video equipment such as Blu-ray DVD Players and HDTVs. The cable itself looks very similar to a USB cable, but you have 19 individual wires wrapped inside a single HDMI cable.
HDMI is a pure, uncompressed digital source while the others are all analog. The difference is simple, analog cables take a digital signal and converts it to a less clear analog signal which is then transmitted to your TV. This signal is then converted back to a digital signal to be displayed on the screen. With all this converting of the original signal, it starts to break down and loses clarity, resulting in a poorer picture and audio quality. A HDMI cable keeps the original digital signal, eliminating any need for conversion, thus giving you the clearest, sharpest images and audio possible.
The next thing you need to know about the HDMI cable is that it comes in different versions. Through its technical evolution different versions of the HDMI cable have appeared. They are as follows: HDMI 1.0, HDMI 1.1, HDMI 1.2, HDMI 1.2a, HDMI 1.3, and now HDMI 1.4. Any older audio/video equipment you have will work together with any newer equipment regardless of which HDMI cable version you use. Basically, all you should be aware of is that the HDMI version 1.4 will fit all your needs in both your older and newer equipment.
Ok what HDMI cable should you purchase? When you go to a store you will see HDMI cables ranging in price from $10 up to $100. Does the difference in price reflect the quality in the HDMI cable? Will you get a clearer picture or faster signals with a more expensive HMDI cable? The answer is NO. Regardless of what information you are given, most experts agree there is no difference in performance quality between the differently priced cables.