So you've got a new high definition television and a nice new
Blu-ray player. There's still one thing that you're missing which is
absolutely vital to getting the kind of picture and sound quality you're
hoping for out of your setup. You need a good HDMI cable, and while
these were once expensive - costing around 40 to 50 dollars - the price
has fallen tremendously and you can find them for less than half that
price in some cases. But cheaper isn't always better, and just buying
the lowest priced cable you can find isn't always the way to go. You'll
need to remember a few additional things to get the best one for your
entertainment setup.
To begin with, length matters. You'll want to match up the length of your HDMI cable with your specific needs. A lot of people assume that the longer the cable, the easier their setup will be since they don't have to worry about not having enough length. That's true enough, but the fact is that like any other type of cable, an HDMI cable will lose its signal strength as the digital data travels along it. It's known as signal degradation, and it basically means that the longer your cable is, the greater the chance of losing a bit of signal quality. You may not notice it, but it will occur.
Another thing to think about is the connector for your HDMI cable. When you're connecting Blu-ray players, PlayStation 3 gaming consoles, and other similar products to your TV you'll likely be using the standard cable with the basic connector jack. But a number of products actually utilize mini-HDMI connectors instead. Things like HD camcorders or digital cameras, mobile phones, and tablet computers rely on these smaller connectors. Usually, you'll have a mini-HDMI on one side of the cable and a standard connector on the other. Another option may involve the mini-HDMI running to a USB connector for hooking your camera or phone to your computer.
Those are really the two main things you need to look for when you're shopping for a good HDMI cable. As long as you take a minute to look beyond price and consider your cable's length and its connector types, you should have no trouble finding the right kind of cable for your specific system setup. They're more affordable than ever, and will change the way you watch TV and movies.
To begin with, length matters. You'll want to match up the length of your HDMI cable with your specific needs. A lot of people assume that the longer the cable, the easier their setup will be since they don't have to worry about not having enough length. That's true enough, but the fact is that like any other type of cable, an HDMI cable will lose its signal strength as the digital data travels along it. It's known as signal degradation, and it basically means that the longer your cable is, the greater the chance of losing a bit of signal quality. You may not notice it, but it will occur.
Another thing to think about is the connector for your HDMI cable. When you're connecting Blu-ray players, PlayStation 3 gaming consoles, and other similar products to your TV you'll likely be using the standard cable with the basic connector jack. But a number of products actually utilize mini-HDMI connectors instead. Things like HD camcorders or digital cameras, mobile phones, and tablet computers rely on these smaller connectors. Usually, you'll have a mini-HDMI on one side of the cable and a standard connector on the other. Another option may involve the mini-HDMI running to a USB connector for hooking your camera or phone to your computer.
Those are really the two main things you need to look for when you're shopping for a good HDMI cable. As long as you take a minute to look beyond price and consider your cable's length and its connector types, you should have no trouble finding the right kind of cable for your specific system setup. They're more affordable than ever, and will change the way you watch TV and movies.
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