Thursday, July 17, 2014

The HDMI Cable: The Future of Home Entertainment

The term HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It was developed after a consensus reached by a consortium of the big players in electronics manufacturing industries, which included Silicon Image, Hitachi, Sony, Philips, Toshiba and Panasonic. This technology allows efficient and "future proof" transmission of HD-videos as well as multichannel audio in a variety of computers, video and audio products.
The efficiency of this innovation has made over 800 electronics manufacturers to adopt HDMI as a standard for their products. The biggest benefit for the end consumer is the fact that he gets to enjoy a high quality, single cable, and all digital solution which can be used to connect all the home electronic appliances for entertainment without minding which manufacturer it's from. Also HDMI allows your electronic components to communicate with each other. This will allow you to optimize and synchronize your electronics with HDMI in a trouble-free automatic manner.
Benefits of HDMI:
• It is currently the best and efficient audio/video connection available in the market. It delivers great quality and is the only way you can view 1080p full-HD videos at home. Simply put, if you want to experience true HD on your Blu-ray players, DVD players that are upconverting and HD set-top boxes, then you must connect all these appliances with the HDMI cable.
• One Cable Convenience: Before the HDMI cable, you had to have 3 video cables, and at least one audio cable so that you can connect a single video/audio component to the TV. However using HDMI, all these signals travel just through one cable: thus translating to less confusion, and a cleaner system with fewer wires involved.
• All signals transferred are digital: The previous interconnection cables such as S-Video, component video and composite video did not carry an uncompressed, purely digital version of the data they were transmitting between components. Thus it involved a lot of analog to digital and digital to analog processing at various stages where the cable was connected on the various components, thus distorting the data especially when it moved through many components and long connections. However HDMI transmits purely digital data, thus it is never distorted during the conversion stages.
When you go to look for an HDMI cable, there are a number of things you should consider such as: construction and materials, speed ratings, bit depth rating, in-wall rating and if they support a specific feature among others. When deciding on the length of the cable, you need to know whether the length will be to connect each of your components. When it comes to HDMI being compatible to 3D, you must look for any HDMI cable with a continuous throughput of 10.2Gbps and one that can support 3D.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

A Beginners Guide to HDMI Cables - Which to Buy and How Much to Pay

While HDMI cables were designed to simplify the process of connecting the various devices that make up your home theatre system, the simple fact is that many people are totally confused about what HDMI cables actually do; why some cables are so much more expensive than others, and why there are different versions of HDMI. This short guide aims to help answer these questions and highlight the factors you need to consider to ensure that you buy the right type of HDMI cable for your home theatre system.
What Is HDMI?
HDMI or 'High Definition Multimedia Interface' is a type of connection widely used in devices, such as HD TVs, satellite boxes and Blu-ray players. HDMI cables carry both audio and video signals, so instead of having to use several runs of cable you now only need a single cable in order to make a connection between your devices.
Why Are There Different Versions?
Over the years new capabilities have been added, and this has led to several different iterations, 1.0 being the oldest, through to the very latest version which is currently 1.4. HDMI is far more technically advanced than is actually needed right now, in fact, version 1.4 is able to support technologies that aren't yet found on the vast majority of home entertainment devices. Put simply, it will take years for home entertainment manufacturers to catch up, so for the foreseeable future the majority of consumers simply have no need to worry about which version number they buy, as all cables will deliver exactly the same performance.
Are There Different Types?
Most people don't realize that there are different types of HDMI cables: Type A, B, C and D. And to be honest, this is probably for the best as it leads to unnecessary confusion.
  • Type A is the 'normal' type of HDMI cable; it consists of 19 pins and can be found on sale by any mainstream retailer.
  • Type B was developed for professional use in the motion picture and broadcasting industry. Type B cables have a slightly different size of plug, and use 29 pins,
  • Type C and D were developed using the HDMI 1.3 and 1.4 specifications respectively. They use the same 19 pin configuration as Type A, but have smaller plug sizes. Type C is intended for use with portable devices. Type D takes this further by having an even smaller plug.
The main thing to remember is that Type A is the normal cable used by practically all consumer electronics.
Does Size Matter?
As with most cables, the length of the run does have a slight affect on performance. HDMI cables generally deliver the best results with runs up to 15 feet in length. If you use a longer cable the difference in performance is so small that you probably won't notice, but it's something to bear in mind if you plan on running a HDMI cable the entire length of your house.
How Much Should You Pay?
The common misconception is that the most expensive HDMI cables deliver the best performance. This simply is not true! All HDMI cables use the same basic technology to carry the audio and video signals, so it's incredibly hard to spot the difference in performance between cables with a $100 price tag, and cables with a $25 price tag. While you should try to avoid cables that are obviously under priced - these cables tend to be made to a low standard - you should also be cautious of paying large amounts of money just for fancy packaging or a named brand.
The majority of consumers will find that an inexpensive Type A HDMI cable is perfectly sufficient for almost all home entertainment systems, and by considering the points mentioned in this guide you can ensure that you get the perfect cable, for the best price.

Monday, July 14, 2014

A Comparison Between a LCD Monitor and a CRT Monitor asdas

In the current age of computers, you will find many LCD monitors over the classic CRT monitors that come with a brand new computer. CRTs, or "Cathode Ray Tubes", are becoming harder to find due to the demand of LCDs. If you are thinking of upgrading to a LCD monitor, or a "Liquid Crystal Display", there are some benefits that come with owning a new LCD monitor.
CRTs are known to be big in size and heavy to handle. They can also take up a lot of desk space, which may be crucial in terms of finding space for your computer peripherals. When space is not a problem, CRTs can also display a wider range of colors, taking advantage of the tubes within the monitor. asd
When LCD screens were new to the market, the cost of one was more on the expensive side. However, LCD monitors are now easy to invest in depending on the size and definition specifications. LCDs are much smaller and can give the user plenty of work space, and they are also known for crystal clear display areas.
Not only that CRTs can become a nuance on the desk, but LCDs are in favor in the age of eco friendly appliances. CRT screens generates a lot of heat and power during heavy usage. In the case of LCDs, it is very green friendly with a myriad of power saving features, and because LCD monitors do not use tubes at all.
Although LCDs are better compared to CRTs, CRTs can last a lot longer as LCDs run on backlight bulbs and can be expensive to replace when the monitors become inoperable. The same can be said for CRTs with the tubes, but it saves the inconvenience of replacing parts when they become broken. Although, with the demand of LCD displays, buying a new one over the cost of a new bulb can solve both problems.
In the end, LCD monitors are the winner. If a CRT monitor can be found, there is still a lot of nostalgia to be found for first generation computers to go out of their way to own. But for the sake of economy and appeal, a LCD monitor is the way to go.