What is an HDMI cable? In the simplest of terms, the HDMI cable is your best friend. In technical terms, it is a High Definition Multimedia Interface cable. You initial reaction may be, "So?"-but we're out to change that attitude. For starters HDMI cables can connect virtually every piece of media out there to a monitor. So even if you eliminate the set of cables from your DVD player to your TV alone, you've just condensed 5 cables down to one. Does that grab your attention? Read on.
By now I'm sure you (and every small child that's ever come into your home) has noticed the huge rat's nest of cables behind your television monitor. Not only is this unsightly, but more than a little dangerous to your devices and makes upgrading your current devices, such as DVD players, receivers and set top boxes, a real hassle. Imagine just unplugging one end of a cable and plugging in another. Wow, that's amazing!
First you will need to take stock of what you actually have as part of your multimedia extravaganza. How many different devices do you have? By devices, we mean things like set top boxes, DVD and Blu-Ray players; you get it. Now check the backs of everything for an HDMI output. Hey! I'll bet most of your stuff says "HDMI out". If there is some doubt, have an HDMI cable on hand to try out.
You no doubt will have noticed that there is only one HDMI input on the back of your TV. I'm sure this has left you wondering what exactly you've gotten into. Relax, they make hubs: a nice little way to combine all your devices and put them into your TV. Well, not literally INTO your TV, that's something definitely not recommended by the manufacturer. Instead of allowing the consumer to get frustrated and throw their hands up in the air, the electronics industry has seen it in their hearts to invent a solution for this problem. What they have come up with is an HDMI hub. Simply put, the hub is a way to "splice" all of your equipment together and allow you to use that one port on your TV for several different devices, just not all at once.
HDMI hubs can be relatively inexpensive (between $30 and $1,200) and offer the convenience of being able to have a central location for all of your multimedia devices. What's more is they will make it so there's only one cable going up to your TV. Hubs come in a lot of different configurations and with several extra functions; such as automatic switching from device to device. To figure out what size hub you need, simply count the number of devices you need connected to your TV that have HDMI out ports. Let's say you have five. Since you only have one TV to connect them to, you would be looking for a 5x1 HDMI Hub. Hub will also accommodate several TVs or monitors. For the home user, it's almost preferred to have two separated hubs to avoid complicated switching options.
To get to the meat of the subject, HDMI cables can be cheap or expensive depending on your needs. The two basic things to look for are possible EMI (Electro-Magnet Interference, or cable noise) sources and cable length needed. Determining length is pretty easy when you consider digital signal can travel through a cable for 50' without any noticeable deterioration. Should you need to go further (for Pete's sake--why?), you can purchase digital repeaters. EMI is a little trickier though. Take stock of your electrical cords as they are the main culprits. Try your best to separate them from all the other cables. If that's not practical, just buy HDMI cables with thicker shielding. The price range for your cables can be anywhere from $8 to $100, so you have a lot of room to work with.
Though HDMI is rapidly becoming the standard, there are actually different connector types that have been introduced over the last seven years or so. If you have an older DVD player with an earlier type, don't fret; adapters are cheap and work just fine. There are also different versions of HDMI cables. The latest is 1.4 which will support virtually everything in your home, including computer video cards. It should also be noted that DVI and HDMI, while not the same thing, are compatible with an adapter.
HDMI will never replace the love of a child or cook you breakfast, but it will make your life easier. With just a few hours of planning and installation you have enabled your home theater to be aesthetically more pleasing and a lot easier to upgrade. You've also eliminated that nasty eyesore of cables you've wadded up and gave up on a long time ago. With HDMI, you can give up on them permanently. - 30302
By now I'm sure you (and every small child that's ever come into your home) has noticed the huge rat's nest of cables behind your television monitor. Not only is this unsightly, but more than a little dangerous to your devices and makes upgrading your current devices, such as DVD players, receivers and set top boxes, a real hassle. Imagine just unplugging one end of a cable and plugging in another. Wow, that's amazing!
First you will need to take stock of what you actually have as part of your multimedia extravaganza. How many different devices do you have? By devices, we mean things like set top boxes, DVD and Blu-Ray players; you get it. Now check the backs of everything for an HDMI output. Hey! I'll bet most of your stuff says "HDMI out". If there is some doubt, have an HDMI cable on hand to try out.
You no doubt will have noticed that there is only one HDMI input on the back of your TV. I'm sure this has left you wondering what exactly you've gotten into. Relax, they make hubs: a nice little way to combine all your devices and put them into your TV. Well, not literally INTO your TV, that's something definitely not recommended by the manufacturer. Instead of allowing the consumer to get frustrated and throw their hands up in the air, the electronics industry has seen it in their hearts to invent a solution for this problem. What they have come up with is an HDMI hub. Simply put, the hub is a way to "splice" all of your equipment together and allow you to use that one port on your TV for several different devices, just not all at once.
HDMI hubs can be relatively inexpensive (between $30 and $1,200) and offer the convenience of being able to have a central location for all of your multimedia devices. What's more is they will make it so there's only one cable going up to your TV. Hubs come in a lot of different configurations and with several extra functions; such as automatic switching from device to device. To figure out what size hub you need, simply count the number of devices you need connected to your TV that have HDMI out ports. Let's say you have five. Since you only have one TV to connect them to, you would be looking for a 5x1 HDMI Hub. Hub will also accommodate several TVs or monitors. For the home user, it's almost preferred to have two separated hubs to avoid complicated switching options.
To get to the meat of the subject, HDMI cables can be cheap or expensive depending on your needs. The two basic things to look for are possible EMI (Electro-Magnet Interference, or cable noise) sources and cable length needed. Determining length is pretty easy when you consider digital signal can travel through a cable for 50' without any noticeable deterioration. Should you need to go further (for Pete's sake--why?), you can purchase digital repeaters. EMI is a little trickier though. Take stock of your electrical cords as they are the main culprits. Try your best to separate them from all the other cables. If that's not practical, just buy HDMI cables with thicker shielding. The price range for your cables can be anywhere from $8 to $100, so you have a lot of room to work with.
Though HDMI is rapidly becoming the standard, there are actually different connector types that have been introduced over the last seven years or so. If you have an older DVD player with an earlier type, don't fret; adapters are cheap and work just fine. There are also different versions of HDMI cables. The latest is 1.4 which will support virtually everything in your home, including computer video cards. It should also be noted that DVI and HDMI, while not the same thing, are compatible with an adapter.
HDMI will never replace the love of a child or cook you breakfast, but it will make your life easier. With just a few hours of planning and installation you have enabled your home theater to be aesthetically more pleasing and a lot easier to upgrade. You've also eliminated that nasty eyesore of cables you've wadded up and gave up on a long time ago. With HDMI, you can give up on them permanently. - 30302
About the Author:
Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on HDMI Review which discusses how you can get low prices on HDMI Cables, Splitters, Extenders, Boxes, and Adaptors.
