HDTV Cables - Something You Don't Have to Pay a Fortune For

Once you finally take the plunge and get an HDTV and you get your HD service all set up, the next thing you might need to think about would be HD Cables. There are a variety of HD Cables on the market today and can range from very affordable to very expensive.

With my experience, I have found that the cheaper cables work just as good as the expensive ones but I know some people may enjoy knowing they are getting high quality with expensive prices and I can't argue that. A fact is though that a lot of cheaper cables out there will do just as fine as the more expensive ones. First I will tell you a little about what types of HD Cables there are and what their purposes are.

HDMI or "High Definition Multimedia Interface" Cables are top dogs when it comes to HD Cables. With an HDMI Cable, you are getting the best available picture when you connect them to your HD-DVD Player or Bluray Player, HD Set-top Box and into the back of your TV. Not all HDTV's will support HDMI though. Some will only support Component Inputs which I will get into later. When looking for HDTV's, it's a good idea to make sure the one you want at least has one HDMI input.

Sometimes 2 or 3 is better because you can hook one HDMI cable from your TV to your HD Set-top Box and another to maybe a HD-DVD Player/Blu-Ray Player or even a PS3 or XBOX360. Many people will tell you that there really isn't a difference between HDMI and Component which is true in some cases. I even say there is not a BIG difference between the two so I wouldn't go and spend a fortune on a HDMI Cable. Prices will vary by brand and length, and I would say that Monster Cables would be one of the top brands but will cost a lot too.

Another thing associated with HDMI would be HDMI - DVI Cables. Some of you might know what a DVI input is and for those of you that don't, it's basically an input on the back of your TV or Set-top Box that looks like a PC input kinda. It's very wide and usually white from what I remember. I believe these are more for some of the digital cable hook ups out there but I don't see a lot of them any more. If you don't have an HDMI input on your TV but you have a DVI input, you can always buy an HDMI to DVI Cable which basically has HDMI on one side and DVI on the other. They won't run you any higher than a plain HDMI Cable. Here is a pretty good site for looking into HDMI / HDMI to DVI Cables plus some other related accessories. The site is called FireFold.com. Prices will vary by how long a cable you need.

The other main area of HD Cables would be Component Cables. Basically these will remind you of the standard Red, Yellow and White hookups usually associated with VCR's, DVD Players and Game consoles like the XBOX and PS2. The only thing different about component cables is that they will have a Blue, Green, and Red cable. Some Component Cables might have those 3 colors plus the stand Red, Yellow and White. I believe the additional cables are for hooking into the additional sound inputs by your Component Inputs on your HDTV. Basically it should look something like Red, Green and Blue going down in a row and then right next to them you will probably see a Red and White Input. You can also find Component Cables at FireFold.com and again they will vary by length.

When it comes to choosing between the two, you will hear mixed reviews on how they are complete the same and how HDMI blows Component out of the water. HDMI has been pr oven to have an advantage because it can stream data a lot faster that Component Cables can. In terms of picture quality, they both are pretty close to the same. My advice is to maybe go to Best Buy and have them compare HDMI and Component Cables for you to see or if you have an HDTV with HD already you can just go and purchase a cheap Component Cable and HDMI Cable and see what you think personally. Because in the end the only thing that matters is what you think because you will have to watch it.

Look at my CP Page for more HDTV related insights ranging from Surround Sound, Home Theater Setups, Buying Guides and More.