Friday, December 21, 2007

HD TV & HDMI inputs

The new HD televisions have HDMI inputs for satellite, blue ray, and game consoles. Instead of RGB cables, or composite cables, an HDMI cable can deliver much better quality video and audio in one simple plug. Considering Hi Definition is still in its early days I wasn’t expecting a cheap tag. But when I got to the store I was stunned to see the price tag… $100 for a HDMI cable! This couldn’t be right, but there were no other cables in the store, so I went onto eBay and searched for HDMI cables, and I found a bunch for only $5 plus shipping. Wal-Mart had them for $20 and up. So what’s the difference?

After trying the cheaper one myself, I can say there is almost no noticeable difference in quality. When you buy a $100 Monster HDMI cable, all your really buying is a designer cable, one that looks cool with the Monster Cable logo on it. But if you’re like me, you don’t spend your day LOOKING at your cable; you just want it to use.

Don’t get suckered into paying too much for your cables. An HDMI shouldn’t cost you more than $20, and you’ll be getting something that is almost the same as a rip off Monster Cable. The only true benefit to getting one is the fact that it might be a little bit thicker than a cheaper one, making it harder to break. But since its something that just hangs there, it’s not worth your money. My advice is to shop around.