How an HDMI cable can enhance your home entertainment system
The HDMI cable (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) was originally developed to allow consumers the chance to enjoy their applications on DVD, Blu-ray players, videos, CD’s, Laptops and game consoles through the superior high quality HD television set. In the era of dynamic home entertainment the move from analogue to digital has been the biggest trend since the introduction of the flat screen. The HDMI cable can be used as an interface for all of your home applications because it is capable of transmitting audio as well as video.
Instant benefits:
· This smart little cable single-handedly replaces all analogue video standards.
· No need for a maze of cables for all the different applications you may have in your home. This cable has been designed to fit all and provide superior quality. The cable handles both audio and video. It is recognised industry wide so it is globally compatible with all brands.
· With the advent of bringing the movie to the home screen it is good to know that it not only has support from all electronics giants such as Hitachi, Sony, Phillips and Toshiba, it also has support from all the major motion picture producers such as Fox, Universal, Warner Bros and Disney.
· Because it only uses 50% of its 5 Gbps bandwidth, there is lots of room to incorporate new advancements and technologies in the future. It looks as if the HDMI cable is pretty future-proof.
Choosing the right HDMI cable
There are 5 types of HDMI cable available on the market designed for the devices you will be interfacing and for high speed and high video resolutions.
Standard cable
Perhaps the most common type, as it is capable of handling most home applications. It transmits at 1080i and 720p. They are used with digital broadcast TV, cable and satellite television and can be also used to upscale a DVD player for use on an HD TV.
Standard cable with Ethernet
This offers the same performance as the standard but it can also transmit data. This is known as an Ethernet channel and is used mainly for device networking.
Standard Automotive Cable
As the name suggests this cable was developed for use in the motor industry. It handles the same resolutions as the standard but transmits stronger signals because of the need for internal relays. Consequently, it is tested to higher performance standards.
High-speed HDMI cable
This cable will handle high speeds of 1080p. It has also been designed to reproduce 4K, 3D and Deep Color technologies. It is especially recommended if you are interfacing a 1080p display with a 1080p content source such as a Blu-ray disc player.
High speed with Ethernet (The Current Industry Standard)
With high speeds of 1080p and capabilities to deal with 4k, 3D and Deep Color this cable also has an Ethernet channel for device networking. You can’t go far wrong if you choose this type of lead as it’s used by almost all home devices.
Cable Length
We have found from experience that cables can usually be as long as 20 metres without any issues. If you do get issues such as sparkling pixels, image and audio break up or even a dead screen a HDMI signal booster can be used to enhance the reception and your enjoyment even further. However our advice would always be to try a cable without a booster first. You can always add a booster if you get issues.
We have a YouTube video which shows the different types of HDMI plug.
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