When you walk into your local electronics store looking to buy an HDMI cable to hook up your HDTV, gaming console, blue-ray player, and other HDTV compatible devices, you will see a variety of different HDMI cables. There are expensive cables, such as the $100 Monster HDMI cable, or the cheap $13 Dynex Direct cable. You could even purchase cheaper HDMI cables from sites such as Amazon.com for as little as $2.00. So which one should you choose?

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and transmits digital signals from external electronic devices to your HDTV. A great professional HDMI cable is the “Monster Cable - M Series 4' HDMI A/V Cable”. This cable costs $119.98 and can be found at Best Buy. “This cable offers 24k gold contacts which provide improved signal strength between HDMI components” (Amazon.com). Gold conductors not only provide improved signal strength, but will also provide resistance to corroding. This cable is 4’, which is a good length if two devices are close to each other, but it might be a tight fit if two devices have some distance between them. The cable provides superior picture quality and has a lifetime warranty. For this price, however, I don’t see why they would charge so much for it other than making a huge profit.

No name cables from online sellers are well-made and economical. A great generic cable for a great price is the HDMI Cable 2M (6 Feet) by DVI Gear. The average review is 4.5/5 stars. There are mixed reviews from consumers such as “Sweet bargain, great performance” or “I too experienced an annoying flicker of the picture”. This cable costs $1.69 with free shipping. Some generic cables do not provide gold conductors, but this one does. Unfortunately you will not get the 1.4 version of HDMI, which supports 3D TV, it’s suitable. Also you get an outstanding lifetime warranty. At this price, you can’t go wrong.
An outstanding cable at a reasonable price is the Dynex Direct - 6' HDMI Cable from Best Buy. This cable costs $ 12.99, but does not have gold conductors, a clear draw back. This cable has silver conductors. Silver conductors are adequate, but gold conductors are more resistant to corroding. This cable is sold online only from Bestbuy.com. This cable is ATC certified, which means it is tested to be a certified HDMI cable. This should guarantee you with assurance of quality. This cable has a limited lifetime warranty.
HDMI cables are a must for HDTV owners must for HDTV owners. There are a vast variety of HDMI cables sold on the market with prices ranging from $2 to even $1000. Even though you would expect the more expensive HDMI cable to give you a better picture and sound, they don’t. The truth is that these big name HDMI sellers don’t want you to know is that all HDMI cables have to be certified in order to be called an HDMI cable. So, when buying an HDMI cable, take in to consideration that the cheaper HDMI cables will work the same as any other HDMI cable.
So out of all these cables, I would go with the generic $2 cable from Amazon.com. This cable offers a warranty and even gold conductors. Don’t be fooled by these expensive HDMI cables. There is no difference between all these cables, except the price.





Works Cited


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"CNET Quick Guide: HDMI and HDMI Cables - CNET Reviews." Product Reviews - Electronics Reviews,
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"Dynex Direct-6' HDMI Cable." Bestbuy.com. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex+Direct+-+6'+HDMI+Cable/9343061.p?id=1218088202342&skuId=9343061&st=HDMI&cp=1&lp=1>.


Greenwald, Will. "Slaying the Cable Monster: Why HDMI Brands Don't Matter | PCMag.com."



Technology Product Reviews, News, Prices & Downloads | PCMag.com | PC Magazine. Web. 24
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"Monster Cable®'s HDMI Learning Center Is Your Information Resource for High-Definition Multimedia
Interface (HDMI) Cables." Monster Cable® Products | Welcome to Monster Makers of High-Definition HDMI and Home Theater Cables Premium Cables. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://www.monstercable.com/hdmi/the_facts_on_hdmi.asp>.

"Monster - M Series 4' HDMI A/V Cable." Bestbuy.com. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Monster+Cable+-+M+Series+4'+HDMI+A/V+Cable/7857599.p?id=1158317793970&skuId=7857599&st=Monster HDMI&cp=1&lp=12>.