HDMI is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot in the gaming world now. Unfortunately it’s something most gamers don’t know enough about. We’re here to set things straight for those who might find themselves on the short end of the stick at major electronics retailers this coming holiday season.
HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. At its most simple level it’s a connector that goes between a High Definition device and a High Definition TV and that’s all it should be to most consumers.
According to iSuppli, Applied Market Intelligence, even in the current economy, HDTV sales are expected to surpass those of standard TV’s for the first time this holiday season. With two of the current-gen consoles sporting HDMI ports, less informed buyers will probably be hosed by khaki-panted sales people at stores on a daily basis.
With margins on HDTV’s down significantly, most retailers are making up their margin in accessories like cables. Most big-box stores like Best Buy and Fry’s will suggest Monster cables.
A four feet long Monster HDMI cable retails for $69.99. The store purchased it from Monster for about $20. See the difference there? Best Buy’s Rocketfish brand sells for only 10 or 15 dollars less than Monster, but cost the store less than five.
Put simply, HDMI is all digital. There is no difference between a cable purchased online for $5 and one purchased from someone working at a big-box retailer for $60. Let’s repeat that: There is no difference between a cable purchased online for $5 and one purchased from someone working at a big-box retailer for $60.
Before HDMI, the best connector for most TV’s was component, the red, green and blue connectors. Each one of these carries a different part of the signal, but no audio. Technically component can pass 1080p video (the highest quality HD video currently available) but due to the copyright protection embedded in many TV’s and devices, it usually doesn’t happen.
We could get all technical at this point, because DVI (Digital Video Interface) is better than component, but the technology itself is basically the same as HDMI, with the exception of no audio support and a different connector. Some TV’s had it for a while but it’s rarely used outside of PC graphics cards and computer monitors now.
Because it’s one cable, HDMI is easy to keep organized, simple to check if things are done right and above all, easier to hook up.
HDMI can actually transmit better video than 1080p as well as high-definition audio. While these features don’t matter to most gamers out there, they’re still future-proof features of the technology and spending eight to ten times more for the same thing just doesn’t make sense.
Monoprice and Blue Jean Cable all have great deals on HDMI cables and adapters of all lengths and though bum units have be known to leak out, customer service has a very high word-of-mouth and exchanges are prompt.
If you’re one of those instant gratification types, we suggest walking across the street from the local electronics chain to Wal-Mart. Philips makes a number of HDMI cables coming in at half the price of Rocketfish or Monster.
The highest advice we can give is simply to do your research. Whether your buying your first HDTV or upgrading your current set, it pays to save money where you can.
If you’re adding a new device to your current set-up and know it’s coming on Christmas morning, visit Monoprice or Blue Jean and play the waiting game. All that money you save on accessories could be better spent on presents for your loved ones or heating oil for your home.
Who are we kidding? We all know you’re going to buy another game with it instead.
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Great post. At this day and age, there are people who still think that overpriced cables should be better. Everything comes down to 0’s and 1’s, so if it’s a well done cable, image quality will be the same no matter which cable you get. No matter what the sales clerk tells.