Using HDMI Cabling
In some ways, installed HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) cables are better than having a dog. A dog has to be let out, a dog never cleans up after himself, and a dog won’t connect set-top boxes, Blu-ray/DVD players, personal computers, video game consoles and AV receivers onto one TV screen. Admittedly, this is a stretch, but what if it were possible to actually have that kind of convenience? It is!
So why would you want to go through all of the headache to figure out what cables can be replaced by an HDMI cable? Take a look behind your cool, homemade home theater, Mr. Messy Marvin. If you are like 99% of the other non-HDMI users, you have a ball of cables and cords that would make an obsessive compulsive faint. It’s time you cleaned up your act, Mister!
First things first, though. Make a list of all the devices you have connected to your TV. Now go through and check the back of every device for an HDMI output. They should be labeled, but if they aren’t, then it’s suggested that you buy an HDMI cable and physically check to make sure you have an output.
You no doubt will have noticed that there is only one HDMI input on the back of your TV. I’m sure this has left you wondering what exactly you’ve gotten into. Relax, they make hubs: a nice little way to combine all your devices and put them into your TV. Well, not literally INTO your TV, that’s something definitely not recommended by the manufacturer. Instead of allowing the consumer to get frustrated and throw their hands up in the air, the electronics industry has seen it in their hearts to invent a solution for this problem. What they have come up with is an HDMI hub. Simply put, the hub is a way to “splice” all of your equipment together and allow you to use that one port on your TV for several different devices, just not all at once.
HDMI hubs can be relatively inexpensive (between $30 and $1,200) and offer the convenience of being able to have a central location for all of your multimedia devices. What’s more is they will make it so there’s only one cable going up to your TV. Hubs come in a lot of different configurations and with several extra functions; such as automatic switching from device to device. To figure out what size hub you need, simply count the number of devices you need connected to your TV that have HDMI out ports. Let’s say you have five. Since you only have one TV to connect them to, you would be looking for a 5×1 HDMI Hub. Hub will also accommodate several TVs or monitors. For the home user, it’s almost preferred to have two separated hubs to avoid complicated switching options.
Picking the right HDMI cables is an easy task, but you should be armed with some information before you buy them. Look at the way your power cords are sitting behind all your devices. Do you have a hopeless octopus of power cords back there? How many devices are you connecting? Believe it or not, the more electricity you have back there and the more devices you have, the more shielding your new cables will need. This is to cut down on cable noise. You won’t be able to detect the noise with your ears, but the quality of digital audio and video transmitted through your cabling can be affected. Also, distance is a factor. Digital signal in an HDMI cable can really only be transmitted for 50′ without a repeater. Most of us don’t have this challenge to overcome, but it’s good to have that knowledge to impress your friends with.
Though HDMI is rapidly becoming the standard, there are actually different connector types that have been introduced over the last seven years or so. If you have an older DVD player with an earlier type, don’t fret; adapters are cheap and work just fine. There are also different versions of HDMI cables. The latest is 1.4 which will support virtually everything in your home, including computer video cards. It should also be noted that DVI and HDMI, while not the same thing, are compatible with an adapter.
HDMI will never replace the love of a child or cook you breakfast, but it will make your life easier. With just a few hours of planning and installation you have enabled your home theater to be aesthetically more pleasing and a lot easier to upgrade. You’ve also eliminated that nasty eyesore of cables you’ve wadded up and gave up on a long time ago. With HDMI, you can give up on them permanently.
Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on HDMI Review which discusses how you can get low prices on HDMI Cables, Splitters, Extenders, Boxes, and Adaptors.
