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When digitally transferring a signal, some people would have you believe a cable is a cable is a cable.
They couldn't be more wrong!

Electronics guru, Chris Jenkins, senior lab manager for techradar.com, the UK's leading technology news and reviews site commented:
"As you connect more and more items together, say an HD box and games console, or multi channel amplifier, you will need better and better quality cables to maintain the quality of the signal… £120 cable for your first purchase? No. But certainly don't try to get away with a £1.99 cable"

Chris' advice is to budget around 10% of a system's price for HDMI cables.
[source: BBC Newsbeat article, 2 Feb 2010]

Here are our top 5 reasons not to cheapskate on your HDMI lead!

1. Resolution
HDMI cables must be 1080p compatible or they won't work with Blu-ray - buy a cheap one that isn’t and you’ll find it a waste of money!  Cables also vary greatly in the quality of the picture they are able to transmit.  Testers at magazines such as What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision? Magazine are always keen to point them out - compare the picture on a TV connected with a cheap HDMI cable with one connected by a better one and you'll soon see what we mean. The reviewers at top magazines aren’t imagining things!

2. Speed
The speed with which the signal is carried may not affect the picture quality but it will affect the response time - vital for HD movie viewers and also all you gamers using PS3 or X-Box.

3. Better Audio
Audio uses just one pin of an HDMI cable. The better shielded that single cable is the less chance of jitter - i.e. less distorted sound.

4. Durability
The mechanical construction of a cable makes a difference to how long it will last.

5. Lifetime Guarantees
Following on from the above, most manufacturers that spend time and effort researching and developing the best cable technology offer a lifetime replacement service. You don't get that with cheaper cables!

Types of HDMI

Like mankind itself, HDMI has evolved over the years. Early versions carried only basic audio and visual information, whilst the latest spec is compatible with the exciting new 3D TV. Here’s a rundown of the types of HDMI cable.

HDMI v1.0 - Launched December 2002. Single cable for digital audio and visual transmission

HDMI v1.1 - Launched May 2004. Support for DVD-Audio

HDMI v1.2 - Launched August 2005. Support for Super Audio CD and enhanced PC support

HDMI v1.2a - Launched December 2005. Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) features

HDMI v1.3 - Launched June 2006. Increased bandwidth. Supports up to 48-bit video. Supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio

HDMI v1.3a/b/b1 and c - Launched November 2006 onwards. Support for streaming SACD in DST format.

HDMI v1.4 - Launched May 2009. Increased resolution to 4096 x 2160 max. Supports Stereoscopic 3D formats.

HDMI v1.4a - Launched March 2010. Enhanced 3D format support.

Note that not all features are guaranteed with some being optional.

What this means in layman's terms!

If you want to use your HDMI cable for 1080p HD video and HD audio it must be of at least v1.3 standard.

If you like the idea of 3D TV either now or pretty soon then make sure you equip yourself with a v1.4 spec cable. These are currently the most future-proof cables you can buy.

Visit any one of our 49 stores nationwide if you have any further queries on HDMI. As always, Richer Sounds aims to bring you the newest technology as it’s released– keep checking www.richersounds.com for the hottest deals.