What Types of HDMI Cables Should You Choose and What Are They Used For?

The world of digital entertainment has been changing the way people play games and view movies. In just these last several years, we have seen the world of television change more dramatically than many people could have believed was possible. Not too many years ago, we were watching standard definition television, using VCR’s and connecting our video components with composite cables. Today, 720p and 1080i HDTV resolutions are a norm, and 1080p is becoming also more common. In terms of how this relates to installing and connecting your TV and gaming consoles, we need to take a look at the type of video connections that are in current use. In these last few years, while the HDTV revolution has been taking place, there has also been a new type of video connection taking over in the industry. HDMI cables have become the standard way to connect components for HDTV picture and sound. The HDMI cable connection can support not only the picture but also the sound as well all in the one simple cable, without the need for additional extra cables. So what are the differences between the inexpensive HDMI cables and some of the premium HDMI cables? Not all types of HDMI cables are created equal, and the type of HDMI cable you choose will be depending on what components you want to connect, the circumstances of usage, and the level of performance desired. Not all HDMI cables are able to support even the 1080p “full HDTV” resolution of a video. Upgrading to a faster and newer specification will enable you to take advantage of this already becoming standard resolution. New emerging resolutions like 4k and 3D capability will require you to also make an investment in an HDMI cable of a newer and higher performance specification.

Types of HDMI Cables For Your Needs

The most commonly used HDMI cable is the standard type, which is type A. This type is known to consist of 19 pins. Other types include type B and C. The type B HDMI cable is able to hold two times the information as type A. Type B HDMI cables are even larger than type A as they contain 29 pins. Type C HDMI cables are called mini because they are specially designed to connect smaller devices like cameras and phones. Type C consists of the same amount of pins as type A. Some of the different types of HDMI cables in the market include Standard HDMI cable, a standard HDMI cable that comes with Ethernet, High-Speed HDMI cable, and the High-Speed HDMI cable that comes with Ethernet. For home theater setups, there are four different types of HDMI cables:

• Standard
• Standard with Ethernet
• High speed
• High speed with Ethernet

Standard HDMI Cable

This type of the HDMI cable is one of the most versatile cables on the market. It is designed to handle most of the applications both at home and in the office. This cable is able to transmit 1080i or 720p high definition video resolutions. These resolution capacities are common with most DVD players, satellite television, and digital broadcasting.

Standard HDMI cable with Ethernet

This HDMI cable is similar to the standard HDMI cable in terms of functionality. However, it is slightly different from the standard HDMI cable due to the additional and dedicated data channel known as the HDMI Ethernet Channel (HEC). HEC is designed for networking purposes, which makes it an important cable in office settings. HEC is normally used when both the source and receiving device have the HEC functionality.

High-Speed HDMI Cable

This cable is designed to support sustain high-quality video resolutions such as 1080p and beyond. High-Speed HDMI cable has advanced capacity to display technologies such as 4K, 3D, and the Deep Color aspects. It is recommended for use in advanced technologies such as the Blu-ray disc players.

High Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet

This cable offer greater resolutions capacities greater than 1080p. This cable comes with the HDMI Ethernet Channel that is used for networking purposes. The functionality of HEC is possible when both sending and receiving devices are fitted with this technology. Devices that are connected using this device and technology have the capacity of sending and receiving data through 100Mb/sec Ethernet. This is what makes it ready for IP-based applications. These cables make it possible to share Internet connections through the HDMI link without the need to have a separate Ethernet Cable. While standard HDMI cables are acceptable to use, for the most reliable HD experience it's recommended that you purchase the best high-speed HDMI cable with Ethernet to connect your gaming consoles, Blu-ray player, etc. Lastly, before you buy your HDMI cable, it is good to consider one final and very important aspect. Not all cables of the same speed specification are of the same quality. Just like with all cords and cables, they are certainly not all created equal. FireFold's selection of HDMI cables will ensure that you find a quality cable that will provide good performance for a long time to come.  

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What Are HDMI Cables Used For?

HDMI cables have a wide range of applications. Most commonly, the cables are used with Blu-ray and DVD players. For DVD players, the cables carry traditional DTS and Dolby Digital sound. In some players, the cables offer audio CD playback. HDMI cables transmit full 1080p video together with dense audio bit streams. The connection eliminates the wire-bundle mess and confusion associated with the conventional transmissions. This is especially achieved by employing only two cables in the home theater systems from the source to the receiver and another to the television. The transmitters also come handy in modern gaming. The modern gaming systems, particularly ones that offer 1080p video, have DTS and Dolby Digital audio formats. HDMI offers content protection for gaming and proves significant for movie playback at 1080p resolution. In addition, HDMI cables are useful in television decoders. HDMI is largely becoming more common with broadband, satellite, and internet television service decoders. In this application, they offer the same kinds of content protection for the premium pay-per-view movies content providers demand. In addition, it offers a high level of video and audio in a consistent manner. In this role, HDMI connectors effortlessly carry 1080p video and audio to televisions and receivers. The connection is also applied in portable devices. The technique is used for connecting HD camcorders together with digital still cameras. These devices take the advantage of HDMI’s revision 1.3c by using HDMI cables with mini-connectors. The version specifically uses a standard-size connector at the other end to achieve a fast connection to receivers and televisions. HDMI transmitter allows a rather pure digital audio alongside video interface while using a single cable for quality and convenience.

Transmitting HD Video Through HDMI

Mini HDMI cables are great when it comes to transmitting HD video and audio from a portable equipment to a traditional display. The cables have a variety of brands and styles you can choose from, but they are basically similar. Though the different thickness of cables translates into higher ratings for currents, the thickness is insignificant when it comes to the mini cables. This is because they are only applied in camcorders among other portable devices that don’t take a lot of power. A smaller version of the HDMI connector is called a micro HDMI cable and is often applied in tablets and smartphones. Due to their small size, these gadgets need smaller plugs. Micro HDMI was specifically designed for them.