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A Roadmap to Finding the Best Regular / Mini HDMI Cable
1st step: Know the difference between a regular / mini HDMI cable and a component cable.
HDMI connection is digital in nature. This means that there is no room for resolution and/or audio quality comparisons among the many HDMI cables offered in the market. Theoretically speaking, the performance of these cables can only go two ways: either they are working properly, in which case they are able to transmit data, or they aren’t able to do so at all. This characteristic sets them apart from component cables which vary in quality.
A note of caution, though: if you try to look for a regular or mini HDMI cable online, you will find that each company boasts of a product superior to that of its competitors. Several additional features may be presented to convince you of this: gold plating, “high-speed” performance, newer version, and the like.
2nd step: Beware of “better performance” claims.
Most companies selling HDMI cables will try to get your attention by marketing their wares as better than average. Their claims will often involve any of these three: (1) cable length, (2) version, and (3) how the cable was constructed. Let us dissect these three issues briefly.
When it comes to cable length the average is 6 feet, which is often enough for the average user. If, however, you really need a longer cable, be prepared to shell out more since extra shielding is required for cables longer than 6 and/or 10 feet. Without this shielding the cable will be rendered useless since it will not be able to transmit data at all.
With regard to the second issue, it is indeed true that HDMI cables have different versions. The earliest version is HDMI 1.0 – released in 2002 – while the latest, HDMI 1.4, was introduced to the market in May 2009. HDMI cables also fall under either Category 1 or 2. Companies will often try to lure you into purchasing expensive cables by saying that a newer version will provide better audio and video quality. Don’t believe this marketing ploy. The truth is, you will get the same transmission capability and quality regardless of cable version. As such, you really don’t need to purchase an expensive cable.
Aside from boasting about cable version and length, another marketing ploy makes use of the usual “added features” talk. In the case of HDMI cables, sales personnel often point to a gold-plated HDMI cable as being superior to other products in terms of performance. Although this claim has been debunked, there is a semblance of truth to this. Gold-plated cables are better in the sense that they are more durable. You really don’t need to purchase anything this expensive, though, since regular cables – which are far less expensive – have warranties from the manufacturer and/or the store.
3rd step: “More expensive” does not mean better.
Recently techno-blogs and other review sites exposed a scam that’s being conducted by a lot of companies – online and offline – selling HDMI cables and makes use of the points raised in the previous paragraphs. The bottom line is this: it doesn’t mean that a cable is better in terms of performance if it is more expensive. Go for the basic regular / mini HDMI cable – you will save money while not compromising quality.
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