We agree that they're not the most exciting of products but a few key cables are essential if you want to get up and running. There's nothing more frustrating than buying a new piece of kit and not being able to instantly set it up because you've forgotten to order the right cable!
HDMI
HDMI(High Definition Multimedia Interface) is the new digital connector designed for high definition video and sound devices but is also backwards compatible with lower resolutions. HDMI carries pictures in high definition 720p (1280 x 720) or 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolutions as well as high definition sound. This hi-def sound can be decoded by surround sound amplifiers to reproduce 5.1, 7.1 and more recently 9.1 and 11.1 channels of lossless sound. HDMI devices also incorporate HDCP (High Definition Content Protection) to prevent the recording of high definition video and audio.
Component
Component cables are an older analogue standard using 3 phono connectors for video and two phono connectors for stereo audio. Component video is capable of full HD resolutions, but does not support HDCP, so it is likely to become obsolete soon.
LAN
Local Area Networks (LAN) use CAT5 cable to connect devices together. Four pairs of thin wire are twisted together to form one multicore cable. Nearly all CAT5 cable available today is CAT5e and capable of speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second transmition rates.
Stereo/Surround
Stereo is transmitted using a pair (1 for left and 1 for right) of phono cables. For surround sound 5.1 an s/pdif cable is used, these are usually a single phono cable, but can also use fibre optic cable with TOSLINK connectors.
Wireless HDMI Kits
Sometimes a cable just won't do the job. Imagine a home where you have a ceiling mounted projector and you want to connect your Xbox or Blu-Ray player to it. A cable would look rather unsightly trailing from floor to ceiling not to mention being a bit of a health hazard! A Wireless HDMI Kit could be the answer to your problem. This fantastic piece of kit from Cables To Go is Plug and Play requiring no software, no drivers and no complicated set-up.
