Selecting an HDMI cable

If you are the proud new owner of a 3-D TV, Blu-ray player, or other high-end devices that use HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cables you may have the wrong cable.

There are 5 types of HDMI cables (one is for use in the automobile industry, so we will skip that one in this discussion).

There are two speeds of cable: Standard and High Speed. The difference is that only the High Speed cable will support 1080p, 3-D, a higher resolution called 4K, and a colorspace called Deep Color. So if your devices are working fine in 2-D and at 1080i or below, but fail when you try something that requires more bandwidth, the cable could be the problem.

Each of those two speeds also come in versions with or without an Ethernet channel. Trying to get connected from the Internet through your Blu-ray player onto you TV and it is just not working? Check the cable packaging for the phrase Ethernet Channel.

One feature that both Standard and High Speed cables have in common is called Audio Return Channel, abbreviated ARC on some devices. This allows you to use one HDMI cable to send audio to your Home Theater sound system for playback.

Keep it simple --- to insure that all of your high end video, audio, gaming, and internet devices will work together with the equipment you have now and you may add in the future, go with the one HDMI cable that provides all of the capabilities you will need: High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet.

All current HDMI features are supported with a High Speed HDMI with Ethernet cable.