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HDMI Cable Information Center
Ever since HDMI inputs and outputs started to show up on consumer audio and video devices, we have been asked question after question about HDMI. Is it really better than analog video? Do I need it, and when and why? What sorts of distance limits apply to HDMI cable runs, and what kind of cable do I need?
A simple "FAQ" doesn't really suffice to answer these questions, because some of the answers turn out to be surprisingly complex. Meanwhile, we have our own Belden-built HDMI products, which have some unique attributes that are themselves somewhat complex to really describe and explain. Rather than try to load all of this up onto one impossibly-long web page, we have condensed these issues into a number of different subject areas, and tried to treat each of them in a way which will do the complexity of the subject justice, while avoiding confusion and EE jargon wherever possible. In preparing these articles, we've tried hard to neither oversimplify nor to overcomplicate the subjects, and to keep our language as straight-forward, plain and Anglo-Saxon as can be; we hope that you find them enjoyable and understandable.
There is one question we receive more than any other, though, which we feel we should probably answer right here. We're often asked whether, if one is just running a short (say, 6 foot) length of HDMI cable from one device to another, without switches, couplers, relays and whatnot, there will be any quality upgrade in sound or picture from buying a higher-quality HDMI cable, or whether one should just go with something reasonably-made and economical. The answer is that, at short lengths, in the vast majority of circumstances, all non-defective HDMI cables will perform equally well (and no, it doesn't matter what spec version it is); the signal is digital and the devices don't know whether they're hooked up with a four-dollar cable or something better or pricier. We spend a lot of time in these articles addressing the problems with HDMI, and in particular the problem of getting consistent performance at high resolutions over long distances, because many of our customers have installations that present that type of challenge. In those applications, cable quality can be a critical part of making your system perform well, and it's for that reason that we are proud to offer our Belden Bonded-Pair HDMI cables which represent the very best in HDMI cable quality. But in the digital world, sometimes the best value for your money is the very best product on the market, and sometimes it's the lowest-priced product on the market. For those latter cases, we offer some of the best HDMI cable pricing you will see anywhere, on our Tartan Cable line of HDMI products.