Different cables give different HDTV results

By Andy Walker

Are there different types of HDMI cables? If so, what are the differences between them?

There are three different types of HDMI cables, but you only have to be concerned with one, called Type A, which is used between your HDTV screen and a video source. There are two more versions: Type B, designed for a super-resolution HDTV format (yet to be released as a consumer technology) and a Type C connector for portable devices.

That's fun as trivia, but not very practical, so let me give you something you can use: There are differences in HDMI (Type A) cable qualities and prices. Some brands will cost you over $100 for a cable. Others offer similar cable for a fraction of the price. What's going on here? The high-priced cables have better shielding to block interference so that the signal is not interrupted or diminished in any way. Where the shielding is important is in longer cables over three meters. So save your money and go with a lower-cost cable if you only run the signal over a short distance. By the way, here is a great article that provides more information on this topic.