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HDMI, DVI, USB, SVGA, RCA, SATA, what do all these different acronyms mean? If you’re new to the “tech world” this guide is for you! We’re going to start off with some of our more commonly used items, and work up to the more tech-savvy items; don’t worry, it’s not too hard to understand.

HDMI:

What does HDMI mean? HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. If you own an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or plasma TV, you know the cool-looking flat ones you hang on your wall, then you probably have a connection on the back of your TV for an HDMI cable. First, why would you want to use an HDMI cable? When you spent a small fortune on your HDTV (High Definition TV) or home theater set-up, you expected the very best picture. The guy at the store told you everything would be crystal clear, and you probably saw a demonstration which looked more vivid than real life. Much to your dismay you got home and set-up your new TV, and it didn’t look nearly as good as you remember it looking. What happened? Did you get a broken TV? No, you didn’t get the “proper” connections to utilize your TV to its fullest extent. That’s where FireFold comes in! We have equipment you need to take your home theater experience to the highest level.
HDMI cables will elevate your viewing experience with their 21^st century technology. HDTV’s have a wider screen; therefore it takes more data from the device you’re using to project on the screen. Your typical cables (s-video, coaxial,) you receive from the manufacturer of your TV/DVD/Playstation/Xbox just can’t transmit the data fast enough to create a “picture perfect” image. HDMI has the technology to create your ideal viewing environment. HDMI transmits data at an exponentially faster rate which makes a smoother picture, more vivid colors, and better sound. Typical component cables (which are good cables too) compress the sound/image to get it to the screen/speakers faster; with HDMI it is not compressed to maintain maximum quality. As an added bonus, HDMI gets rid of the multiple cables you needed in the past to use your devices, as it is audio and video combined into one cable. The HDMI most people need are the standard HDMI to HDMI cables (to connect the DVD player to the TV, the XBOX to the TV, ect) are these HDMI cables.

FireFold carries HDMI cables of different types that are rated as 1.3b. What does this mean for you? It means we have the latest in HDMI technology. There have been versions 1.0, 1.1. 1.2, 1.2a, and most recently1.3. As new versions came out, subsequently, productivity increased with each version in the areas of bandwidth and other capabilities. Most of the older versions will work with most high definition devices, but as new technology comes out they will become practically obsolete. 1.3 will support the ever-growing technology right now, as well as the stuff that’s in the pipeline for the upcoming years. 1.3 HDMI supports Blu-Ray DVD players and Playstation 3, which both need 1.3 HDMI to utilize such features as: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. HDMI 1.3 can carry up to 10.2 gigabytes (340 MHz)per second of data; much more than component or older versions could, which was only 165 MHz, or around 5 gigabytes per second. Most of your higher-end TV’s will be 1080p and have a refresh rate of 120hz. 1.3 HDMI will support over 1600p at this time, even though there are no consumer produced TV’s that even have that good of a picture. In the near future there will be the technology to have 1600p TV’s. The only problem with technology for the consumer is it seems as soon as you get something new, next week better technology will be out. Our 1.3b HDMI cables will support any new technology for years to come.

Another term you might hear is Category 1 or Category 2. Category 1 has been tested of transmitting at 74.25MHz, whereas Category 2 has been tested up to 340MHz. The majority of consumer HDMI cables are Category 2, but not always. With some of your cheaper quality HDMI cables, they could be Category 1. At FireFold we only use the highest quality Category 2 cables, but still provide them at an un-beatable price. Some of our competitors sell the EXACT same cable for 10-50 times the price we sell ours for. The internal workings of an HDMI cable are all the same; there is no mythical wiring which produces a better quality. When you spend $50+ on and HDMI cable, you’re paying for the name only. It would be like buying fillet from the grocery store, or buying a fillet from a fine dining establishment; it’s the same cut of meat, you’re just paying more for the same thing. HDMI cables either work or they don’t. HDMI transmits data in either “1’s” or “0’s”, there is no way around this. Spending more for a more expensive cable does not equal faster signal, as long as both cables in question are the same version (i.e.1.3).

HDMI to HDMI

These are the vast majority of HDMI cables bought and sold. They are used to connect an HDTV to an DVD player, XBOX/Playstation to HDTV, etc.

Male to Female HDMI

These are used to extend the length of HDMI cables. If you have an HDMI cable that’s just a bit too short, you can get a short Male to Female cable for the right length of your connection.

HDMI Male to DVI

This would be the cable needed to connect a computer (if your computer doesn’t already have an HDMI output) to your TV. Some older style projectors that don’t have HDMI outputs can utilize this cable, as most have a DVI output. If you’re connecting a DVD player with an HDMI output to a TV that doesn’t have an HDMI input, but does have a DVI input, this is the cable for you.

HDMI Mini

This is the HDMI cable needed to connect your video camera, digital SLR camera, mini DV player, etc to a TV or computer. You will get a much higher quality video image and sound with a HDMI min cable than your USB or Fire Wire cable’s.

Flat HDMI to HDMI

This is a great cable when you have to run a cable across a room, or up a wall due to its low profile nature. It would be perfect to run under a carpet, or against a door-frame. The cable doesn’t lose any performance, even with its flat shape. In fact the performance in some cases is better due to crosstalk between the connectors being reduced because of the shape.

Swivel HDMI

This is a great solution if space is very limited between your hook-up and the wall behind it. It can swivel 180 degrees to accommodate those super tight spaces. Performance is not hindered in any way when swiveled.

I hope this article will help clear up some confusion on HDMI cables, and has helped answer any questions you might have had on them. The most important thing: more expensive does not equal better in this scenario.