HDMI Cables - Are They Necessary?
I recently had the pleasure and the misfortune to shop for a new television. Now I have been a rear projection screen man for almost ten years, but with the new evolution of the Plasma and LCD technology I was soon to become the newest convert in the evolution of digital television.
It was not by choice that I made this decision, but by necessity. I was the proud owner of a sixty inch rear projection screen television that decided upon itself one cold Saturday morning to go on the blink. After making several phone calls to the hard to find television service techs, the decision was made that it was time to purchase a new television.
Now if that shopping experience wasn't painful enough when looking at the price tags on these high tech devices,just making the decision between plasma and LCD took a considerable amount of time. I finally made my decision, bit the bullet and spent a considerable amount of dollars on what I considered to be my best choice. Then came the bomb shell, the HDMI cables!
After making all those decisions, it was time for the salesman to explain to me about the HDMI cable that was necessary in order for me to have the picture quality that my new plasma screen television demanded. Now don't get me wrong, I understand that this is where most of the big chain electronic stores make the bulk of their profit, but WOW, the price on these cables was through the roof. Then the big question in my mind, are they really necessary?
The answer to that is both yes and no. If you are in to electronics as I am, then you will be sure to notice the difference in picture quality. If you are a novice at all of this, well then you may never notice the difference. Here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself before spending big dollars on cables:
Will not using these high end cables hurt your equipment? No it will not.
Do the other devices in your theater array have the current technology to make the difference in picture quality? If not, then you may want to either replace that equipment as well, or work with what you have.
Does your local cable company support HD, and how many channels are available in HD at this time? In my area, HD channels at this time are scarce.
Can I get these cables at a better price? Yes you certainly can and about a third of the cost that even the big discount outlets like those that start with the letter "W", if you get my drift.
It's a big dollar purchase, go at it with a strategy. Know what your maximum budget is before you go shopping and do your research, research research before making any purchase.
