Which HDMI Cable Should I Buy?

Ok, so you just bought that $2000 LED TV and a brand new Blue-Ray player to go with it, and the guy that sold you the package now tells you that you need to buy an HDMI cable to hook it up. So he takes you over to the isle that has the Monster Cables, and shows you a 6 foot HDMI cable that costs $80. He then tells you that if you don’t use this cable the quality on your picture will be substandard. Does this sound familiar?

The standard of HDMI cable most commonly used on consumer products is known as High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2. The HDMI 1.3a Category 2 specifies that the cable has been tested at 340hz which includes resolutions such as 1080p60 and 2160p30.

In English, a HDMI 1.3a Category 2 cable has specifications beyond modern Blue-Ray Full HD standards, and even meets the future standards of Quad HD (You will have to buy a new TV in 6 years to get Quad HD)

On step above is the HDMI 1.4 cables, but you really don’t need one unless you are buying a 3D TV.

Skip the advice from the salesman and buy the least expensive HDMI 1.3a Category 2 cable you can find. You should be able to find a 6 foot cable for about $5 bucks on the net. If you must have a 1.4 cable use the internet to buy it.