Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Where to Buy an HDMI or Optical Audio Cable
To be blunt, HDMI and optical audio cables sold by brick-and-mortar stores are a rip-
off. You could end up paying $150 for something that a $5 cable can do just as well.
In the analog days, signal quality mattered, but when it comes to digital connections
like HDMI and optical audio, the cable either works or it doesn't.
Here are the three best places to purchase a cable online:
•
Monoprice:
The king of cheap cables,
Monoprice
will sell you an HDMI
cable for under $2, not including shipping. I've ordered many HDMI and
TOSLINK cables from Monoprice, and all have been high quality.
•
Amazon:
It's hard to beat
Amazon
if you subscribe to Amazon Prime and
need an inexpensive cable quickly. Although there are many cables to
choose from, I suggest sticking to the AmazonBasics brand, which starts
around $5. The build quality isn't quite as good as Monoprice, but it'll get
the job done.
•
Blue Jeans Cable:
The priciest of the bunch, an HDMI cable from
Blue
Jeans Cable
will run about $11 to $20. However, they deserve special
mention for standing up to the 50-foot gorilla of overpriced cables: Mon-
ster Cable. When Monster's legal firm sent a bogus patent complaint to
Blue Jeans Cable in March 2008, they didn't count on the owner of Blue
Jeans Cable being a former lawyer—who
responded with a hilarious and
publicly published rebuttal
, with lines like, “the less my customers think
my products resemble Monster's, in form or function, the better.”
What to Do If Your TV Doesn't Have an HDMI Port
If you still have an older TV, you'll need an adapter that accepts HDMI output from
the Apple TV and converts it to analog component, composite, and/or S-video input.
This
Etekcity HDMI to AV Composite
from Amazon is reported to do the trick. (Yes,
I realize that component video provides superior quality, but I can't find an HDMI to
component converter that I feel comfortable recommending.)
Micro USB
You will probably never have to touch this port. It's needed only if you have to restore your
Apple TV from iTunes or install developer betas.
