Recently Filed in Video Cables

Since the first issue of Electronic House back in the early 1980s, we’ve harped on the importance of prewiring. With the right low-voltage wiring in all the right places, your home will be ready for any cool electronics or home systems you want installed—now or in the future. It’s always good to be prepared, right? How Much Does It Cost? Prewiring a home for a 6-zone music system costs between $700 and $1,000. Prices go up from there, depending on the number of systems you… View this story
Audio Cables • Speaker Wire • Structured Wiring • Video Cables • Info and Answers

Never have the right cable when you need to integrate a new piece of equipment into your setup? I always have the right cable ... mainly because I’ve bought the wrong cable so many times that they end up being the right cable somewhere down the road, but also because I jump on deals when I see them. For example ... Today Buy.com has the Belkin My Essential HDTV Cable Kit on sale for $9.99 with free shipping. The kid contains 6-foot lengths of the… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Audio Cables • HDMI • Video Cables • Deals • Product News

Q. What AV cables should I run in-wall for my wall-mounted LCD HDTV? I was thinking power and two HDMI. S-video and component should not be needed since I plan to use a modern HDMI-switching and upscaling receiver and a PC hooked up by DVI-HDMI. Maybe Cat6 Ethernet and USB? - Jon Graves, Seattle A. Rob Schultz of Inspired Electronics offers these tips via CE Pro: Assuming this wall is currently open, and will be closed up and inaccessible, here’s what I would recommend: One… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • HDMI • Video Cables • Displays • HDTV • LCD • Ask a Pro

Q. If money did not matter, what is the best TV on the planet that’s 50 inches or more? - Matt Ubel, Minn. A. The easy answer is the Pioneer Elite Kuro plasma, but Pioneer is phasing out of that product. So if you’re going to buy one, you should do it now. You should also look into products from Runco and Panasonic. Many people these days, however, are investing into projection systems (projector and screen). These have larger screen sizes and the ability to… View this story
AV Components • Blu-ray • Receivers • Cables, Wires and Tools • HDMI • Video Cables • Displays • HDTV • Plasma • Ask a Pro

We first heard about Torrent and its eco-friendly HDMI cables back at CES in January. They were officially launched last week, giving us another chance to get a hands-on look at their unique properties. On the green side of things, it’s great to see companies ditching materials such as PVC, halogen, phthalate, and lead to make their products more environmentally friendly. From the tech side, we’re equally impressed after seeing the Torrent cables. Especially in light of problems homeowners and custom electronics professionals have with… View this story
Audio Cables • HDMI • Video Cables • Green Technology • Product News

We know how the back of your TV and A/V receiver can get cluttered with wires. Monster, of course, hopes that most of those wires in your system came from them, but it wants to aid in your cable management. How so? The company is working with silicon chip developer Redmere to create ultra-thin cables that still deliver super-high data rates for your system. The collaboration includes Redmere’s MagnifEye Active chip technology to help provide cables with data rates of up to 10.2 gigabit-per-second and… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Audio Cables • Video Cables • Product News

I recently changed the orientation of my family room to add more viewing distance to our 50-inch Hitachi plasma, to go with giving more depth to the room itself—the change makes the room appear about twice the size. In doing so, I also moved the electronics farther away from the TV, though. I knew it would be a potential problem with cable runs, and indeed I had to switch my connection to our cable box from component video to HDMI (I have an HD DVD… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Video Cables • Displays • HDTV • Info and Answers

Scosche has an easy way to add some extra screen to all of the content you’re hoarding on your iPod. The showTIME is an easy, instant audio/video output solution. If you’re getting tired of squinting for that tiny iPod screen, the dongle works with all iPod and iPhone models that support video. Just plug the device into your iPod touch, nano, iPhone or other Apple device, and the video can be shared on any TV. Tapered metal RCA barrels promise a superior connection with no… View this story
Video Cables • Gadgets • Audio • Product News

If you’re among those who think that ultra-expensive cables and wire don’t add a whole lot more to your electronics system than the cheap stuff, we heard about some cheap-stuff HDMI you might like. And yes, when it comes to HDMI, we hear it all the time that web shopping can be a bit more prudent than the big-box stores. Meritline has you covered with an instant savings deal on its pair of 6-foot HDMI cables—only $5.99 shipped. Funny thing is, this deal is basically… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Audio Cables • Video Cables • Deals • Product News

You don’t often think of audio/video cables when it comes to green electronics. But most cables are sheathed with PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is a big enviro-nasty. So a new company called Torrent is making available HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) and component cables that are free of harmful substances such as PVC, halogen, phthalate, and lead, all without compromising performance, safety or quality, says Torrent CEO and cofounder Craig Palli. I got a look at these cables at the recent CES in Las Vegas, and… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Audio Cables • Video Cables • Green Technology • Product News

Last week, we heard about the hd EZ, an adapter that locks your HDMI cables into place. Now, PPC wants to cut out that middleman, with a self-locking cable. Instead of having to attach another piece into your mix, the PPC Locking HDMI Cable features patented technology that can hold it onto that port pretty tight—the company claims it’s “three times greater” than conventional connectors. Just attach the cable, and you can enjoy all of your HD/digital goodies with no worries of loose cables falling… View this story
Audio Cables • Video Cables • CES • Home Theater • Product News

Hate it when your cables get bunched up and don’t leave you much room behind your TV or electronics? Centronics is trying to stem the tide a little with an HDMI cable that drops down at a right angle if you want, or stays straight if needed. Yup, it’s flexible, and hence the “HD Flex” name for this Centronics HDMI product. These aren’t any flimsy HDMI cable, either. Among their attributes: Version 1.3b and HDCP compliant for full HD 1080p UL listed, single-link bandwidth of… View this story
Cables, Wires and Tools • Audio Cables • Video Cables • Enhancements • Product News