You just spent well over $2,000 for an HDTV with 720p/1080i/1080p resolutions. You took the television home and plugged in your upconverting DVD player to your HDTV expecting to be blown away by the clarity of high-definition television. But once you turned everything on, you are hardly impressed. What gives? Isn't the HD era supposed to display crystal-clear, drool-inducing imagery? Yes it does. But only if you have the right components.

You are one step closer. You already own an HDTV and an upconverting DVD player (make sure it has an HDMI input). However, you probably failed to invest in an HD cable. HD cables come in four popular flavors: Component, VGA, DVI, and HDMI. The most popular of these cables are Component and HDMI. But let's just keep things simple, because


ENTER HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).
HDMI is an industry standard digital interface that supports both audio and video data components. What it really means is that an HDMI cable is capable of sending both a digital video and audio signal from your upconverting DVD player or DVR directly to your TV via one cable. The video and audio quality that is transmitted through this cable is absolutely astonishing. The colors will pop with life and the blacks will be black just like you imagined they would be when you bought your HDTV.

And that's the biggest difference. In fact, the television you just spent thousands of dollars on is worthless if that's the kind of connection you are using.


CABLES AND ELECTRONIC RETAILERS
Now that you know what kind of cable you need (check your television and DVD player to make sure it supports HDMI), you are going to need to buy one. Of course, the first place you think of are the major retail stores. STOP. - $100+ for a simple 3-foot cable. Talk about sticker shock.


THE INTERNET IS YOUR FRIEND
Do not pay the heavily marked-up retail prices for HDMI cables. You do not need 90-inch thick cables with gold-coating connections. HDMI carries a digital signal, so in cables under 100-feet, the signal will be excellent and the image quality drool-inducing and crystal-clear.

Get yourself HDMI cables through a company like Monoprice or if you must have a brand name HDMI cable, look online for HDMI cables from Philips. Make sure that the cables you are purchasing are certified by HDMI standards and you will be in a good place. and no matter how much money you paid.

GO GET EM TIGER!
Now that you are equipped with that knowledge, enjoy your $2,000+ dollar investment. You and your family has earned it.