Posts Tagged ‘HDMI Cable’

How to Convert USB to HDMI

 Monday, January 11th, 2010
Cables & Leads

Cables & Leads

Converting a USB port to allow a connection through a HDMI cable to a HD ready display is easily achievable; although at first glance it can seem a little complex, fortunately you can get a USB to HDMI Kit to help make the whole process a lot easier to do. By doing this you can use two displays on your PC or laptop this can be used to duplicate what is showing on your initial display or as a extra screen so for example you can be writing a document / surfing the web while watching movies or videos on the other. I am sure you can appreciate the benefits of both. But how can it be done and what do I need in a USB to HDMI Kit.

As USB is not designed to transmit video signals that your display can read then you need to do a little bit of manipulating, converting the connection first to DVI and then out through a HDMI lead to the display. To make this operation easier there are kits available that give you everything you need,

A USB to DVI converter that plugs in to a spare USB slot on your PC or laptop, this then makes the operating system see the USB slot as a new display port.

USB to HDMI Kit

Click Here to Buy a USB to HDMI Kit

A DVI to HDMI converter that allows the connection of a HDMI lead to your high definition display for you to do whatever you want with it.

A set of audio leads RCA type, as both DVI HDMI can transfer both audio and video channels at the same time your USB ports will not allow this so it is necessary to use separate cables for the audio channels.

The idea of the USB to HDMI Kit is to help utilise existing equipment in different ways, having two displays for your computer can have many benefits including watching modern internet based media through your high quality TV display etc…

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HDMI’s Role in The Future of 3D TV

 Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Cables & Leads

Cables & Leads

CES 2010 is abuzz with stories about the impending arrival of 3D HDTV, but what does that really mean for consumers? Do you need a new TV? A new Blu-ray player? What about new cables?

HDMI has become the standard interface for delivering high-quality audio and video content to HDTVs. TheHDMI consortium just released new guidelines for 3D certification. The 3D requirements in the v1.4 spec requires that displays support all mandatory 3D formats and that source material must support at least one of the mandatory 3D formats.

PCMag had the chance to ask what this all means to Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, before he headed off to CES this year. Here’s his insider’s take on where this technology is heading.

How big will 3D TV and peripheral sales be this year?
As HDMI Licensing, LLC is just in charge of licensing the HDMI specification; we are not privy to the product plans of our adopters. However, we certainly do receive first-hand information about the types of features that Adopters are excited about. From those conversations, it is clear to us that 2010 will be the first real year that 3D is launched into the home in a mainstream manner. While we don’t have specific sales forecasts, all of the major brands of HDTV manufacturers are launching 3D sets this year.

Will 3D displays essentially require HDMI? Is there any other way to send that much information?
No.3D can be done through other interfaces such as DisplayPort, DVI or analogue. However, each manufacturer will likely have to create proprietary 3D communication structures/meta-data structures that would be specific to each manufacturer or technology vendor. HDMI is the first interface to define a common 3D communication structure to enable 3D interoperability. HDMI has given manufacturers assurance that 3D devices will work together.

What will consumers need to buy to get a real 3D experience? A new set top box? A new HDTV? A new cable?
They will need new devices that support 3D. Some devices, such as the [set top box], may be software upgradable depending on the service provider and (the STB) hardware combination. Upgradability is determined by the service providers. Consumers will [also] need an HDTV that is HDMI 3D capable. Consumers will not need a new cable as long as their cable is a high-speed HDMI cable capable of supporting the full 10.2 Gbps bandwidth of HDMI.

What exactly are the 3D requirements within HDMI 1.4?
We have divided up the specification into two formats: mandatory and informative. We have done this because the market is still nascent, and there are many competing formats that many manufacturers are working with. Thus, we have stated that HDMI requires certain mandatory formats that anyone who implements 3D over HDMI must use. Therefore, manufacturers are free to use any or all of the “informative” formats that are contained within the specification. This way, the HDMI Consortium allows a variety of formats, but ensures that devices that implement 3D over HDMI will interoperate.

Article Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2357710,00.asp

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How to Connect a Laptop to a TV

 Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Cables & Leads

Cables & Leads

The increase in popularity of people using Laptop and notebook computers rather than the larger traditional PC has lead to more people using there TV’s instead of a computer monitor. Although the quality of the image displayed will be dependant on your TV. Whether you want to watch movies from your Laptop or use it for surfing the web, with the right know how it is a very easy and can be very worthwhile to connect your laptop to a TV.

In this guide on how to connect a laptop to a TV we will help give you the knowledge you need to be able to get the task done as easily as possible.

Getting your laptop connected up is basically as easy as getting a cable and connecting the two together, then changing the display settings on the laptop to allow the best image possible for the particular TV you are using.

Choosing the right cable for your equipment is where the problems start, there are so many available with different types of connectors to suit a full range of equipment that has been made over the years. Particularly in the last few years there have been so many changes in the types of cable used. To help make sure that you get your laptop connected to your TV as easily as possible it is necessary to identify what type of ports you have available on both your laptop and on your TV. We’ll go over the most common here and describe them as best we can to allow you to make the right choices, no matter if you have the latest equipment or it is a little older.

The majority of TV sets and Laptops will use one of the following Composite or RCA, S-Video, Scart, VGA, DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort don’t worry if your laptop and TV don’t have the same type of connections available as there are a number of converters / adapters available to take care of this.

So what are they all and how do I tell the difference?

Flat Screen TV

Flat Screen TV

Composite Cables or sometimes known as phono leads were very common a few years ago using three round coloured connectors and used to transmit analogue data. The three connectors are yellow for video, white for the left channel audio and red for right channel audio.

S-Video cables or Super Video is still popular and consists of a round connector with between 4 and 7 pins for the video signal and two audio cables for the left and right audio channels the same as RCA.

Scart Cables are rectangular in shape and have 21 pins in two horizontal rows. Commonly used on European TV’s and are capable of transferring both audio and video signals in standard definition. Now of course they are outdated and if your equipment is modern it is unlikely to use them.

VGA cables commonly used on older laptops and desktop computers and are a 15 pin connector and have a rounded rectangle shape. The VGA cable is only capable of transferring video information for audio you will normally have to use RCA cables.

DVI cables are rectangular in shape and have three horizontal rows of 8 pins giving a total of 24 pins. These were the standard connector for digital video until recently with the advent of newer and faster technologies.

The HDMI Cable is now the standard for digital connections and used for watching HD TV etc… They are rectangular in shape and about half the size of a DVI connector having only 19 pins in the connection. One of the advantages of these is that they can transfer both digital audio and video.

DisplayPort Cables have been specifically developed for connecting computers to there displays and to home entertainment systems and allowing the transfer of High definition data both audio and video.

Once you know what connection types you have on your equipment from the list above it is then time to start looking for a laptop to TV cable that will suit your equipment.

Can’t find the right cable? Click Here For Help Finding A Cable

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How to extend HDMI

 Monday, October 5th, 2009

cables-and-leadsThe possibilities are endless with modern technology and in particularly with HDMI. With the right equipment, some good help and advice you can have a true entertainment environment in your home. With the digital signal from one source streamed to many places around the home. Maybe you just want to move your TV from where it is now and want to know how far away you can do this.

Well it is possible with the right equipment to extend your HDMI up for up to 60meters. Although for the realms of this explanation we will stick with normal home sizes! For the average user CAT5/CAT6 is probably the cheapest, easiest and most secure method of extending HDMI. This is the same technology that is used to connect computers together and as such is very affordable.

To extend your HDMI through Ethernet technology you will need a HDMI transmitter, a HDMI receiver, and up to 2 CAT5/CAT6 cables depending on the quality and speed required. Alternatively you can buy a HDMI extender kit. These transmitters & receivers allow for the manipulation and transmission of HDMI over CAT5/CAT6 Ethernet cables. You will also need 2 HDMI Leads to connect your source and display. Standard HDMI Cables are fine for this, however if you prefer premium cable we would recommend something like a Monster HDMI Cable.

The basic process to extend HDMI cables through a CAT5/CAT6 connection goes something like this:

-        The HD source connects to a HDMI transceiver using a standard HDMI lead the transmitter and the receiver are connected by 1 or 2 CAT5 or CAT 6 cables, dependant on the quality and speed required. The signal will then be broadcast between the transmitter and receiver. The HDMI transmitter & receiver acts as a ‘repeater’ for the signal from the source to the display. The receiver is then connected to the display device, again with a standard HDMI cable.

Well there you have it, the basics on how to extend HDMI over CAT 5. As you can see from the outside it may look like a complicated topic, but in reality it’s not as tricky as you may have thought. And should you get stuck you could always give us a call one of our technicians could talk you through it.

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Why HDMI doesn’t have to cost as much as you think

 Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

logo-cables-leads-168-blogModern technology can cost the earth when you are trying to keep up with it. This is not really the case as buying wisely and doing some homework before hand can save you a lot of money. But in reality your equipment will be good enough to last a few jumps in technology before having to upgrade. While this is true many people like to stay on the cutting edge of technology and this is when it starts to get expensive.

With the move to the digital age the amount of data that is needed to be transferred has increased massively between digital devices. This has been due to the fast moving pace of updates in modern home entertainment systems and the needs of their users. Due to these increased demands cable technology has also had to be improved to transfer this vast amount of data without loss of quality.

There was DVI which now struggles to keep up next came HDMI which can handle more than enough data for any current digital devices and those in the foreseeable future, future proofing yourself, or should I say as future proof as we can be.

When someone mentions HDMI cables many people believe that they are really expensive. While you can spend a large amount of money on a HDMI cable it is perfectly feasible to get a functional cable on a smaller budget. These cables will do exactly the same job as a more expensive one and will offer the same performance. The only thing that a more expensive cable will do is potentially last longer than a cheaper alternative. For most home users they will do the job just fine. Even though there is no real big urgency for a home user to have a more expensive cable they can be an investment as they will last you a long time and offer reliable performance.

For the more advanced user and equipment that is used for public performances then the higher priced cables may be worth more than a second look.

There is no reason not to use the high definition quality of your equipment for the lack of a cable, use the one that came with it or get hold of a cheap one for now and then look at getting a more expensive cable in the future if price is a problem.

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