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Index to Articles
The following links go to articles we've written to help people understand cable theory, our products, and what-have-you. We hope you find them useful!
| Do I Need a New HDMI Cable? Probably Not...Here's Why | Why most HDMI sales pitches are nonsense, and why you should probably hang on to your money; and how to tell when you really DO need a new HDMI cable. |
| "Premium HDMI Cable" -- What is it, and Why? | An explanation of HDMI Licensing's newest cable certification tier. |
| HDMI 2.1 and the HDMI Cable: an Early Look | The HDMI 2.1 spec was released November 28, 2017 -- what does it mean for cabling? Our first notes on this subject. |
| Is Your Cat 6 a Dog? | Our report of a test of twenty so-called "Cat 6" cables, from a variety of vendors, shows that much of what's sold as Cat 6 simply isn't. |
| "All Ones and Zeros" | It's "all ones and zeros" on an Ethernet cable, so cable quality doesn't matter -- or does it? |
| "Tested at the Frequency" | Why are Ethernet cables tested at such a broad range of frequencies? |
| Beware the "Channel Certified" Dodge | Why not to buy a Cat 5e, Cat 6 or Cat 6a patch cord which is said to be "channel compliant" or "channel certified." |
| Terrible Terminations | How even perfectly good Ethernet cable and connectors, put together badly, can result in lousy performance |
| "Built to a Spec" | One sometimes hears that Ethernet cables are all alike, because, after all, they're all "built to the specification." Is that true? |
| Bah! The Subwoofer Hum Bug, and How to Fix It | A humming subwoofer is not a good thing. Here are tips for stopping it. |
| Good, Better, Best (Or Not!) | Why our best cable for your application may also be our least expensive |
| HDMI Cables -- An Overview | Answers a variety of common questions about HDMI cables, and addresses various misconceptions surrounding HDMI. |
| HDMI 2.0 Compliance and Cables | Is this cable 2.0 compliant? The answer is surprisingly simple. |
| Is This Cable HDMI 1.4-compliant? | Explains why it's incorrect to refer to an HDMI cable as a "1.4 cable" and how the 1.4 and other HDMI spec versions actually relate to cable capabilities. |
| HDMI Cable Spec Versions | Explains what different versions of HDMI spec compliance mean, as applied to cables. |
| How Long Can HDMI Run? | Addresses limitations on distance with HDMI connections. |
| What's With These "Speed Rated" HDMI Cables? | The difference between puffery and fact when it comes to HDMI cable "speeds." |
| Belden HDMI Cable Design Notes | A review of some of the design considerations that went into our Belden bonded-pair HDMI cables. |
| Where Does HDMI Cable Come From? | If it's not ours, it comes entirely from China; this article explains and details the point, and provides resources to see for yourself where an HDMI cable is made. |
| What's the Matter with HDMI? | Explains how the HDMI standard was badly designed, the problems that result, and what one can do to avoid difficulties. |
| What's a "Certified" HDMI Cable? | Addresses the myth of "1080p Certification" and the question of just what sort of testing HDMI cables are actually subjected to. |
| Belden HDMI Info | More detailed information on our Belden bonded-pair HDMI cable. |
| Component to HDMI Cables | If you think there's no such thing, you're right; here's why. |
| What does AWG (American Wire Gage) Mean? | What wire gage is, and how it relates to cable quality for a variety of applications. |
| Do "You Get What You Pay For" in Cable? | The relationship between cost, quality and price in audio and video cable. |
| Broadcast Quality -- What Does it Mean, and Why is it Good? | Discusses the difference between broadcast-quality audio and video cables and typical consumer market products. |
| What is Impedance, Anyhow? | For those who have wondered... |
| A Question of Balance | A simple explanation of balanced and unbalanced audio circuits and cables and common mode noise rejection. |
| Is there Really a True 75 Ohm RCA Plug? | Why the Canare RCAP RCA plug is the best plug available for impedance matching with 75 ohm coaxial cables. |
| What Does "RG-6" Mean? | What the common "RG" designations associated with coaxial cables do and don't mean. |
| Exotic Materials and Cable Construction | Do we really need silver, oxygen-free copper and Teflon to make the best cables? |
| Hum Rejection in Unbalanced Audio Cables | A comparison of the ability of various cables to reject low-frequency hum. |
| Video Cable Shielding and the Myth of Quad Shield | A review of what video cable shielding is, how it works, and what shield configurations are most effective in keeping out RFI. |
| Digital and Analog Cables--What's the Difference? | An exploration of how digital and analog signals degrade differently in cable runs, and why modern digital video cables are well-suited both for digital and analog use. |
| Signal Types and Connector Types--Keeping them Straight | A review of the various types of video signal formats one may face in wiring a home theater, and their relationship to the types of cables and connectors required to hook equipment together. |
| Understanding In-wall Speaker, Video and Audio Cable Ratings | A summary of the requirements of the National Electrical Code for the use of NEC-rated cables in home theater installations in walls, risers and plenums. |
| Video Cables from the Inside Out | A review of the inner structure of video cables, and how the center conductor, dielectric, shield and jacket of a video cable interact to affect performance. |
| Component Video Cables -- A Guide | A discussion of what component video cables are, how they're constructed, and what specifications and characteristics are particularly important to component video cable quality. |
| HDMI versus Component--Which is Better? | Explains the difference between HDMI and component video cable connections, and generally why they may behave differently from one another. |
| Does Wire Matter? | A short discussion of why cables can make a difference to your system's performance. |
| What Wire Does With All Those Electrons | A closer look at just what's going on, electrically, in a cable, and why it affects the quality of a signal. |
| Home Theater Installation -- The Role of Cabling | Some considerations in planning a home theater installation, specifically with regard to installed cabling. |