HDTV Cable Options

• HDMI is one of the more popular HD cable connection types. ULTRA.F/Digital Vision/Getty Images

  Even if you have an HDTV and an HD cable or satellite receiver, you're still not ready to hook up and enjoy HD video until you get a video cable that is HD compatible. Old-fashioned coaxial or composite video cables do not support HD resolutions. For that you'll need a newer cable format, such as HDMI, component, DVI or RGB.

HDMI

• HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is a single-cable interface that delivers both high-definition video and audio. Nearly all HDTVs made today support HDMI, as do most Blu-ray and DVD players. The PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 both have HDMI ports built in to them as well. As of October 2010, HDMI supports all forms of HD video in use, from 720i to 1080p, and it is the only HD cable option that has built-in 3D video support. Some HDMI connections can even carry an Internet connection.

Component

• Component cables connect to an HDTV via three separate jacks, each delivering a separate component of the video signal. Unlike HDMI, component cables are an analog signal, so many consider component to be inferior to HDMI, although others are unable to tell the difference between the two. Although component cables are only officially ranked to transmit HD signals up to 1080i, some do support full 1080p HD signals. Most HDTVs and other HD devices like Blu-ray players and video game systems support component video.

DVI

• DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is not as common as HDMI or component cable, but many HDTVs and other video devices still support the format. There are two widely used variations of the format, DVI-D and DVI-I. DVI-D is digital only, and cannot transmit analog signals. DVI-I, on the other hand, supports both analog and digital video signals. Most HDTVs and home video equipment have DVI-D connections, while DVI-I is used more on home computers.

RGB

• RGB cables are more commonly used with computers, but some HDTVs support the format. Just like DVI and HDMI, RGB supports resolutions up to 1080p, the highest resolution currently supported by HDTVs. RGB cables need to be screwed in, so they are a bit more cumbersome to use, but that also means they are harder to disconnect by accident.