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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

I just purchased a Samsung 50" HD TV and was wondering if I need an HDMI cable to hook up my DVD player? The player is not new. Do you need a special DVD player for HD tv, or doesn't anyone buy DVD anymore, but purchase Blue-Ray players?

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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

If you have a HDMI connection, use a HDMI cable to connect the two. The picture and audio quality is far better than any other type of cable.

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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

On 4/22/2014 glb613 said:

If you have a HDMI connection, use a HDMI cable to connect the two. The picture and audio quality is far better than any other type of cable.

Thank you very much for the reply. I'm going tomorrow to purchase one. Is it true a HDMI cable that sells for $20 is just as good as one for $60? I read somewhere that a cheaper one is the same as a more expensive one , you shouldn't waste your money.

Esteemed Contributor
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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

I bought one on Amazon for way under $10. They all work the same!

I don't even have a dvd player- I pop whatever dvd I want to watch in my laptop cd drive and connect it to my tv with the hdmi cable. Voila!

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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

You need to check the back of the DVD player and see if it has a HDMI connector. I agree with ibb38. Don't spend major dollars on a cable. They all do the same job.
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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

On 4/22/2014 jordan2 said:

I just purchased a Samsung 50" HD TV and was wondering if I need an HDMI cable to hook up my DVD player? The player is not new. Do you need a special DVD player for HD tv, or doesn't anyone buy DVD anymore, but purchase Blue-Ray players?

If your DVD player has an HDMI output it is much better to use just 1 cable, which is this one. If you use any other type of connection to your HDTV you will also have to run and "audio cable or cables" depending on the type of Audio "outputs on your DVD player" and also on the type of "Audio Inputs" on your HDTV.

Most all new TV sets have HDMI and many also have "Optical/Coaxial/Composite" Audio in puts. That is why HDMI is so much better. It moved both the Audio and the Video from your DVD to the TV set, and all in the same cable. Otherwise you need something else if you want a direct connection from the DVR player to the TV set, and there are a least 3 more different types of them. If you don't have an HDMI hooked to the TV you will only receive Video from your DVD unless you connect the Audio via the choices I mentioned above.

hckynut(john)
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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

On 4/22/2014 jordan2 said:
On 4/22/2014 glb613 said:

If you have a HDMI connection, use a HDMI cable to connect the two. The picture and audio quality is far better than any other type of cable.

Thank you very much for the reply. I'm going tomorrow to purchase one. Is it true a HDMI cable that sells for $20 is just as good as one for $60? I read somewhere that a cheaper one is the same as a more expensive one , you shouldn't waste your money.

I don't buy the most expensive or the cheapest. There is a difference in the quality of the wires and it will make a difference in the quality of the audio/video.

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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

I went to Best Buy today to buy a couple of HDMI cables (I bought a sound bar too). Instead of wasting time I asked a worker where I could find them. He takes me to a room where they have the REALLY high end tvs, the cables there were $60 and $100! I said that I didn't want to spend that much and was told you didn't need expensive cables. He said those people don't know what they are talking about and if you want to have to replace them in 3 months, that's up to you. He then showed me some lesser priced cables. He showed me $10 ones and felt like he was mocking me. I ended buying a 2 pack of Dynex 6 foot cables which were $20 a piece but $35 for the 2 pack. I don't like feeling that I'm being taken advantage of by trying to sell me something more expensive when something lesser priced does the same job.
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Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

On 4/23/2014 jordan2 said: I went to Best Buy today to buy a couple of HDMI cables (I bought a sound bar too). Instead of wasting time I asked a worker where I could find them. He takes me to a room where they have the REALLY high end tvs, the cables there were $60 and $100! I said that I didn't want to spend that much and was told you didn't need expensive cables. He said those people don't know what they are talking about and if you want to have to replace them in 3 months, that's up to you. He then showed me some lesser priced cables. He showed me $10 ones and felt like he was mocking me. I ended buying a 2 pack of Dynex 6 foot cables which were $20 a piece but $35 for the 2 pack. I don't like feeling that I'm being taken advantage of by trying to sell me something more expensive when something lesser priced does the same job.

There is a difference in how HDMI cables are made, but the main difference does not effect the average user. Just as with any other type of wiring, the longer the distance it is run from the source, the more the quality comes into play.

For a 3' or a 6' cable that is going to be used indoors in a constant(or close)temperature room, it is not worth the money to buy the expensive cables. I made telephone and other cables for Western Electric/At&T for 30 years and I know how some are made in comparison to others. I am not going to go into details about all the numbers but I can tell you that you do not need expensive cables for indoor short distant usuage.

The last HDMI cables I bought cost me about $3 a piece as I bought 5 of them with other things and got free shipping from the online vendor. Unless one disconnects them or they are subjected to major temperature changes don't let any salesperson take advantage of you.

With the internet and so much info available these days a person should learn as much as they can before going into any electronics store and be armed with basic knowledge. Sounds like you got what will work for you.

hckynut(john)
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Posts: 7,423
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Do I Need An HDMI Cable For My DVD Player

On 4/23/2014 jordan2 said: I went to Best Buy today to buy a couple of HDMI cables (I bought a sound bar too). Instead of wasting time I asked a worker where I could find them. He takes me to a room where they have the REALLY high end tvs, the cables there were $60 and $100! I said that I didn't want to spend that much and was told you didn't need expensive cables. He said those people don't know what they are talking about and if you want to have to replace them in 3 months, that's up to you. He then showed me some lesser priced cables. He showed me $10 ones and felt like he was mocking me. I ended buying a 2 pack of Dynex 6 foot cables which were $20 a piece but $35 for the 2 pack. I don't like feeling that I'm being taken advantage of by trying to sell me something more expensive when something lesser priced does the same job.

Best Buy always tries to upsell customers- they convinced my elderly Dad that his flat screen tv needed a sound bar. It didn't! Just one wire wasn't fully connected to his tv - my son connected it properly just after their return period. They gave my Dad such a hard time about returning the sound bar too. They wouldn't even give him store credit! I had to comment on their facebook page about taking advantage of the elderly before they'd do anything for him. (facebook's good for something!)