HDMI Accessories: some more useful than others

As you can tell from the title, we're not convinced that all HDMI accessories are all that useful.  Why do we insist on that point though?

Well, a HDMI cable--even when no extra accessories are involved--can already go wrong all by itself.  Adding all sorts of adapters, extensions and convertors can only make the chain longer and introduce more room for error.  If you think of accessories as just that: extras, rather than essentials, then you won't go far wrong.  That doesn't stop some of them from coming in very handy.

Here's our list, but it's by no means conclusive--we've deliberately left splitters and switches out, by the way:

HDMI - DVI As you can see in this photo, this convertor is available in both directions: DVI > HDMI and HDMI > DVI.  Make sure you choose the right one!  It's most useful attached to your graphics card to connect a TV or an LCD monitor.

Amazon.co.uk: £3.97

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Mini HDMI - HDMI This one is useful if your digital camera or camcorder only has a mini HDMI output.  You can use it to connect your imaging equipment straight to your TV.

Amazon.co.uk: £9.99

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HDMI Right-angle The benefit of the male-female version of this right-angle adapter is that you can keep your TV right up against the wall and still connect HDMI devices.  We're less sure about the female-female version: perhaps it's to add as an extension in a tight corner.  You'll have to use with short cables, however, as it doesn't include a repeater.

Amazon.co.uk: £7.99

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Mini DVI - HDMI If you need a cable like this, that means you're a Mac user who wants to connect your computer to an external monitor or a TV that has a HDMI input.

Amazon.co.uk: £9.95

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Mini DisplayPort - HDMI And if it's a cable like this, it's because you're somebody with a very recent Mac and you want to connect it to an external monitor or TV that has an HDMI input.

Amazon.co.uk: £14.95

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HDMI Repeater This repeater allows you to increase the distance between your video source and your display equipment by up to 30 metres.  Note that it needs to be plugged in to electricity.

Amazon.co.uk: £9.41

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HDMI - RJ45 - HDMI Our last adapter is an unusual choice: it converts HDMI signals to RJ45 (CAT 5/6) and back again.  The manufacturer allows you to carry a 1080i signal for 60 m or a 1080p signal for 30 m in passive mode (without electricity).  That said, we can't really see what the benefit is for home user:  who really needs to keep their games console 60 m away from their TV?

Amazon.co.uk: £32.99

Some of these fixed adapters can be replaced by individual cables with different attachments at each end that can do the same job.  That's true of mini HDMI to HDMI adaptors, as well as DVI to HDMI.  They're often more expensive than an individual adapter (although there are some exceptions)--but we often think the quality is much better ...

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