If you have a television in your home, which you most likely do, you probably also have a tangled braid of colored cables cascading down the back of it. Whether you put all of those cables in yourself, or had someone come in and do it for you, you may not even know what half of them do! But if you’re not tech savvy, or you just want to learn the basics in case something goes wrong, it’s not the long and arduous task that some people make it out to be.
With more and more people consuming media through computers and phones, the need for cables to transfer images to larger screens has become necessary. It’s for this reason that high definition multimedia interface and digital video interface equipment(HDMI DVI cables) has become a major innovation in visual technology. HDMI DVI cables allow images and videos to be transferred and projected on one or more screens at the same time. They’re most commonly used to project a video or image from a computer screen to a television screen, but if you look at the back of your Blu Ray or DVD player, you’ll most likely see one!
HDMI DVI cables come in varying lengths, but you probably don’t need a 100 ft HDMI cable to go from your couch to your television. These cables can cost up to $50, but you’ll rarely find one that costs that much, unless you do, in fact, need 100 feet of cable. But if you require a cable that long, you can special order it, so don’t worry too much. HDMI DVI cables, if properly taken care of, can easily last up to five years.
Cell phone cables, on the other hand, may not last as long. These cords and other cell phone accessories are strained from nearly every day use, and can suffer damage more easily. Broken, frayed, or otherwise damaged cables can not only harm your phone, but if not properly fixed or replaced, can be a fire hazard. Beyond that, connecting your phone charger directly to a surge protector can be a hazard as well. It can cause overheating, or further damage an already compromised cable.
Taking care of your equipment is the first step in learning about the way it works. It takes a bit more than knowing what HDMI stands for to ensure the life of your technology!