Xbox 360 HDMI

Xbox 360 HDMI hardware review

I used to think that buying cables is very simple and does not require much consideration.  I was wrong.  There are many unused cables in my house due to poor selection (those cables did not fit the purpose).  Let me share with you the lessons I learnt from mistakes:

(1) Length

Check the distance between your Xbox 360 and the TV by actual measurement along the routing.  DO NOT just estimate.  Some TV shelves give you an odd routing for cabling.  And always add some buffer.  For example, if measurement tells you a 6 ft cable is needed, get one a bit longer, say, 9 ft.

When buying Xbox 360 HDMI cable from Amazon (which is a convenient store I highly recommend), make sure you check the length of the cable.  It is usually marked in the product descriptions, like this:

Don’t get it wrong.  Length is crucial but it’s not the longer the better.  The signal strength drops as the HDMI cable gets longer.  While there is no authoritative standard, a rule of thumb is not to get anything longer than 33 feet (10 meters).  If you need to bridge over such a long span, you should buy a wireless hdmi extender , such as this one by Zinwell:

Alternatively, you can buy a HDMI switcher which could extend the total length (it serves as a bridge).

(2) Connector Type

Another common mistake is getting a HDMI cable with a wrong connector type.  I once made a mistake to order a cable with mini-HDMI connector wishing to plug into my disc player that supports HDMI port only.

The HDMI port on Xbox 360 is 19-pinType A (photo shown below).  Make sure you get HDMi cables with this connector. And of course you should get a male-male cable, since the Xbox 360 has a female HDMI port and most TVs have female HDMI ports.

(3) Version

A less known fact is that HDMI cables have different versions.  As with other tech things, the latest version supports previous versions.  Although your Xbox 360 does not require the latest version HDMI cable, it is suggested to buy the latest version if possible, so that you can use the same cable on newer devices.  For example, if you want to connect your 3D Blu-ray player to your 3D TV , you need a 1.3a or above version HDMI cable which supports 3D graphics.

Below are the features of different versions of HDMI cables, extracted from Wikipedia:

(4) Coating

You may have seen some HDMI cables that has special plating.  For example, this HDMI cable has gold plating on connectors .

While in general you don’t need to buy luxury cables for your gaming console, I do recommend you buy a HDMI cable or your Xbox 360 that has 24K gold plating (after all the price is not much higher).  It’s not for beauty, but better conductivity and noise reduction (in other words, these cables last longer).  On the other hand cables without plating are prone to rusting.

(5) Reviews

I also read the reviews by other customers before buying from Amazon and I suggest you do the same.

You can keyword search for products on Amazon and read the reviews one by one.  But here is a simpler method.  Amazon has a page for top rated products.  For example, you can find a list of top-rated Xox 360 cables here .

Why do you need a Xbox 360 HDMI cable?  It is because Xbox 360 supports high-definition graphics and HDMI is the most popular high-definition signal cable available in the market.  You can find HDMI ports on almost all high-definition TVs.

Simply put, Xbox 360 HDMI is the best way to unleash the digital high-definition capabilities to enjoy the best video and audio.

Xbox 360 HDMI Cable

Using Xbox 360 HDMI cable is easy.  Simply find the HDMI ports on your Xbox 360 and your HDTV.  Plug the cable in these two ports and everything’s done.

Where to Buy Xbox 360 HDMI Cable?

Xbox 360 HDMI cables are available in most electronics stores.  I recommend buying from Amazon since they have plenty to choose from and the price is cheap.  Both official and third party products are available.

No HDMI Port on Your Xbox?

Right.  Some old model Xbox 360 consoles do not have HDMI ports.  No worries.  You can buy a Xbox 360 HDMI adapter to connect your HDTV with the RCA and optical ports your Xbox 360.  Search for Xbox 360 HDMI adapter in Amazon to buy one!