Am I using the right Cables and or Wires with my HDTV and HD Cable Box? I need some advice?
Small Business Man asked:
I just got a brand new HDTV today,I also picked up a HD Cable Box from Time Warner today along with the HD Cable wires that they gave me. These wires have the 6 Single adapters (Red, White & Yellow, the other half is Green, Blue & Read), these wires are connected to the HD Cable box and the HDTV. Are there any other Wires or Cables I need to get the full HD effect out of my TV? Somebody told me I am missing the HDMI Cable but Time Warner never mentioned anything about me needing to get another Cable to connect my HDTV to the HD Cable Box. Do I need the HDMI Cable if I have the other 6 Color Wires connected already? or do I have the choice of using either the HDMI Cable (which is just one Cable) or use the 6 Single Color Wires (Red,White & Red - Green, Blue & Red)? Do I need to have both of them connected ? I would really appreciate some kind of help with this matter, I want to be sure that I am getting the best out of my HDTV and my HD Cable box. Any information would be highly appreciated, Thank You
I just got a brand new HDTV today,I also picked up a HD Cable Box from Time Warner today along with the HD Cable wires that they gave me. These wires have the 6 Single adapters (Red, White & Yellow, the other half is Green, Blue & Read), these wires are connected to the HD Cable box and the HDTV. Are there any other Wires or Cables I need to get the full HD effect out of my TV? Somebody told me I am missing the HDMI Cable but Time Warner never mentioned anything about me needing to get another Cable to connect my HDTV to the HD Cable Box. Do I need the HDMI Cable if I have the other 6 Color Wires connected already? or do I have the choice of using either the HDMI Cable (which is just one Cable) or use the 6 Single Color Wires (Red,White & Red - Green, Blue & Red)? Do I need to have both of them connected ? I would really appreciate some kind of help with this matter, I want to be sure that I am getting the best out of my HDTV and my HD Cable box. Any information would be highly appreciated, Thank You
March 13th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
you have the choice to use one or the other but the green,blue &red cables or called component cables and are analog not digital to get true hdtv go with the hdmi cable. The hdmi carries both video & audio.You only need this cable connected from cable box to tv.
March 15th, 2009 at 1:07 am
The easiest way to connect your cable box to the TV is using the HDMI cable. Most HDTVs can only support 1080p via HDMI. This combines both the audio and HD video in a single cable, making it easy to connect.
The other cable they gave you is a combination composite video and component video cable. The yellow cable is composite video - you can ignore it entirely. The other 3 video cables (red, blue, green) are the component video cables. The remaining red and white cables are for stereo audio. While Component video can also carry a 1080p video signal, most HDTVs will only do 1080i with the component video cable.
You only need one or the other, and in reality, either HDMI or component video will work fine. Most stations that are in HD are only in 720p, with only a scant view using 1080i.
March 18th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Component cables, the red/green/blue with the red and white audio cables are all you need. Component carries both analog and digital signals, and will provide equal HD picture quality and slightly better SD picture quality. Broadcast signals do not go up to 1080p, they are 1080i at the highest, so the above arguments for HDMI are not applicable unless you are attaching a blu ray or 1080p game system, then you should use HDMI.
HDMI is one cable and carries pic and sound. The picture quality is NOT better than component. And there are handshake issues with HDMI and cable boxes at this time, lots of “no signal” that’s why they give you component.
You don’t need the yellow cable and it should not be plugged in with the component, it’s an old analog wire and unnecessary.
If you have a surround receiver, just don’t use the red/white audio into your tv. Use the component into the tv and run an optical cable straight from your cable box into your receiver, that will give you the best sound.
Should you decide you want to try HDMI, go to and get it there. Very good quality for very little money.
But I use component on all my HD tvs and it works very well.
I do use HDMI for my Blu Ray.