With money tight and the cost of cinema tickets ever-increasing, more and more people are electing to stay in and watch TV and movies rather than going out. Part of the reason for this is that a lot of high definition televisions and crisp sound systems that rival the cinema experience have hit the market over the past few years. Home theatres have been popular in America for a while now, but the trend now appears to have taken hold in Britain. However, shopping for a home theatre system isn’t as simple as buying a television and some nice speakers. Home theatre enthusiasts have to consider all of the components in a system, and how they work together to produce a high quality overall experience. One of the least understood components of a home theatre system are cables. Whereas the merits of a good television are pretty obvious just from looking at the specifications (screen size, etc), anyone who isn’t particularly well-versed in the world of cables will undoubtedly be baffled by the various technical jargon used to describe a cable. Blinded by confusing specifications, this often leads consumers to confuse quality with cost, splashing out on the most expensive cables (and trust us, they can get really expensive!) in the belief that high cost means high performance. So, does paying more for a cable guarantee a better performance? It depends on the kind of cable you are using. Analog cables, for example, are more prone to interference; an aerial connected via an analog cable is more likely to produce a poor and interrupted picture quality. This can be amended somewhat using cable shielding to protect from the affects of interference, but this kind of feature is usually associated with a higher price. Analog cables are falling increasingly out of favour, however, with most cable manufacturers opting for digital alternatives. Digital cables offer a far stronger transmission of signal than analog cables, with interference having little-to-no effect on the final picture quality. Therefore, many suggest that paying more for a digital cable such as an HDMI cable simply isn’t worth it; the respected reviews at CNET have even gone as far as to suggest that their readers only invest in bargain online HDMI cables rather than splashing out on expensive alternatives. That doesn’t mean that the performance of digital cables is perfect, however, and there will be instances where splashing out a bit more will result in much better sound and picture quality. Distance, for example, can have a big effect on the quality of signal transmission; if there is a significant distance between your HD device and your TV, it’s important to invest in a cable that can successfully transmit a signal across that distance. In some cases, this may involve investing in a specially-made custom cable. In conclusion, paying more for a cable doesn’t always mean that you’re getting the best quality product. Instead, you should focus on specifications and match them to your own requirements accordingly. For more information on custom cables for home theatre purposes, get in touch with Custom Designed Cables.