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How to relocate a HD set-top-box and still have it work with an HDTV


We know how it goes, you pick up a nice big HDTV and a wall-mount only to get it all setup then realize you still need a place to put your HD set-top-box. Or maybe you have a nice piece of furniture nearby to hide the box in, but since it is out of sight you need to get the IR remote working. Or you could even be like us and refuse to have any equipment with a loud fan in your home theater -- yes we're talking about you Mr. Xbox 360. Luckily there is a workable solution and with a little money and some elbow grease, you can hide that box in a place that will be out of sight and out of mind.

Where to get A/V cables

Many, and I mean, many of you have left comments concerning where to get cables for your HDTV. Monoprice.com has been a favorite of many of you but there are other places when quality is a concern. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the cables that Monoprice sells are good but, lets be honest here, there are better out there.

A couple of months ago we showed you how to make great quality component cables. BlueJeansCable.com takes out all the guess work, and fun, of constructing these cables. They use Belden cables with Canare ends; just like we did. Last but not least is Monster Cable. Say what you will but these are great cables. Yes, they cost a good amount of money and sometimes their business practices can be questionable, but they make one heck of a cable.

HDMI, DVI, and optical are digital so cheap low-priced should preform as good as expensive ones, right? Not from my experiences. Radio shack was clearencing out some cables so I picked up a few optical/s-video kits only to return them as the optical cable just did not sound right. I found it is all in the connector so before you order that ultra-low price HDMI cable, make sure it has a good connector.




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