Q: What is the difference between $80 cables and $8 cables?

A: Price has little to do with the quality of a cable and is more a result of marketing and psychology. More expensive cables are marketed more aggresively, have ornate packaging, and are often described with terminology that is imperceptible to the senses, such as "smooth to the ears" for audio cables or "deeper blacks" for video cables. These vague terms do more to make the customer justify the purchase to himself than to describe an actual quality of the cable.

ShowMeCables is proud to offer quality products at reasonable prices. Test drive our cables. If you don't like them, we have an industry leading 90 day return policy. We also offer a replacement guarantee for the life of the cable.

Q: What is the longest USB cable I can buy?

A: A single USB cable has a limitation of 15 feet. However, an Active USB Extender can be used to extends the length an 16 additional feet. The best news is that you can dasiy chain up to 5 extension cables to go a total of 80 feet.

Q: How do I connect my computer to my TV?

A: It depends on both the computer (the output) and the television (the input). Most computers and laptops have a VGA output. VGA is much higher resolution than S-video or RCA connections allow. In order to connect your computer to your TV you need a converter box that will alter the signal, allowing it to be displayed on the TV.

Q:What cable do I need to connect my X-box/PS3 to the internet?

A: To connect your X-box or PS3 to the internet you need a Cat5e patch cable. This will plug into the back of your machine and into your modem or router.

Q: What is the best way to keep my phone cord from twisting?

A: The best way is to purchase one of our phone detanglers. It rotates to prevent your handset cord from twisting.

Q: Is S-Video a better signal than RGB component?

A: S-Video seperates the chrominance and the luminance.  This is better than composite which transmits all of the information together.  However, component video separates the signal into three distinct colors - Red, Greeen, and Blue.  By using a combination of these three colors it can create any color.  Component video will give you a better visual picture.

Q: What is the difference between Cat5e and Cat6?

A: Cat5e is the most common type of ethernet connection for homes and offices.  It supports speeds speeds up to 1 gigabyte per section (Gbps).  Cat6 supports speeds up to 10 Gbps.  You will not see a performance increase if you switch from Cat5e to Cat6 cables.  To see the benefit of Cat6 every aspect of your network has to be rated for Cat6 speeds.

Q: What HDMI cable will support my 3D television?

A: You can use any of our ECore HDMI cables with your 3D television.

Q: Can I convert a composite or s-video signal to HDMI?

A: No. Composite and s-video use analog signals while HDMI requires a digital signal.

Q: Do you have a cable that will go from VGA to HDMI?

A: No. VGA is an analog signal while HDMI requires a digital signal.

Q: Will using cat6 cables make my connection faster?

A: In most cases, no. Some high-end commercial or industrial networks benefit from cat6 cables, but for home use you will be fine with cat5e.

Q: Can I send a signal from a USB output to an HDMI input?

A: Yes, there is a special adapter to convert a signal from a USB to HDMI compatible.

Q: When would I use one gauge size of speaker wire over another?

A: The main consideration when choosing speaker wire should be the distance of the run. Longer runs require thicker conductor (lower AWG numbers) to make sure the signal does not degrade over the distance. On the other hand, a thicker conductor cable will be less flexible, more expensive, and potentially more difficult to terminate. Here are some rough guidelines:

Q: What is the threaded connector on a standard television for the antenna/cable input? And do you have this type connector in a BNC female to male (T.V./cable)? I have a coax with a male BNC, I need to convert to a standard, threaded T.V. antenna connector.

A: The so-called "coax cable" used to connect your TV to an antenna or cable features an "F-Type Connector" or sometimes referred to simply as an "F Connector." To convert an F-Type jack to BNC, use the BNC Female to F-Male Adapter, which is part number 906.

Q: Is there a such thing as a VGA snake? I need to run 4 digital projectors from a single Mac and am trying to avoid a long run of individual cables.

A: If you are trying to run the same signal (as in, from a single computer) to four different projectors, the best solution would be to use a 4-way VGA Splitter.