Do I Need Special Hdmi Cable As Opposed To Coaxial CableTo Watch My New Plasma TV

I am near a coaxial outlet. Do I need to HDMI from my cable box to the new TV?

HDMI cables are to watch HD so if you do not want to watch HD buy the cheaper coaxail cable. Note that you need to buy also HD channels from your cable provider to watch HD.

If you are using a cable box, then to get high definition on the TV you will need either HDMI or component cables from the cable box to the TV.

Do I Need Special Hdmi Cable As Opposed To Coaxial CableTo Watch My New Plasma TV

Belkin PureAV AV21000-06 6-Foot Component Video Cable

Belkin Inc., Electronics, Too low to display

Some HD cable boxes most certainly have an HDMI output. My cable box is a bit older, and has DVI rather than HDMI, but that’s just a different connector, it’s the same type of signal and can connect right into an HDMI input with a simple adaptor.

The coax to the TV can carry HD from an antenna – or, if you go straight from the cable company’s cable to the TV, from the cable system’s nonencrypted QAM channels – but the only HD you can watch that way (either way) will be over-the-air signals from your local stations. The coax cannot carry HD from the cable box to the TV. Coax from the cable box to the TV will get you the HD channels, but only in Standard Definition picture quality, and poor SD at that.

RCA VH606N Digital RG-6 Coaxial Cable (6 feet)

RCA, Electronics, $0.59

The signal is clear and crisp. The coax cable separates digital cable box signal from the basic cable signal. The picture and sound quality are great. The HD channels come in perfect. Good cable.

Difference Between HDMI And Coaxial Cable

HDMI is like Lamborghini and coaxial is like a Corvette, they are both good, but HDMI gives you much better quality sound and speed. Your Plasma comes with both HDMI and coax.
You coax from the wall will connect to any of the following; then you can use HDMI to connect to the TV.
DVD players, Blue-ray, Sat receiver, Cable box, Stereo system with Surround sound, if you have any of does have a HDMI hook up in the back then you can use your HDMI connection.

Component Video

Here’s one exception: Standard and even HD-compatible cable boxes don’t have HDMI input, so I suggest the next best hook-up: component video. The coaxial cable hook-up is for sending the cable feed from the conjuction box to the cable box. And digital HDTV sets inspite of the old analogue sets don’t have a coaxial input for video signal transfer.

You could use component cables between the cable box and the TV. This too will get you HD. Picture quality is just slightly worse than with HDMI. Unlike with HDMI you will need to use the two (white and red) audio cables to get sound from the cable box to the TV, if video is going over component. (HDMI carries both digital video and digital audio… very convenient.)
In some cases HDMI runs into problems with HDCP (copy protection). If you use HDMI and the picture on the TV is flashing, turning on and off, etc., this is the likely problem. Switch to component.