All AV cables come in varying degrees of quality and when possible it is best to invest in a good quality cable from a known brand. This is especially important if you are considering routing the cable under the floor or inside the walls as some cables are not safety rated for this type of routing and could cause serious problems.

We stock a wide range of AV cables from a variety of manufactures including Alphason, QED, Monster Cables, Profigold and Iconic. QED offer the widest range of our AV cables including all of the below and more. Their two most popular ranges, Performance and Profile, include all the major types of AV cables and are made from high quality materials to give the best possible cable performance and durability.

Below is a short description of each of the more popular types of AV cables which should hopefully help you in finding the ideal cable for your set up.

HDMI

HDMI uses a 19-pin connector to transmit digital video and audio signals between components. It can deliver the highest quality video and audio available, all in a single cable. HDMI is the only single cable that supports up to 8 channels of super high quality lossless audio. It is also capable of transmitting full 1080p video signals including the latest bandwidth intensive 3D signals via a HDMI 1.4 cable.

HDMI can be used to hook up any high definition source to your TV including:

• HD Cable or Satellite box
• HD games consoles
• Blu-Ray players
• Surround Sound Systems
• Newer HD Cameras and Camcorders

HDMI cables come in varying degrees of quality and picking the best cable for your set up is a must if you want to enjoy the best your AV equipment has to offer. Also remember that HDMI is continually evolving so make sure that the cable you buy is suitable for the application/s you wish to use it for. If you are unsure of which HDMI cable is suitable then a HDMI 1.4 cable is your best bet as these are the latest additions to the HDMI family and support all the latest features.

QEDs Profile HDMI cables are designed to complement today’s slim TVs and media devices. They consist of 24AWG 99.999% Oxygen Free Copper Conductors for all cables. Each cable features low jitter and includes an Audio Return and Ethernet channel. As an added bonus, each HDMI cable from the Profile range has a QED lifetime guarantee.

The next step up is QEDs Performance range. These multi-award winning cables offer great performance for their price and are perfect for any home theatre system. Below 3m the Performance HDMI cables use 26AWG 99.999% Oxygen-Free Copper Conductors to aid in signal transfer with even less jitter than the Profile range resulting in better AV performance.

Optical

Optical cables transmit digital audio signals as pulses of light which makes them virtually impervious to outside interference. It is capable of up to 5.1 channel surround sound and is more common on today’s AV equipment than Coaxial.

Optical cables can be used to hook up most audio sources to your TV or Hi-fi including:

• HD Cable or Satellite box
• HD games consoles
• Blu-Ray, DVD and CD players

Optical cables, like all cables, come in varying degrees of quality and buying a low quality cable can result in your AV equipment not performing at its best, so it is important that you invest in a high quality cable for your set up.

QEDs Profile Optical cables feature a micro-moulded easy grip connectors and a medical grade fibre optic core. As with all of QED Profile cables, these come with a QED lifetime guarantee. Add this to the unrivalled ultra-compact performance and you have a cable range well worth the investment.

QEDs Performance Optical cables differ slightly as these use a PMMA acrylic glass plastic optical fibre with graded refractive index for reduced transmission loss. In addition the cable features Kevlar fibre fillers for enhanced strain relief and Fluorinated polymer cladding material. The QED Performance Optical cables are the next step up from the Profile range and are ideal for AV enthusiasts.

Component

Component cables deliver better detail and colour accuracy than what you would get from a Composite, S-Video or RF cable. This is because the analog video signal is split into three parts and each part it transmitted through its own cable. Component is also capable of high definition 1080p but most AV equipment only allows up to 1080i via Component cable.

Component cables can be used to connect most HD videos sources to your TV including:

• HD games consoles
• Blu-Ray and DVD players
• HDTV tuners
• AV receivers

Component cables come in varying degrees of quality so look for a cable that has gold plated connectors and double or triple shielding to preserve the analog video signals. If HDMI is not supported for some reason or is unavailable then Component is an excellent second choice. Also depending on what cable you buy, it may have an extra two cables included which are the left/right audio connectors.

QEDs Profile Component cables offer unrivalled ultra-compact performance. The ultra-flexible 99.999% Oxygen-Free Copper Conductors and 24k gold connectors improve AV performance. With Component cables being analog QEDs Profile Component cables are shielded to reduce outside interference which would otherwise cause signal degradation. QEDs Profile Component cable is an excellent choice for anyone who uses component cables to hook up their AV equipment.

S-Video

S-Video cables can transmit analog video signals up to 480i. They do this via a circular, 4-pin connector with the chrominance (colour) and luminance (brightness) signals transmitted down separate paths. This provides better colour accuracy and detail than Composite and RF connections. However S-Video does not support audio.

S-Video cables can be used as an interconnect on most older AV equipment including:

• VHS cassette players
• Older TVs
• Older games consoles

S-Video is not commonly supported anymore because of its lack of high definition capabilities however if you are using an older standard definition TV then S-Video cables are one of the better options for you to get the sharpest image from your TV. Being an analog cable it is more susceptible to signal degradation so it is important to invest in a good quality cable to achieve the best image quality possible.

SCART

SCART cables use a 21-pin connector that can transmit both audio and video analog signals. These include S-Video, composite video, RGB, stereo audio and control signals.

SCART Cables can be used to connect almost all video sources to a TV including:

• DVD players
• VHS
• Games consoles
• Cable or Satellite box

SCART is universally supported by almost all AV equipment from the European market and any other country that uses the PAL video standard. This means that if you were to buy a new TV today, you are pretty much guaranteed that it will feature at least one SCART connection. However like all analog type cables they are susceptible to outside interference so a good quality cable is must if you wish to get to best out of your AV equipment using a SCART cable.

QEDs Profile SCART cables feature 24k gold connectors and ultra-flexible 99.999% Oxygen-Free Copper Conductors to enhance AV performance. With SCART cables being analog it is essential that they come with some type of shielding to prevent outside interference from degrading the signal as it passes through the cable, this is why every QED SCART cable comes with shielding to reduce this effect. Like with all QEDs Profile cables these come with a QED lifetime guarantee giving you peace of mind. The unrivalled ultra-compact performance of QEDs Profile SCART cables makes them ideal for anyone who uses SCART cables as interconnects for their AV equipment.

Aerial

Aerial cables transmit radio frequency signals from your Satellite receiver or Aerial to your TV or set top box. They are specifically designed to carry radio waves. Aerial cables with a Co-axial construction offer better signal integrity as they shield the analog signal from outside interference.

Aerial or Coaxial cables can be used as an interconnect for a variety of AV sources including:

• Satellite TV receiver
• Aerial receiver
• Built-in TV tuners
• Cable TV receivers

There are a wide range of different types of Aerial cables each with slightly different internals. Some are very good at protecting the radio signals that pass through them but can be quite stiff and prone to kinking whereas others are more flexible but lack some of the protective qualities. Aerial cables with a Co-axial construction can be placed next to metal objects without the risk of signal interference. When deciding on what to buy, it is best to know exactly what you want to use the cable for and where you will be routing it so that you can invest in the best cable for your situation.

QEDs Profile Aerial cables offer ultra-flexible 99.999% Oxygen-Free Copper Conductors with 24k gold connectors and shielding to enhance signal transfer and AV performance. The Profile Aerial cables come with a QED lifetime guarantee and include a Female to Female adapter in case you need to connect two Aerial cables together.

The QED Performance Aerial cables are the next step up with 24k gold plated connectors, triple electrical screening for enhanced signal integrity and a Co-axial construction optimised for true 75Ω impedance. The Performance Aerial cables are perfect for use as interconnects for any home theatre system where an Aerial cable is needed.

There are many more types of AV cables available with even more adapters and splitters. However the main things to remember are that AV cables come in two forms, analog and digital. It is always best to invest in a good quality cable whether it’s digital or analog but especially if it’s analog as an analog signal is susceptible to outside interference which can lead to signal degradation. This isn’t as much of a problem with digital signals but it is still recommended to invest in a good quality cable either way.

HDMI Cables – View FULL Range

QED – View FULL Range

QED Profile – View FULL Range

QED Performance – View FULL Range