The 411 on Cables

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed with cables and what you should be using for what device? As we accumulate more and more electronic devices, the number of cables we use increases. The following cables are some of the most common for everyday devices.

HDMI

One of the most common cables nowadays is the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cable. From gaming systems to connecting computers to projectors, these versatile cables provide both video and audio connections with one single cable.

When you're connecting Google Chromecasts, an Xbox, or pretty much anything that might output in High Definition, there's probably an HDMI cable not far behind.

USB

Most people are already familiar with USB cables, especially since most (if not all) smart phone chargers have a USB connection on one end. However, it's also worth noting that most printers can be connected to a computer using a USB-USB cable. 

Coaxial

If you hope to connect to the cable channels provided on campus, you'll want one of these. This will connect to a wall in the dorm room.

Back of the TV

Here's an example of the connections on the back of a TV. Besides the ones we've already discussed, it also includes an RGB connection for computers without HDMI output, an AV connection for devices like DVD players that are not HDMI compatible, and others.