These cables are the 5 most popular cables around at the moment. Although this is a top 5 list we are also looking to give a little bit of information about the uses of each of these 5 cables.

HDMI Cable – Amongst the most common cable at the moment is easily the HDMI Lead. This is mainly down to the extreme popularity of HD TV’s. HDMI cables are used to connect these high def tv’s to hd devices like sky hd and blu-ray players . As with most things like this HDMI is evolving, the current standard is 1.4. HDMI leads fall within the Digital Cable Category.

Optical Cable – Optical cables are used for sending digital sound, normally to digital amps or hi-fi’s. Unlike HDMI cables, optical cables are not able to handle video data. Invented by Toshiba, they were originaly called Toshiba Link cables, which was then shoertened to Toslink cables. These fibre optica cables work by transfering data in the form of light, and are therefore classed as digital cables.

Component Cables – Component cables are a popular alternative to HDMI Cables for connecting High definition devices. The Biggest downfall of component is its inability to handle audio signals, unfortunately it is video only. Contrary to popular belief component cables are NOT digital cables, they in fact fall into the analogue category. However it is still possible to acheive 720p or 1080i resolution through a component cable.

SCART to USB – For those of you holding on to favourite films or old camcorder videos. SCART to USB Video Capture Kits allow you to transfer your old videos onto your computer. This means you no longer have to hold on to that dated VHS player. You will need software to save the files on your computer, but a good SCART to USB kit will include this software with it. Always check your hard drive space as video files can take up a lot of disk space.

iPod/iPhone Cables – The iPod & iPhone have stormed on to the scence and both are up there as must have gadgets. Out of many cables available the 2 top sellers seem to be: Replacement USB docking cables, for people who have lost or damaged their original cable or simply just want and extra one. And a stereo jack cable to connect you iPod to your stereo system.

Well there you have it, a guide to the most popular multimedia cables. That said, whith the speed tecnology moves at, this article will probably be out of date.