Christmas means plenty of new toys, as well as the need for cords and wires to power that sweet new home entertainment system. However, most HDTVs and and other newfangled gadgets don't arrive equipped with the appropriate cables right out of the box, causing stress to those eager beavers anxious to plug in their new television and watch a flick. But no matter: there is such thing as a "the best" HDMI cable, and we've broken down some of the best options available to you, including those for your iOS devices and other essentials.
Monoprice has built their brand based on word of mouth through customers eagerly sharing the news that, yes, you can find the cheapest wires at this online retailer. Their current product catalog includes thousands of home theater products, PC peripherals, as well as a host of other accessories.
Monoprice's pricing formula is simple: they eliminate the high costs of packaging and middlemen by purchasing wares in large volumes. That way, the customer, will only wind up paying for the materials and workmanship that go into each cable and accessory, at wholesale cost.
So, now that you've had a little introduction, let's get to a little price comparison, shall we? For our cable examples, we'll break down options between Monoprice versus the other big box retailers where you can find the best deal.
The iOS device USB cable is one of the most essential if you're going to charge or sync your device. But since said cable can occasionally go missing, and its proprietary connection makes it difficult to find just anywhere, it's advisable that you keep an extra one stashed away for emergencies.
You would think Apple would be the go to guy for this, but its cable replacement comes in at $19.00, where a similar version could be had from Walmart for $3.98.
Winner: Walmart
Monoprice's catalog includes HDMI cables with some of the newest features, like 3D Support, Audio Return Channel, 4K x 2K Support, more Color Space support and backwards compatibility with previous versions of HDMI.
The competition was a little bit closer here. Monoprice's offering comes in at $3.04, narrowly beating out Walmart's at $3.98. Target offered a high speed HDMI cable at $13.99, and Best Buy sells a high speed cable for $29.99. Again this is where Monoprice's pricing structure shines, especially if you decide to buy a quantity of cables.
Winner: Monoprice
When it comes to charging your iOS device, car chargers can come in quite handy, especially for those long holiday drives. Not to mention the fact that if you use a GPS Navigator app on your iPhone, it can drain the battery rather quickly. Monoprice definitely won this category with a car charger for the price of $1.16. Curiously though, the product description states it works with iPods but not iPhones. Best Buy was next at $14.99, followed by Walmart at $16.54 (a retractable car charger) and then Apple at $24.95 for a Griffin PowerJolt Car Charger, the same option as Best Buy's.
Winner: Monoprice
This particular type of cable can also come in handy over the holidays, especially if you want to show off all those gorgeous HDR photos you took with your iPhone, or even a home movie. The category was actually a little bit closer for Apple this time, with a cable for $39.00; Best Buy's was more at $39.99. The winner though? Walmart at $33.43.
Winner: Walmart
Another essential cable for your utility belt is the mini display to DVI cable. Chalk another one up for Monoprice; theirs is $9.16, while Apple offers it for $29.00. Bringing up the caboose was Best Buy at $24.99, and Walmart at $26.04.
Winner: Monoprice
As we come to a close in our cable free-for-all, another cable handyman is the micro USB to USB cable. Not surprisingly, Monoprice wins this handily with their cable costing a mere $1.00. In second place is Walmart at $10.98, followed by Best Buy's retractable cord option at $11.99.
Winner: Monoprice
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