Recently, there's been much more attention paid to the issues surrounding the HDMI Connection, particulary the Physical Connection. The HDMI Connector was designed to work as a "friction lock", much like a USB Cable. The problem is that HDMI Cables are much bigger and heavier than USB Cables, and they have to be in order to carry the Bandwidth needed for an HDMI Signal, particularly for longer runs.
Why is this a problem? This is a problem for two reasons, the HDMI Cable can work itself loose or completely become disconnected, and the weight of the HDMI Cable can place enough stress on your HDMI Input to internally damage your component. Those that have worked in the Consumer Electronics Industry, particularly those dealing with the Installation side of things, are well aware of the problems with the HDMI Connection, and most likely are no stranger to phone calls from frustrated customers wanting to know why their Home Theater just stopped working. And with HDMI becoming much more common, more people are experiencing these issues.
The first problem - the loose HDMI Cable, which is a common issue - can happen by itself over time (the weight of the cable causes it to work itself loose over time), or it can easily happen with those that move their equipment for any reason. Imagine dusting behind your AV equipment and your HDMI Cables come loose. Or maybe you have to access the back of your AV Receiver and as you pull it out to access the back, all of your HDMI Cables come unplugged. These can be very frustrating for the consumer and installer alike. But more than just an inconvenience, repeated plugging and unplugging of your HDMI Cables can cause the HDMI to seat even looser, and increases the risk of damaging your equipment.
Most of the Locking HDMI Cables on the market that we've reviewed will address this problem adequately, and keep your HDMI Cable from coming loose. But many of them don't address the second issue, and that is the potential of damaging your component due to the stress on your HDMI Input.
Just like the loose connection, damage caused from stress on your HDMI Input is a well-documented and well known problem. Next time you have access to an HDMI Cable plugged into an HDMI Input, give it a little wiggle and see how much it moves around and how delicate it feels. This constant stress on the HDMI Input can internally damage the circuits of your components, and typically to repair this involves replacing the entire HDMI board, which is very expensive.
If you are looking for a solution to lock your HDMI Cable in place, we recommend that you consider an option that also offers some type of stress relief. Locking Cables alone will not do anything to relieve stress from your HDMI Input, and you may still be succeptible to damaging your HDMI Input.
hd EZ lock addresses both of these issues with its innovative, two piece Universal Design. The Patent Pending hd EZ lock, winner of a 2009 CES Innovative Award Design, is the only Universal HDMI Locking Adapter available on the market. hd EZ lock does two things very well. First it locks an HDMI Cable into its input so that there are no problems with an intermittent connection, or with the cable working itself loose. Second, and maybe even more important is it eliminates stress on your HDMI Input by supporting the HDMI Cable by the Component's chassis rather than by the fragile HDMI Input.
If you've invested in your Home Theater System, and you're experiencing problems with your HDMI Connection, or you just want to take the extra step to make sure that you don't have any issues with the physical HDMI Connection, hd EZ lock offers the most support and the tightest grip of any Locking HDMI Solution, it's inexpensive compared to other Locking HDMI Solutions, and it's useable with the HDMI Cable of your choice. It's also the most flexible HDMI Locking solution, allowing it to work with the largest range of HDMI Cables and Components, with a variety of screw locations (above and below your HDMI Input), and with the supplied 3M Very High Bond (VHB) Adhesive. We recommend that you read the reviews and try one out for yourself, and have the peace of mind knowing that you won't experience these problems with your HDMI Connection.
(Click here to view details about hd EZ lock)
