Smartphones that are Better than an iPhone

Contenders for the Best Smartphone Crown are Few and Far Between
No question about it, the iPhone is a wonderful gadget. In fact, it’s really more like a computer that fits in your pocket and just so happens to make phone calls and the number of fun iPhone apps is growing by the day. However, as good as it is, it’s not perfect and there are a couple of competitors to consider when shopping for a smartphone.

There are many cell phones with similar features like touch screens and accelerometers but none has come close to the iPhone. There are, however, two brand new phones that we consider to be serious contenders; the new Blackberry Bold should be the darling of the enterprise crowd while the Nokia E71 offers a lot of features missing in the iPhone.

Blackberry Bold
The Blackberry Bold also known as the Blackberry Bold 9000 is just now, starting to appear in markets outside North America and early reviews indicate this smartphone is going to be a winner.

The BlackBerry Bold has a big 480 x 320, dense pixel per inch, color display which some say looks better than the iPhone. In addition to having all the latest bells and whistles like 3G, WiFi, A-GPS (Blackberry Maps included), stereo Bluetooth, QWERTY keyboard, and microSDHC expansion slot, this phone gets high marks for style and design (some say it even resembles an iPhone). The BlackBerry Bold also features an improved Web browser that renders pages fast. It has a 2 MP camera like the iPhone but also, like the iPhone, no forward-facing camera. It also comes with BlackBerry Desktop Manager including Roxio PhotoSuite 9 LE and the new BlackBerry Media Sync application which lets users sync their BlackBerry with their iTunes music collection.

The Nokia E71
One reviewer called the Nokia E71, “the best phone Nokia has made to date.” The Nokia E71, at 10 mm is thinner than the iPhone by a millimeter. Nokia says it’s the thinnest QWERTY smartphone.
Besides all the latest features like 3G and GSM radios, the Nokia E71 includes Assisted GPS (A-GPS), WiFi, a 3.2 MP camera with LED flash, a forward facing camera, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, a microSD slot and an FM radio. It lacks an accelerometer and a TV-out port. The 2.4 inch QVGA (320 x 240) screen doesn’t get as high marks as the Blackberry Bold and is smaller then iPhone’s 3.5 inch screen and reviewers say the QWERTY keyboard is a bit on the small size.

Windows Mobile Phones to Watch For
To round out the group of contenders we felt we needed to include a Windows Mobile-based phone or two but we also wonder if they are going to have what it takes to take on the iPhone. Hey, at least you can run Flash applications.

Samsung BlackJack III
The BlackJack III just started selling in Korea for around $600. It supposedly runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, has a 3 MP camera. 528 MHz processor, GPS and WiFi. Some say the BlackJack III will be a Samsung i788 running Windows Mobile.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is an impressive looking phone using an “arc slider design” where the screen slides up to expose a curved QWERTY keyboard. It has a large 3 inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen display, a 3.2 MP camera, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, A-GPS, WiFi, and a microSD slot.

Conclusion
We have to admit, it’s a tough call. Blackberry has a large number of loyal users who, we’re sure, have been considering making the switch to iPhone but the Blackberry Bold might be enough make keep them in the Blackberry camp. The Nokia E71 seems to have it all, reviewers love it, and there are a ton of Symbian apps to run on it but it’s a close call between it and the iPhone.

Five Gadgets Not Meant for School Students

With the cost of a higher education growing every year, you wouldn’t want to see a minute of school time wasted on frivolous activities. There will be plenty of time for TV watching and game playing during school breaks. In that spirit, unrealistic as it may be, we suggest some gadgets that might be counter productive at academia.

1. High End Laptop

A high end laptop like the MacBook Air or Voodoo Envy gaming laptop is almost guaranteed to be lost, stolen, dropped, damaged, or have beer spilled on it. Game machine just means easier to play games on instead of studying, why even introduce the temptation?

2. Desktop Gaming Machine

It might make more sense to leave the over-clocked, tweaked out, game machine at home and send your student off to school with a less expensive laptop. There won’t be the temptation to game the nights away instead of hitting the books and you won’t have to worry about the machine getting stolen.

3. TIVO

Sure, someone might be able to add a few minutes to their day by fast forwarding through the commercials but we say the less TV, the more studying. Don’t get us wrong Tivos are great products we just don’t think they belong in dorm rooms.

4. Game Console

Maybe they got through high school dividing time between studying and game playing but college is serious and we say leave the PS3 or Xbox at home, at least for the first semester. The only exception might be Nintendo’s Wii since you can get exercise with it and even socialize while using it.

5. Segway

Okay, so it’s long shot that you could even afford one of these but we just wanted to put a plug in for some human-powered form of transportation, namely, a bicycle.

Best Back to School Gadgets

Five Gadgets Every Student Needs to Avoid a Computing Disaster

It’s only the beginning of August but already time to start shopping for the high tech necessities every student is going to need to succeed at school. Whether you’re buying someone’s first laptop computer, upgrading the old one, or looking for advice on essential gadgets for today’s student, Here are some suggestions for what to buy along with some tips on good deals.

A Reliable Computer, seriously

Computers don’t last forever. If your student is using the old hand-me-down computer with 512 MB of RAM running Windows 98 it’s probably time to upgrade. First, you’ll need to decide between a desktop and laptop, or you could buy one of each. You’ll also have to decide between Windows and the Mac OS. Mac’s can run Windows applications easily but not the other way around. A desktop can deliver a lot more performance than a similarly priced laptop. With a desktop you’ll get more storage, a real keyboard, better graphics processor, bigger monitor, and more expansion options but laptops are what every student wants so what are you going to do?

eMachines recently announced some new desktops including the T3656 which comes with 1GB RAM, a 160GB hard drive and sells for around $299.99. The T5274 has 2GB RAM, a 320GB hard drive and retails for $399.99.

Hot Back to School Deal from Apple

Apple launched a Back to School promotion campaign that offers a free iPod when you buy a qualifying Mac. You need to purchase both products and then submit a rebate to get up to $299 back on the iPod.

A good anti-everything application

It’s too easy for anyone, especially students to click on the wrong link and find their computers loaded up with malicious software like virus’ or spyware. There are many commercial applications to choose from like McAfee and Symantec. These companies maintain expensive labs to identify and combat malware. Unfortunately, you end up paying an annual fee for these programs which can add up when you’re maintaining multiple computers in a household. Fortunately there are some very good applications like ones from Avast who offer “home” versions for free. PCPitstop.com offers some free tests for anything that could adversely affect your computer.

Extra Ink

You can often find third party ink cartridges for sale on ebay and other places. The ink may not be the very highest quality but we’ve found them to be quite adequate for most tasks and we’ve saved a lot of money too. Just in case the ink is out of stock or too expensive you should consider upgrading the old printer to a new model.

A fast, high resolution, inkjet printer can be amazingly inexpensive. Maybe it’s because manufacturers know they’ll make up for giving the printer away when you buy lots of expensive ink cartridges. The HP Photosmart D7460 is a wireless printer and it’s a fast color inkjet that gets good reviews. A mutifunction printer might make a lot of sense for a student. They can copy and scan documents and many of these devices produce high quality photo prints. The Canon Pixma MX850 that gets high marks from users .

External Backup Disk

It would be a terrible shame to spend a lot of money on computer gear only to lose that important term paper(not to mention that photo and MP3 collection) from a hard disk malfunction.. External hard drives that hook up to the computer through a high speed USB connection and very often include back up software can be relatively inexpensive.

Removable Storage

Two forms of storage we highly recommend are flash drives and optical discs. You can get 2 GB flash drives for under $20 which will store 4 years worth of term papers. Blank DVDs not cost around $.30 each and hold over 4 GB of data. You can back up all your docs to a few of these in spread them around for safe keeping.

2008 Summer Olympics Spectacular Entertainment

Behind the HDTV Scenes at the 2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony on August 8, 2008 is a few weeks away. As we recommended, we think you should stay at home, save gas, and watch HDTV. NBC has promised to make this Olympics a high-def extravaganza using over 1,000 HD cameras to create thousands of hours of high-def programming. For a guide to all the high def Olympics programming check out this page on HD Sports Guide. A PDF file of the complete Olympic schedule for the NBC family of networks is available here.

Slo-motion in High Definition

Contributing to the high-def experience, will be high speed, high definition cameras named the Fastcam SA1 from San Diego-based Photron which is integrated into a new imaging system called SprintCam V2 from i-Movix, of Mons, Belgium. The SprintCam Live 2 HDTV cameras will be recording high definition images at 5,400 frames per second which will be available for immediate slow-motion replay.

Sounds of the Olympics in 5.1 Channel Audio

Adding to the high-def experience, NBC has selected five Calrec Omega with Bluefin consoles as part of its coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. “This is the first time the games will be produced totally in high definition with 5.1 discrete channels of audio,” said Bob Dixon, NBC’s Director of Sound Design and Communication.

Sony HD Cameras Going to Beijing

NBC Universal will use Sony XDCAM HD systems as its primary ENG (electronic news gathering) source. The Sony PDW-700 uses big 2/3 inch CCDs to records 1080i or 720p high quality, MPEG HD422 video on 50 GB optical discs. NBC will also be using Sony’s companion PDW-HD1500 decks.

The Olympics on Windows Media Center

Wavepress’ TVTonic will put high quality video of the Summer Olympics on your Windows Media Center. Users will be able to subscribe to their favorite sports and then watch the events on any Windows Vista Ultimate or Home Premium PC.

“This service will provide a fantastic viewing experience for Olympic fans with Windows Vista Media Center,” said Wavexpress President Michael Sprague. “They can choose their favorite sports, from diving to water polo to gymnastics, and extended coverage is automatically synchronized to their PC in the middle of the night.”

Motorized HD Cameras

Camera Corps of Shepperton, UK-based will have more than 200 HD camera systems including 18 motorized tracking systems, remote heads and large camera cranes. According to Camera Corps, “The inventory of cameras to be positioned in and around Beijing includes 39 Camera Corps HD MiniZoom, 68 Hitachi, four Iconix and four Toshiba cameras. An Abakus fisheye stadium lens will be installed above the Velodrome at Shi Jing Shan to cover the 250m-circumference cycle track. “

Special HD Olympic Programming

In addition to the thousands of hours of programming that NBC will be generating, other channels like MOJO HD will offer a 10-Part series of high-def profiles exploring the mindsets and motivations of U.S. Olympic athletes, beginning July 28. Experts in each sport will be featured, detailing the psychological and body strength needed to compete including how to overcome injuries and setbacks and how these new competitors compare with previous champions.

Best HDTV Sets for Watching the 2008 Olympics

That magical, good luck date of 8/8/8 (August 8, 2008 ) is almost here. It’s still time to run out and get an HDTV set and upgrade your cable or satellite service to high definition. NBC has promised to make this Olympics a high def extravaganza using over 1,000 HD cameras to create thousands of hours of high def programming. Everything looks better in high def, even the commercials. All swimming finals and some of men’s and women’s gymnastics and beach volleyball will all be televised live in prime time. In addition to NBC, NBCU cable networks CNBC, USA, MSNBC, CNBC and Oxygen will also televise Olympic events.

To make the job of choosing an HDTV set we’ve singled out a handful of big screen HDTV sets for some exceptional quality.

Plasma TVs

The Panasonic TH-50PZ700U VIERA Plasma TV: Consumer Reports raved about this Plasma TV calling it the best Plasma TV they had ever tested. Users agree, giving it high marks for image quality. The price has dropped more than 40% in the last 4 months possibly due to the introduction of the Panasonic 50PZ800U which rivals Pioneer plasmas for deep black levels and color quality.

LCD TVs

Samsung LNT5265F: The Samsung LNT5265F is a 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV. It has 3 HDMI ports and gets high marks from most reviewers with the exception of PC Magazine who found it deficient in many areas.

Samsung LN52A650: The newer Samsung LN52A650 offers 120 Hz refresh with “Auto Motion Plus” to reduce blurring of fast action programming and gets very high marks from users.

Westinghouse Digital TX-52F480S : The Westinghouse Digital-TX-52F480S is a 52 inch 1080P HDTV with 4 HDMI ports. It gets high marks from reviewers and is available at Costco for a very low price of $1499. The only drawback is that it features HDMI 1.2, not the latest version, 1.3 which gets you “Deep Color.”

Rear Projection TVs

Mitsubishi WD-57734 TV : The Mitsubishi WD-57734 TV is a 57 inch DLP rear projection TV that supports 1080p resolution and has 4 HDMI ports including one on the front of the TV. It gets good marks from users for a clear and bright picture.

Mitsubishi WD-73734 : You can move up to the 73-Inch 1080p DLP HDTV for a few dollars more. Rear projection TVs offer the best value in these super sizes. This set gets very good marks from users although there is a new model which just came out, the Mitsubishi WD-73736 which promises to deliver a bright picture and natural colors.

Projectors

Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema : It’s not cheap but for $6,999 you get a 1080p home theater projector, a 100 inch motorized screen, an upconverting DVD player (alas no Blu-ray), a 5.1 speaker system, mounts, cables, and everything else you need to hook up everything up.

Optoma HD72 : If you can live with a 720p projector, the Optoma HD72 DLP projector offers a highly rated home theater projector for well under $1,000.

Top Rated Camcorders for Buyers

If you are thinking of purchasing a digital camcorder, there are a number of compact digital camcorders available in the market. They are all good choices and all of them are a little different, offering different features and different recording media. Every year camcorder manufacturers release number of models. Here are some suggestion on camcorders from best brands.

Sony offers the best features at very affordable prices. Sony Handycam DCR-HC28 is one of the best products by Sony. This is the absolute finest home quality camcorder. The zoom switch is a very nice feature to have. A Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens makes sure everything stays in focus. Minimizing blur and camera shake is simple with built-in Super SteadyShot image stabilization and you’ll be able to keep all your video bright with Night Shot Plus technology. The DCR-HC28 gives you everything you need to capture vivid video every time.

Panasonic PV-GS85 is a powerful 32x optical zoom camcorder with O.I.S. This model offers the High-Picture-Quality Wide Mode, which produces images that make for beautiful, dramatic viewing on a wide-screen TV. The image is processed on 16:9 area of the CCD. You get beautiful images and all the excitement and dynamism on either a wide 16:9 screen TV or a conventional 4:3 TV. This model also features a wide 2.7-inch LCD, making it easier to frame shots when you’re shooting in 16:9 mode. You can enjoy shooting wide, and view wide.

Canon is also a popular brand offers entry-level digital camcorders which are designed to deliver the latest in style, features and advanced technology at a most affordable price. The Canon ZR950 is the top of the line of ZR camcorders. This latest addition to the ZR family also includes an array of features that turn your camcorder into a digital still camera, including 9 Point AiAF (Auto Focus), Progressive Photo, Simultaneous Photo Recording, Special Scene Modes, and Image Effects. This is the perfect choice for capturing all of life’s precious memories.

Some Best Buys on HDTV

Are you out looking for the best buy on HDTV? There are various brands which are offering HDTVs at affordable prices with the latest features and technology. The first thing to find the best HDTV is to know the basic facts about it. HDTV can come with LCD or plasma monitors. Here are a few popular models and their specifications for the new HDTV buyers.

Samsung offers you many versions of HDTV screens. Samsung’s HL-T5087S DLP HDTV is one of the best products from Samsung. This product is well-built and slim. Its rear projection DLP user manual is good and extensive, and the remote is intuitive. The energy-efficient 50″ screen features a powerful, long-lasting LED light engine that turns on almost instantly. Full HD 1080p resolution and Samsung Cinema Smooth technology deliver a wide range of brilliant colors, with bright images and a crisp definition. The blackest of blacks, brightest of whites and nuanced tones are yours with a 10000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. The sound is great, but if you have the resources to add a 600W 5.1 surround system, you will hear the difference.

The Panasonic TH-50PZ77U is the 50″ class 1080p plasma HDTV with anti-glare filter, EZ sync HDAVI control and built-in GalleryPlayer-capable SD card memory slot. Panasonic believes to provide the latest in HDTV technology in its models. This television has the most beautiful picture display with deep, rich colors, very good viewing angles, and detailing in the blacks that an LCD can’t touch. The TV is a bit heavy and this prevents it from accidentally falling. Overall, this is a remarkable TV.

The S Series is the latest offering from the Sony Bravia line of high-performance and sleek styling LCD TVs. Sony BRAVIA KDL-32S2000 32″ LCD panel features the latest in Sony’s unique S-PVA technology, which delivers vivid and accurate colors along with wide viewing angles and a blazing 8ms response time. Other features such as PC input allow the user to connect a PC for viewing content in a 16:9 high resolution environment. And with integrated HDTV capabilities, you can enjoy digital programming with enhanced audio and video reproduction. While the KDL-32S2000 is value priced, it also offers an elegant flat panel design that can be placed anywhere at home.

Toshiba is another favorite in the market with a screen size ranging till 47 inches and embedded with Cinespeed LCD panel and Pixel pure technology for good picture and sound. It builds upon its heritage by delivering the industry’s most innovative, high-quality solutions. The Toshiba 57HM167 has great picture, amazing sound quality and an attractive design. It looks great in 720p and just think, if EA sports would have made the game in 1080p for ps3. If you want a “Full HD” at a very reasonable price, then this is it. Very easy to use TV with great options.

The Very Best Way to Save Gas This Summer

Stay Home and Watch HDTV

Last month we reported on several ways to save gas this summer including buying a GPS with traffic info and gas prices. Since that report was published the price of gas has risen over a dollar a gallon along with the price of everything else. After much internal discussion we can only re-emphasize the conclusion that the best way to save gas is to not drive. Seriously, this may very well be the summer of the stay-at-home vacation and while you’re staying home, why not watch HDTV? Look at it this way; a week-long road trip vacation is going to set you back at least $2,000. For that kind of money you can get a nice big LCD or Plasma TV that you’ll be able to enjoy all year ’round.

Summer Olympics HDTV Extravaganza

There’s no shortage of good HD programming. The summer Olympics start in a few weeks and NBC has promised that this is going to be a premiere HD event with over 1000 HD cameras recording over 3500 hours of HD Olympics coverage. And before you know it, the fall TV season will be starting up including Monday night football. If you haven’t watched football in HD you have been missing out on the visual treat of viewing players’ tattoos in detail and checking out all the good looking babes (and guys) in the stands that on SD just look like one big blurry mass of people.

1080p vs. 1080i

We’ve been known to recommend 1080i/720p sets for good value. In fact, they’re still good values and if you’re looking at something smaller than 32 inches most people can’t tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p at those screen sizes. Furthermore, all programming comes in over the air on cable or satellite at 1080i or 720p so a 1080p is really unnecessary. On the other hand, with less expensive (maybe) Blu-ray players on the horizon, upconverting DVD players and game consoles all driving 1080P on HDMI outputs, we say it’s a good idea to future-proof your HDTV set purchase with a set that supports 1080P.

HDTV Suggestions

Here are some suggestions of HDTV sets that will cost lest than a week long vacation and still leave you with enough cash for maybe one fill up.

The Olevia 747i is at the top of Retrevo’s LCD value list. For around $1,500 you get a 47″ LCD TV that does 1080p and gets high marks from experts and users for image quality. Second on the value list is Sony’s BRAVIA KDL 46V3000 which also does 1080p and costs around $1,600. It gets generally favorable reviews with some mention of blurring on fast action scenes. For a real bargain you should consider a 720p Vizio LCD TV. The 37″ VX37LHDTV goes for well under $1,000 while the better rated, 32″ VX32LHDTV which gets very good reviews costs around $600.

If Plasma is your choice then consider the Hitachi P50T501, 50″ Plasma HDTV that does 1080p for a very affordable $1,300. Samsung offers the Samsung FP-T5884 a 58″ 1080p Plasma TV for around $2,300 and LG has a 60″ Plasma for about the same price called the LG 60PC1D while the top-rated Panasonic TH-50PZ77U, 50 inch plasma will cost you around $1600.

Projection TVs are probably going to disappear eventually as big LCD TVs become better and cheaper but you can still get a lot of HDTV for your money. Unfortunately part of that bigness comes in size for example, you can get the Samsung HL-S5687W, a big 56 inch rear projection TV that runs 1080p for less than $1000. You can get the Sony BRAVIA KDF-46E3000 a nice LCD-based projection TV for around $900.

Best Accessories for iPhone 3G

Behind the HDTV Scenes at the 2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics has begun. As we recommended, we think you should stay at home, save gas, and watch HDTV. NBC has promised to make this Olympics a high-def extravaganza using over 1,000 HD cameras to create thousands of hours of high-def programming. For a guide to all the high def Olympics programming check out this page on HD Sports Guide. A PDF file of the complete Olympic schedule for the NBC family of networks is available here.

Slo-motion in High Definition

Contributing to the high-def experience, will be high speed, high definition cameras named the Fastcam SA1 from San Diego-based Photron which is integrated into a new imaging system called SprintCam V2 from i-Movix, of Mons, Belgium. The SprintCam Live 2 HDTV cameras will be recording high definition images at 5,400 frames per second which will be available for immediate slow-motion replay.

Sounds of the Olympics in 5.1 Channel Audio

Adding to the high-def experience, NBC has selected five Calrec Omega with Bluefin consoles as part of its coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. “This is the first time the games will be produced totally in high definition with 5.1 discrete channels of audio,” said Bob Dixon, NBC’s Director of Sound Design and Communication.

Sony HD Cameras Going to Beijing

NBC Universal will use Sony XDCAM HD systems as its primary ENG (electronic news gathering) source. The Sony PDW-700 uses big 2/3 inch CCDs to records 1080i or 720p high quality, MPEG HD422 video on 50 GB optical discs. NBC will also be using Sony’s companion PDW-HD1500 decks.

The Olympics on Windows Media Center

Wavepress’ TVTonic will put high quality video of the Summer Olympics on your Windows Media Center. Users will be able to subscribe to their favorite sports and then watch the events on any Windows Vista Ultimate or Home Premium PC.

“This service will provide a fantastic viewing experience for Olympic fans with Windows Vista Media Center,” said Wavexpress President Michael Sprague. “They can choose their favorite sports, from diving to water polo to gymnastics, and extended coverage is automatically synchronized to their PC in the middle of the night.”

Motorized HD Cameras

Camera Corps of Shepperton, UK-based will have more than 200 HD camera systems including 18 motorized tracking systems, remote heads and large camera cranes. According to Camera Corps, “The inventory of cameras to be positioned in and around Beijing includes 39 Camera Corps HD MiniZoom, 68 Hitachi, four Iconix and four Toshiba cameras. An Abakus fisheye stadium lens will be installed above the Velodrome at Shi Jing Shan to cover the 250m-circumference cycle track. “

Special HD Olympic Programming

In addition to the thousands of hours of programming that NBC will be generating, other channels like MOJO HD will offer a 10-Part series of high-def profiles exploring the mindsets and motivations of U.S. Olympic athletes, beginning July 28. Experts in each sport will be featured, detailing the psychological and body strength needed to compete including how to overcome injuries and setbacks and how these new competitors compare with previous champions.

Buying HDTV? Avoid these Mistakes

Buying and owning an HDTV can be challenging. There are many things to consider and problems to avoid. Here’s a list of some common mistakes for buyers and owners of HDTV sets.

1. Keep chemicals away from TV, ammonia in Windex can damage coatings. Liquids sprayed on the screen can seep in between the bezel and panel and cause all kinds of problems. Best to use a damp cloth preferably not wood-based paper products like newspaper or paper towels which can create tiny scratches.

2. Don’t buy a Plasma TV if you’re going to be watching TV in a brightly lit room with a lot of windows. Unlike LCD TVs plasma TVs have thick glass panels which can create a lot of glare.

3. Don’t pay too much attention to those formulas that use room size to determine screen size. Buy the biggest TV that fits with your furnishing. Also keep in mind if you don’t have an upconverting receiver or upconverting DVD player, a lot of programming that comes from DVDs and standard def programming that shows up on your screen with big black borders around it.

4. Don’t pay extra for big brands. Many of the smaller LCD brands like Olevia, Vizio, and Westinghouse use the same LCD panels and even the same electronics that the big brands use.

5. Don’t leave the brightness up too high. Many TVs ship with the brightness setting 21 in “showroom” mode. In a normally lit living room a lower brightness level is perfectly adequate and saves energy too. Some new TV sets have light sensors built in that automatically adjust the brightness according to ambient lighting conditions.

6. Don’t get fooled into buying expensive add-ons from the saleperson at your local big box retailer. Most HDMI cables work just fine for most programming. You may want to consider a higher bit rate HDMI cable for 1080p programming or high end HD audio.