Accell B100C-007B-43 AVGrip HDMI-A Cable with Locking Connectors (2 meters, Black)

At CEDIA 2009 we came across this excellent little product, the ACCELL B100C-007B-43 AVGrip HDMI-A Cable with Locking Connectors.  Our initial reaction was, "Why didn't anyone think of this before?"  It's simply a Male to Male HDMI cable with two locking connectors that is a breeze to use - and it works!  You simply plug in the cable until you here a distinct "click" and that's that.  If you pull on the cable it doesn't budge, but if you remove it by pulling on the jack itself (the white portion) the mechanism slides back and releases an ingenious sliding mechanism and the cable come out very swiftly and smoothly.

One of the major problems with HDMI connectors up until now has been the tendency for them to work their way loose over time.  This introduces all sorts of connectivity problems when the jacks aren't seated properly.  Often the weight of the cables themselves (and other cables around them) is enough to work the jacks loose.  The ACCELL product solves this problem - and solves it elegantly.  We were told that it takes over 12 pounds of pressure to yank the cable out (more that sufficient to keep it in place for every conceivable connection requirement).  There are a couple of other products out there that use different locking systems to effect a tight connection but in our mind this is overkill.  Some others claim a 35-50 pound force needed to pull the cable out intentionally (without releasing the locking mechanism) and while that might seem better it could actually be excessive.  For example, there are situations when cabling is in tight quarters and if it becomes difficult to release the locking mechanism then 35-50 pounds of force might actually damage some circuit boards.  We wouldn't relish having to replace an HDMI circuit board on an expensive front projector, for example.

If I didn't already have a full complement of good HDMI cables that seem to be working without undue strain on them or, more importantly, if I were starting out with a new installation I would highly recommend using ACCELL HDMI locking cables for all my HDMI interconnections.  The premium over "standard" quality HDMI cabling seems to be $10 per cable (or $5 per connector) so it's not a major investment for a lot of cabling security.  Well worth it to me.

ACCELL makes a series of these cables in assorted sizes.  They are available at most major electronics retailers such as Amazon.com and similar at discounted prices.  They are well made of quality components and should outlast your equipment.  They have our highest recommendation.