There is something wonderful about a single cable that can carry full high definition digital video as well as uncompressed multi-channel audio. That is why so many HDMI users enjoy the benefits of this easy to use cable. Like many consumer cables, HDMI has an annoying problem of not staying in place when pulled on. In fact, HDMI cables pop out of their mating connector quite easily and because they are not hot-swappable, this can cause potential damage to the interface electronics when power is on. A company called PPC (Productions Products Company) offers a unique solution to this problem with their patented Locking HDMI Cable design. In this design, the connector has a locking strength that is three times greater than conventional HDMI connectors, resulting in a secure and reliable interface that will not easily pull out. In addition, the Locking HDMI Cable from PPC is HDMI 1.3, category 2 rated to support the high video bandwidths including 1080p. The cable design features 100 percent foil coverage and braided shielding to minimize interference. With all the advertised data, we put the cable to the test to see if it proves to be in the high performance category.

Installation
The review cable we received was six feet in length, so we installed it between our Sony PS3 and our Denon AVR-5308CI A/V receiver. The PPC HDMI Locking Cable’s Perfect Flex ™ jacket and flexible cable design provide push button operation for easy installation, with no need for additional tools.

Performance
Observing cable performance on a digital interconnect is not always easy and often artifacts do not appear obvious in the picture. As the performance becomes marginal the picture usually begins to show signs of pixelization or even dropouts. Sometimes it is subtle where high contrast edges show shimmering pixels. We have seen this in the past on many cables, typically with longer designs.

The PPC HDMI Locking Cable showed no sign of these artifacts with a variety of source material including both 1080p/24 and 1080p/60 content. We included some video games into the mix as well since some of these push the video bandwidth to extremes. For example, NBA07 runs at 1080/60p from our PS3 with excellent graphics and high contrast images. We never saw any artifacts even on our large 100-inch Stewart filmscreen. In all cases, the PPC cable performed very well.

Conclusion
The PPC HDMI Locking Cable is a nice design that offers both performance and functionality. We looked for a breakdown in signal integrity, but found none. There was no pixelization or sparkles in high contrast areas that often reveal shortcoming in cable designs. The one-button locking feature prevents the HDMI connector from popping out of the unit it is mated to and is something consumers should appreciate since HDMI is not hot-swappable. The MSRP of $59.99 is quite reasonable with a street price that is likely even lower.

- Kevin Nakano

Projector: Mitsubishi HC5500 1080p LCD Projector
Screen: Stewart Filmscreen 100" FireHawk Screen on a Luxus Deluxe ScreenWall
Bass Management: Miller & Kreisel BMC Mini 5.1 Bass Management Controller
Front Speakers: Miller & Kreisel S-150THX (L+R) and S-150AC (Center) Speakers
Rear Speakers: Miller & Kreisel SS-250 Tripole® Surround Speakers
Subwoofer: Two Miller & Kreisel MX-350THX MkII THX-Ultra Push-pull Subwoofers
Room Treatments: Echo Buster panels and Bass Buster towers
Set-top Box: Dish Network ViP722 HDTV Satellite and Terrestrial Receiver with HDMI
Blu-ray DVD Player: Sony PlayStation3 with HDMI 1.3
HD-DVD Player: Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD Player with HDMI
DVD/CD/SACD Player: Sony DVP-NS900V DVD/CD/SACD Player
DVD Audio/Video Player: Kenwood Sovereign DV-5900M 400-Disc DVD Changer
DVD Player: OPPO Digital OPDV971H DVD Player with DVI Output
Remote Control: Remote Technologies Inc. T4 Controller
HDMI Video Switcher: Octava 4 Port HDMI/Toslink Audio Switcher
DVI Cable: AudioQuest DV-1 20m DVI-D Cable
HDMI Cables: Accell 45-meter UltraRun HDMI Cable
A/V Cables: Ultralink Platinum and Advanced Performance Series Cables

PPC - Locking HDMI Cables

Techinical Specifications

• Patented locking device reduces fallout, providing a more reliable signal.
• Push-button operation - easy-to-use release tab prevents port damage.
• Perfect Flex jacket and flexible cable - no tools required to install, engage or release for easy installation.
• 100 percent foil coverage and braided shielding to eliminate interference.
• Requires no adapter, no additional hardware, no adhesives or modifications.
• Elegant & intuitive design.
• HDMI compliant - backwards compatible with all HDMI spec ports.

MSRP: $48.99 (3-foot), $59.99 (6-foot), $72.99 (12-foot)

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Company Information
Worldwide Headquarters
6176 East Molloy Road
East Syracuse, NY 13057-0278
Tel: 315-431-7200
Fax: 315-431-7201
Website: http://www.connect2ppc.com
Source: Manufacture Supplied

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