Published May 5, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Hamlin has been in the tech field for over seven years. Since 2017, his work has appeared on MakeUseOf , OSXDaily, Beebom, MashTips, and more. He served as the Senior Editor for MUO for two years before joining XDA. He uses a Windows PC for desktop use and a MacBook for traveling, but dislikes some of the quirks of macOS. You're more likely to catch him at the gym or on a flight than anywhere else. I don't know when HDMI cables became one of the easiest ways to make people overspend, but here we are. I've had a couple of friends pay over $30 for "premium" cables they assumed would improve their picture quality, when they could've gotten the exact same result for a fraction of the price. I'm not saying it's a good idea to cheap out on an HDMI cable, but paying more just because a cable has gold-plated connectors or braided sleeving doesn't mean it'll be better at handling the signal.…