One of the most common mistakes that a newbie to home cinema makes is trusting a salesman when they say, "the more expensive a cable, the better it is". In the digital age, there are few reasons why a (short) £150 HDMI cable is better than a £20 one, especially for general use.

IXOS recognises this and, although it is a brand commonly associated with high-end, highly-priced components and cables, has created an entry-level addition to its range that has more than enough bandwidth to cope with the transition to 3D, yet starts at around £20.

The XFT18, available from ixos.co.uk, is HDMI v1.4a compliant, and offers a specification line-up that would've cost considerably more just a few short months ago. It's high speed, features full support for Full HD, 3D and Deep Colour, and comes with 24K gold-plated connectors.

The 1.5-metre version is £19.99, while the 3-metre edition costs five quid more at £24.99.

Of course, when you go over 3metres, that's when the extra bandwidth afforded by more expensive cables comes into it. And you might even need to add power in the loop to maintain signal integrity, but if all you're trying to do is hook up a £100 Blu-ray deck or games console to a flat screen TV, Pocket-lint recommends that, as long as the cable is HDMI v1.4a rated, you can't go wrong - no matter the price.

Have you been oversold an expensive component or HDMI cable, or disagree with Pocket-lint? Let us know in the comments below...