Accell debuted their new patent pending Locking HDMI cable at CES this year. This is an interesting take on a common problem and takes a new approach to securing HDMI cables to the back of source devices and syncs (displays). Accell designed the product after receiving lots of feedback that installers, after an installation, will often receive a call that their customer’s system is no longer working. Often they discover that an HDMI cable had simply come loose or fallen out of a device. The Locking HDMI cable stays connected to the device and should eliminating the more tedious service calls, saving time and money.
The original HDMI connector spec lacks a substantial locking mechanism apart from the friction connector (which we have noticed marked improvement in lately compared to earlier versions). Still, HDMI cables can come loose or fall out depending upon the gauge of cable and the device. Accell’s locking HDMI connector provides a hold on the HDMI port that is many times greater than a conventional HDMI connector.
When the Accell connector is inserted into the HDMI port, it automatically locks into place. To release, users simply pull back on the cable’s connector casing to unlock and remove the cable. They experimented with, but ultimately dismissed, a push button release design since they found that a surrounding cable often blocks access to the mechanism. The new locking system can be attached via screw or via an application compound that secures it to standard device output or input connectors.