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I really don't have any better luck with HDMI than USB. The connectors are usually at an awkward angle due to being on the GPU/back of a TV. Gotta say I enjoy t

I really don't have any better luck with HDMI than USB. The connectors are usually at an awkward angle due to being on the GPU/back of a TV. Gotta say I enjoy the Lightning and USB-C connectors that have no "right-side" from a dumb users point of view the most.

ssl-3 7y ago
HDMI is a lot easier: It's easier to see which way it goes, it's easier to feel which way it goes, and it's easier to know when it's being inserted backwards since it offers immediate mechanical feedback. HDMI isn't so bad. S-Video connectors were terrible. Worse than USB in every way possible, if you can imagine that.
- wlesieutre 7y ago
  For an example of closer vintage to USB-A, FireWire 400 had a great connector shape. You could tell what side you were looking at from any angle.
- tjoff 7y ago
  Svideo wasn't bad, better than HDMI for me. Though I wouldn't have believed that myself if it weren't for all the nightmare situations I've had with HDMI. At least it have given me some use for the selfie camera on my phone... HDMI and Displayport are just hard to come in from an angle. DVI and VGA are much simpler in that regard. Svideo was often quite simple, just find the whole and you are halfway done. Then carefully twist it and you can feel when it is correct. Even when you have no idea where the slot even is to start. With HDMI and DP being so similar it is easy to mix them up.
- cogman10 7y ago
  The problem is the seeing part. If you have to see in order to plug in a cable then it is inherently harder to work with. You don't, for example, hear the same complaints about DVI, VGA, Serial, or Parallel ports. Why? Because you can feel the right orientation when you plug things in. If you can't feel the right orientation, then the next best thing is to make the orientation not matter. This is why S-Video sucks. Because you MUST see to work with it. Of course, the main reason people have a problem with USB is because they are constantly interacting with it, plugging and unplugging things.
  - Moeg 7y ago
    Not all vga connectors are made equal, I had some that would quite easily plug in the wrong way, luckily no damage was caused by that and it was back in the day.
xsmasher 7y ago
In theory an asymmetric connector can have a "correct" design orientation, like "for horizontal insertions the wider end is always down toward the floor" and "for vertical insertions the wider end is toward the body of the appliance." Not everyone will notice/remember, but some will, especially if it is logical - like 'the "heavier" end is down for more stability.' Unfortunately it looks like the accepted orientation of HDMI connectors is a precarious "heavy side up."
- tjoff 7y ago
  Not quite the same but usb has the logo, the usb-logo on the cable goes up. A thumb drive often don't have the usb-logo but determining up is often easy enough. Now "up" isn't always up, connectors on the side of a monitor for instance should often have the logo towards you since they are usually vertically mounted. With a second of thought it mostly works as expected in my eyes. But there are exceptions.

ssl-3 7y ago

HDMI is a lot easier: It's easier to see which way it goes, it's easier to feel which way it goes, and it's easier to know when it's being inserted backwards since it offers immediate mechanical feedback. HDMI isn't so bad. S-Video connectors were terrible. Worse than USB in every way possible, if you can imagine that.

wlesieutre 7y ago
For an example of closer vintage to USB-A, FireWire 400 had a great connector shape. You could tell what side you were looking at from any angle.
tjoff 7y ago
Svideo wasn't bad, better than HDMI for me. Though I wouldn't have believed that myself if it weren't for all the nightmare situations I've had with HDMI. At least it have given me some use for the selfie camera on my phone... HDMI and Displayport are just hard to come in from an angle. DVI and VGA are much simpler in that regard. Svideo was often quite simple, just find the whole and you are halfway done. Then carefully twist it and you can feel when it is correct. Even when you have no idea where the slot even is to start. With HDMI and DP being so similar it is easy to mix them up.
cogman10 7y ago
The problem is the seeing part. If you have to see in order to plug in a cable then it is inherently harder to work with. You don't, for example, hear the same complaints about DVI, VGA, Serial, or Parallel ports. Why? Because you can feel the right orientation when you plug things in. If you can't feel the right orientation, then the next best thing is to make the orientation not matter. This is why S-Video sucks. Because you MUST see to work with it. Of course, the main reason people have a problem with USB is because they are constantly interacting with it, plugging and unplugging things.
- Moeg 7y ago
  Not all vga connectors are made equal, I had some that would quite easily plug in the wrong way, luckily no damage was caused by that and it was back in the day.

xsmasher 7y ago

In theory an asymmetric connector can have a "correct" design orientation, like "for horizontal insertions the wider end is always down toward the floor" and "for vertical insertions the wider end is toward the body of the appliance." Not everyone will notice/remember, but some will, especially if it is logical - like 'the "heavier" end is down for more stability.' Unfortunately it looks like the accepted orientation of HDMI connectors is a precarious "heavy side up."

tjoff 7y ago
Not quite the same but usb has the logo, the usb-logo on the cable goes up. A thumb drive often don't have the usb-logo but determining up is often easy enough. Now "up" isn't always up, connectors on the side of a monitor for instance should often have the logo towards you since they are usually vertically mounted. With a second of thought it mostly works as expected in my eyes. But there are exceptions.