So you bought a fancy LCD monitor or a big screen TV and you got a fancy HDMI cable to connect your TV to your Xbox. Everything is great except the speakers on your TV aren't as good as the 5.1 system you have, and you quickly find it's not easy to plug both the default 360 AV cables and your HDMI cable into your Xbox at the same time! How on earth are you going to get video to your TV AND audio to your speakers?

Don't worry, I will show you a quick way to get them both plugged in and you won't have to spend 50 dollars on the Microsoft conversion cable.

The tools you need are a flat head screw driver or some other prying device, a knife would probably work, and possibly sandpaper. You probably won't need the sandpaper but if your HDMI cable is terminated with an usually thick head then you may need to sand some of the top off. I assume you already have an LCD monitor or other HDTV, an HDMI cable, the AV cable that came with your 360, and some other pair of speakers you will use.

Lets get started!

1. Disconnect the AV cable from your Xbox. Take your screw driver and pry off the bottom piece.

• Use the small recess near the TV selection to gain leverage.
• Once you hear the plastic pop off, work your way around the edge.
• Don't worry if the top comes off too, you can snap it right back on.

2. Plug in your HDMI cable first.

3. Now wiggle that AV cable back into place, it is a pretty tight fit, and it might bend a little, as in the final result picture.

• If it absolutely will not fit in, you can take that sandpaper and sand a little plastic off the top of the HDMI cable
• I have tested both the Microsoft 360 HDMI cable and the Sony PS3 HDMI cable and neither one of them need sanding, but it is a tight fit.

4. Now plug in the HDMI cable to your TV and use audio ports on the 360 cable to plug in your speakers.

5. Switch the 360 cable to HDTV, and fire up your Xbox!

Looking for cheap HDMI cables? Head over to Newegg.com!