HDMI Cables

[Headphone Czar]

Originally Posted by steve1971

So what I am getting out of all of this discussion is Monster Cables are over rated? More hype then anything else and that other HDMI cables will do just fine? I want only the best for my HD products thats why I have bought Monster HDMI cables but again what I am getting here is any HDMI cable will do? Correct me if I am wrong on this guys.

Actually, Monster is low grade, compared to real high end cables.. Do you research online & you will see a optical cable for 400.00-16,000. Moonaudio makes cables hand made.. & yes, they are expensive.. 1 meter 150.00 (forgot the cable used & the connection.) More then Monster. But he has a 30 day trial, so if you can't hear/see a difference you can return it for a full refund.

I do know that cable makers made their cables differently. My friend makes his living on building & selling cables.. He's doing very well for himself.. He will make you any cable you need. Even if its not on the market. He also told me his R&D is expensive, & spent a lot on cables that he wasted on his designs. He spent 3 yrs developing his V3 headphone cable.. He doesn't advertise HDMI or video cables, since his love is audio.

I do believe that there are better cables. Better components used, sleeving, etc.. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will sound better..

[cravnsn]

Hello - New guy checking in. I got my cables from partsexpress.com, and never wanted for anything more. Inexpensive & well worth a look.

[john_1958]

Originally Posted by Smallville206

I'll admit I drank the Kool-Aid, all my cables are Monster.

what flavor?
yeah monster cables are over priced
I perfer my belkin works perfect for me as it does high quality
http://www.walmart.ca/wps-portal/sto...categoryId=870

components are lousy when it comes to video

[Stephan.klose]

to end this discussion once and for all:

If you are using a short cable. (That means lower than 5 metres) there will be no PQ or SQ difference between a $5 or $150 cable.

The only difference there is, is that better cables can run over greater distances. Cables that are 7metres and longer should be of a certain quality.
Also a more expensive cable might not break as easy. Still, if you just want to connect your BD Player to your Receiver or TV you can go for the cheapest cable (that's 1.3 certified) and you still get the same quality as you would get with a Monster 400..

[DBlackGT]

Originally Posted by Stephan.klose

to end this discussion once and for all:

If you are using a short cable. (That means lower than 5 metres) there will be no PQ or SQ difference between a $5 or $150 cable.

To some extent and I know this from personal experience. Yes I agree that most HDMI cables under a certain length are all just about the same. But a $5 HDMI cables build quality compared to lets say just for example a Monster cable is totally not the same. Now Im not saying I believe in Monster cables or that they are so much better. Its just facts.

My real life experience:
Bought 2 HDMI cables from Fys for $9.99. Pretty cheap right? well cheaply built is right. They were a descent size thickness, made up mostly of plastic around the ends, and the actual connectors were silver plated. When connected to the tv they produced thick vertical bars on my tv screen. Returned them, new ones still did the same thing. Finally said screw it and ordered 2 HDMI cables off ebay for $15 shipped. And these cables looked like the monster ones if not better. Received them and presto vertical bras are gone!

So im not saying expenisive cables are the way to go...but you can find the cables that they say "Monster or other premium cables companies use" for relatively the same price as the cheaply built, $.99, thin, useless HDMI cables. But these is just from my experience, but still id prefer nicely built over inexpensive cheap cables anyday.

Heres the link to the ones I bought and they are great! http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-3ft-HDMI-Cab...QQcmdZViewItem

[Stephan.klose]

Originally Posted by DBlackGT

To some extent and I know this from personal experience. Yes I agree that most HDMI cables under a certain length are all just about the same. But a $5 HDMI cables build quality compared to lets say just for example a Monster cable is totally not the same. Now Im not saying I believe in Monster cables or that they are so much better. Its just facts.

My real life experience:
Bought 2 HDMI cables from Fys for $9.99. Pretty cheap right? well cheaply built is right. They were a descent size thickness, made up mostly of plastic around the ends, and the actual connectors were silver plated. When connected to the tv they produced thick vertical bars on my tv screen. Returned them, new ones still did the same thing. Finally said screw it and ordered 2 HDMI cables off ebay for $15 shipped. And these cables looked like the monster ones if not better. Received them and presto vertical bras are gone!

So im not saying expenisive cables are the way to go...but you can find the cables that they say "Monster or other premium cables companies use" for relatively the same price as the cheaply built, $.99, thin, useless HDMI cables. But these is just from my experience, but still id prefer nicely built over inexpensive cheap cables anyday.

Heres the link to the ones I bought and they are great! http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-3ft-HDMI-Cab...QQcmdZViewItem

I bought 2 Inakustik cables for about $15 each to connect my HD-DVD and Blu Ray Players to my onkyo 605. And I bought another cheap eagle cable to connect my receiver with my Samsung Tv. Then for kicks it took home a Monster 400 from work with goes for about $170. The result was the same.
Maybe your cheap cables were just flawed or not 1.3 certified. But as long as you buy 1.3 certified cables it really doesn't matter.
We even got a device from the industry to let us test the cables. And guess what. As long as a cable is 1.3 certified it produces the same bandwith as any other 1.3 cable. As I stated previously. The only time you need to buy an expensive cable if you need a long one. In that case quality matters because cheap cables aren't shielded well enough to sustain the data that run through.

[My_Two_Cents]

It has been clarified many times, but v1.3 applies to the DEVICE, not the cable. This link, provided by Crackinhedz in his sig, is a good reference for understanding HDMI cables.

I've also seen various posts in regards to things like "Make sure you get a v1.3 cable"... The various HDMI versions determine the capabilities of the DEVICES on either end of that cable (most of the HDMI versions (other then 1.0 to 1.1) have to do with AUDIO and how many channels / type of audio are carried...) Because of this, the cable itself is NO DIFFERENT... It's just marketing that some companies charge more for a "v1.3" cable then a "v1.1" cable, etc... The cables themselves will work now and WELL into the future for any other HDMI versions that come along the way....

[garytma]

It would pay for new posters to review the early posts in this thread. Otherwise we go round and round with the same issue over and over: HDMI cables pass digital data that is not affected by interference like analog cables. The data is either "on", or it is "off".

I will say again that I have my players, and receiver, at the back of my media room. My SXRD is at the front. My Blu-ray player connects to a short, "stress-reducing" HDMI cable, then to a 6ft one, then to another stress-reducer, which connects to my receiver.

Out of the receiver, is another stress-reducing short HDMI cable, which connects to a 45 foot HDMI cable, connected to another "stress-reducer", and into the display.

I have had no issues with video or audio. Both look and sound superb!

Most of my cables have come from Monoprice- the 45 ft HDMI was under $50.

Folks, read the authoritative posts, think it through, and then give yourselves a price break on these cables!

[omgitsmikeyc]

Originally Posted by Bango

I bought a $149.99 Monster 1000 Cable when I got my tv....WASTE OF MONEY. I switched it out with a cheap one that was included in my HD DVR...SAME PICTURE QUALITY. THe only advantage I see to expensive cables, is their durability as they are made of better materials...but if my $10 cable craps out..I can buy another $10 cable...and spend a whopping $20...I do like the lifetime warranty from Monster. I can get a new one if anything ever happens to it for free, but for $149.99...and the chance of it crapping out pretty slim...I basically threw away my money. monoprice.com is the way to go

has ne one actually run a side by side demo with their hdmi tests? how the human memory and eye works, it is impossible to notice major picture differences by hooking up one cable, and then another. your peripheral memory cannot visually remmeber detail to that degree to notice by swapping one after another. plus there are other visual distractions inbetween swapping, such as looking away fromt he picture, and that is why our eyes "forget" detail.

[garytma]

Originally Posted by omgitsmikeyc

has ne one actually run a side by side demo with their hdmi tests? how the human memory and eye works, it is impossible to notice major picture differences by hooking up one cable, and then another. your peripheral memory cannot visually remmeber detail to that degree to notice by swapping one after another. plus there are other visual distractions inbetween swapping, such as looking away fromt he picture, and that is why our eyes "forget" detail.

Well, certainly anyone can run a side by side demo, if they wish. But once again, HDMI is digital!!!!! If one cable is not working, there will be no fuzzy static, or electrical interference! Or faint, colorless video if the cable is not delivering the DATA.

With digital, you either get the picture, or it is not there, or it is badly pixelized! And one would remember the difference when comparing the two, in that case!!

Just for the record, I do not believe anyone is advocating buying cables that are substandard. The "discussion" here is whether: A. An "off brand" cable will deliver data, the same as a more expensive "name brand; and B. Can an "off brand" very long HDMI cable run data as well as a "name brand" one?

By my experience, I have found that an "off brand" cable can deliver the goods. But, like all other consumer products, one must apply common sense to a given purchase of an item, and not go strictly by price. If a given company has an established reputation for building/selling pretty good products, and they stand behind their items, and their pricing is very competitive, then the purchase of such a manufacturer's product is called a VALUE.

Naturally, if an 8ft HDMI cable is offered at a price of $.99, then something is suspect. An 8ft cable offered for $35.00 is also suspect. But an 8ft HDMI cable offered for say, $6.99 to $12.99, is probably a reasonable asking price and worth checking out.

I don't believe there is anything dishonest about what name brand cable makers present. They make good products, and are legit companies. As with many manufacturers, the marketing gets a little out of hand, and like youngsters watching toy commercials, on Saturday mornings, we believe we must have THAT product, and that, and only that one item, will make us happier!

Anyhow, I wish you all "happy home theaters"!

[HDTV1080P]

I was just reading an article called “Improvements In Blu-ray Source Components Demonstrates The Need For Speed In HDMI Cables” on page 58 and 59 of the September 2008 Widescreen Review magazine. The test results and pictures demonstrates that many low quality HDMI cables cannot handle the speed of 12 bit deep color and cause video dropouts. Most low quality HDMI cables at short distances can handle standard 8 bit color just fine. The verified speed rating is important on HDMI cables for people that own 12 bit or higher HDMI 1.3 displays. The PS3 and a few other BLU-RAY players are 12 bit deep color. Hopefully in the future BLU-RAY movies will be encoded with deep color. Some HDMI 1.3 displays have the advanced chip sets for deep color and all we need now is the movies to be released with deep color. 100GB+ BLU-RAY discs could handle deep color.

Quote from Widescreen review when 8 bit was switched to 12 bit deep color

“Repeated tests confirmed that the change caused errors and dramatic loss in video quality”.
“These problems went away when an advanced Monster high-speed link (6.68 Gbps-certified capable) was substituted for cables and devices that did not meet the performance requirements.”
“Look for cables with a verified speed rating above 6.68 Gbps or faster to accommodate today’s higher data transfer rates. Better yet, choose the fastest speed-rated cable available so you are ready when future technologies require even higher data rates such as 10.2 Gbps or even over 14 Gbps.”
“Opting to update the firmware on your game console or component may leave you vulnerable to picture loss, due to the inability to transfer at fast enough data rates to carry increased video information.”

[Go Blue]

Is there a good place to go to get an accurate speed rating on cables? I have Blue Jeans and am not sure what they are rated.

[xtop]

thats why you get a cable that was made for 1.3 and not just the cheapest cable you can find. still no reason to waste money on monster

[DarkClown]

I've already experienced that issue even without 12 movies being out yet.
I went through 3 cheaper (under $20) HDMI cables, all claiming to be 1.3 rated before I finally dumped some serious coin ($80 in my case) on a cable that actually works and never has dropouts.

[Go Blue]

Originally Posted by DarkClown

I've already experienced that issue even without 12 movies being out yet.
I went through 3 cheaper (under $20) HDMI cables, all claiming to be 1.3 rated before I finally dumped some serious coin ($80 in my case) on a cable that actually works and never has dropouts.

Which brands did not work for you?

[arrow61095]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

I was just reading an article called “Improvements In Blu-ray Source Components Demonstrates The Need For Speed In HDMI Cables” on page 58 and 59 of the September 2008 Widescreen Review magazine. The test results and pictures demonstrates that many low quality HDMI cables cannot handle the speed of 12 bit deep color and cause video dropouts. Most low quality HDMI cables at short distances can handle standard 8 bit color just fine. The verified speed rating is important on HDMI cables for people that own 12 bit or higher HDMI 1.3 displays. The PS3 and a few other BLU-RAY players are 12 bit deep color. Hopefully in the future BLU-RAY movies will be encoded with deep color. Some HDMI 1.3 displays have the advanced chip sets for deep color and all we need now is the movies to be released with deep color. 100GB+ BLU-RAY discs could handle deep color.

Quote from Widescreen review when 8 bit was switched to 12 bit deep color

“Repeated tests confirmed that the change caused errors and dramatic loss in video quality”.
“These problems went away when an advanced Monster high-speed link (6.68 Gbps-certified capable) was substituted for cables and devices that did not meet the performance requirements.”
“Look for cables with a verified speed rating above 6.68 Gbps or faster to accommodate today’s higher data transfer rates. Better yet, choose the fastest speed-rated cable available so you are ready when future technologies require even higher data rates such as 10.2 Gbps or even over 14 Gbps.”
“Opting to update the firmware on your game console or component may leave you vulnerable to picture loss, due to the inability to transfer at fast enough data rates to carry increased video information.”

It is amazing how easily people fall for monster's line of garbage.
HDMI transmits data digitally -that means you either get all information or no information, no picture loss. You may want to get a cable that is specifically rated for HDMI 1.3 Category 2 because it is designed to carry the extra bits associated with Deep Color to a TV. If you were to use an HDMI cable that was incapable of transmitting these bits but was rated Category 2, you would receive no picture loss (the resolution would be exactly the same and as clear as if you had the 1.3 cable, your colors would simply not be as veried as it would default to the default TV color standards).

The only possibility for any kind of picture loss due to an HDMI cable is either the cable is not sending anything or there is an HDCP problem due to extremely long cable lengths (note that Category 1 cables are not constructed to transmit data the same lengths as Category 2 cables):
"Long cable lengths can cause instability of HDCP and blinking on the screen due to the weakened DDC signal which HDCP requires. HDCP DDC signals must be multiplexed with TMDS video signals to be compliant with HDCP requirements for HDMI extenders based on a single Category 5/Category 6 cable." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

[arrow61095]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

I ..........These problems went away when an advanced Monster high-speed link (6.68 Gbps-certified capable) was substituted for cables and devices that did not meet the performance requirements.”
“Look for cables with a verified speed rating above 6.68 Gbps or faster to accommodate today’s higher data transfer rates. Better yet, choose the fastest speed-rated cable available so you are ready when future technologies require even higher data rates such as 10.2 Gbps or even over 14 Gbps.”
......

I also hate to tell you but the standard for being a Category 2 HDMI 1.3 cable is:
Maximum signal bandwidth (MHz) 340
Maximum TMDS bandwidth (Gbit/s) 10.2
Maximum video bandwidth (Gbit/s) 8.16
which supports up to 1600p (what size display would you need to notice the difference between 1080p and 1600p?).

So Monster's high-speed link (6.68 Gbps-certified capable) sounds like it may be below Category 2 HDMI 1.3 specification.

Edit: Sorry if I seem to be raving a little.......I just don't like it when statements are made that are not substantially backed up by fact, and companies like Monster and Bose are great at coming out with these types of sales pitches meant to confuse the average consumer into believing that their product is somehow better than others and that is why consumers should pay more.

If you want an funny link, there was a study done with some audiophiles and they couldn't tell the difference between some monster cables and a coat hanger when testing stereo wire:
http://consumerist.com/362926/do-coa...monster-cables

[crackinhedz]

The test results and pictures demonstrates that many low quality HDMI cables cannot handle the speed of 12 bit deep color and cause video dropouts.

this point is moot with lack of deep color sources.

...by then, cheap cables will have advanced to the point of handling those specs. Then we'll see another article saying how low end cables cannot handle the next generation after that...and so on.



In the end, its not worth spending top dollar on hdmi cables.

[dobyblue]

This post has been deleted as it was technically misleading and innaccurate.

[mr. blu]

Just to be clear, I'm safe with these?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

And I can trust that company with my credit card?

Thanks