HDMI Cables

[Sammy]

Originally Posted by brettallica

Totally. You actually get a better value when you do that. Monoprice rules, that's for sure. My brother and sister in-law somehow misplaced an HDMI cable and were all stressed about having to buy a new one (because they don't know about monoprice.com) and I was just like "here, take one of my extras." They were in awe that I'd just give them one, but of course when all you know is what Best Buy or Circuit City tells you, it's natural.

That requires elaboration right there. How do you misplace a cable?

[SpHeRe31459]

As people have said, the "better HDMI cable" claim is bunk, either the cable works correctly at the given length and with your equipment or it doesn't. Since it is digital the image won't get better suddenly, either it is transmitting the bits correctly or it isn't.

Here's a list of the symptoms if there is in fact a problem with the cable/connection (they're pretty obvious):

Excerpt from Blue Jeans Cable's excellent HDMI resources:

(1) "sparkles"--little bit-error dropouts that appear as colored "snow" on the picture; (2) flashing or colored horizontal lines, indicating that a whole line of video has dropped out; (3) flashing or "jumping" of the whole picture, indicating that the display is having trouble tracking the sync; or (4) no image at all.

[ScarredLungs]

Originally Posted by Blu-ray Fanatic

Tell me the name of the store you visited because I will drive over there and stick a Monster HDMI cable so far down their throats that they're gonna crap thunder for a year.

Originally Posted by Another_Dude

Monster Brand HDMI Cables are all certified STD Free.

If you get a STD from a cable, please take it back.

[starkent08]

monster cables are thicker and higher quality so i use it to tie up my dog as a leash

[cdot2four]

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

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

wrong!

ROFL!
He's BAAAaaack!

[brettallica]

Originally Posted by Sammy

That requires elaboration right there. How do you misplace a cable?

I had actually given them one as a Christmas gift on Christmas Eve while we were at my in-laws. We all agreed that we were doing a "no gifts amongst us" (meaning the brothers and sisters and respective spouses) thing this year. Well I broke the rules and gave then an HDMI cable. They were all embarrassed because they thought I spent a lot on it, when in fact it was just one of my spares from my home theater build.

Turns out when they were packing up and leaving the Christmas Eve gathering, the cable somehow got lost in the shuffle of their gifts (the ones they got from the parents). Well then they let me know a day or two later that they couldn't find this priceless cable, so I just told them they could have one of my other spares!

After all that, they ended up finding the original cable I gave them a week or so later, so they walked away from the deal with two HDMI cables. I still have more spares, though!

[Yeha-Noha]

Unless you're running 5 meters or longer HDMI cable, Monoprice is all you need for shorter lengths. Save your dough and buy more BDs.

Note: If your AVR is doing the decoding for DTS-HD MA and other lossless codexs, make sure you get one from Monoprice that is HDMI 1.3a certified.

[hoogoosedmoose41]

id love to see someone buy a couple of dozen HDMI cables at mono price and sit in best buys parking lot and sell them at half price of monsters cables they would make a killing if they didnt get kicked out in 30 minutes.

[U4K61]

Originally Posted by farhan

Does it makes a diifference if i wud to change a better HDMi cable. Does it makes the PQ better that my standard cable??

Originally Posted by Ben123

Is it true that there are some HDMI cables that are "1.3" and some are not? I was told that non-1.3 HDMI cables cannot carry 1080p signal.

Originally Posted by DJ Scotty

So, what are you sayin, Crackin? There is no difference between HDMI cables?

HDMI FAQ

Cabel Options - From good to bad:
HDMI > Component video > S-video > Composite video > Analogue RF

Some Specifications
Calculatiog Bandwidth 10.2 Gbit/s (340 MHz).
Audio signals Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio, LPCM, MPCM, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD.
Common Video signals 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 1440p, 1600p, 2160p, etc.[/LIST]
HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) transfers uncompressed video data and compressed/uncompressed digital audio data from a HDMI-compliant source device. HDMI is compatible with the CEA-861 signals used by DVI, so no conversion is necessary.

1.0
MHz 165
TMDS throughput 4.95
Single link resolution at 24-bit/px 1920×1200p60
3D resolution N/A

1.1
MHz 165
TMDS throughput 4.95
Single link resolution at 24-bit/px 1920×1200p60
3D resolution N/A

1.2
MHz 165
TMDS throughput 4.95
Single link resolution at 24-bit/px 1920×1200p60
3D resolution N/A

1.3
MHz 165
TMDS throughput 10.2
Single link resolution at 24-bit/px 2560×1600p75
3D resolution N/A

1.4
MHz 340
TMDS throughput 10.2
Single link resolution at 24-bit/px 4096×2160p24
3D resolution 1920×1200p60

2.0
MHz 600
TMDS throughput 18
Single link resolution at 24-bit/px 4096×2160p60
3D resolution

HDMI 1.4 is limited to 24 fps in 4K using 8-bit color, so higher specifications are necessary. 2160p Ultra HD will use 60fps with 10 or 12-bit color so it will require HDMI 2.0. The first 4K Ultra HD TVs from Sony, Samsung, LG and Toshiba only have HDMI 1.4 ports, so they are limited to 24 or 30 fps.

pixels per second
720p/30/2D = 28M
720p/30/3D = 55M
720p/60/2D = 55M
1080p/30/2D = 62M
720p/60/3D = 110M
1080p/60/2D = 124M
1080p/30/3D = 124M
1080p/60/3D = 248M
4K/30/2D = 248M
4K/60/2D = 497M
4K/30/3D = 995M


HDMI Cable Lengths
Wires are subject to resisitivity. If you increase the voltage, you will be able to use a smaller wire. Doubling the voltage, you quadruple the capacity of the wire. Looking at Volts x Amps = Watts, where if you double the voltage, you need only half the Amperage to produce a given Watt. Also, by halving the amperage, you halve the percentage of voltage lost do to the resistance in the wire. The greater to voltage, the longer distance it can travel. The lower the voltage, the shorter distance it can travel.

"A cable of about 5 meters (16 ft.) can be manufactured to Category 1 specifications easily and inexpensively by using 28 AWG (0.081 mm²) conductors.[56] With better quality construction and materials, including 24 AWG (0.205 mm²) conductors, an HDMI cable can reach lengths of up to 15 meters (49 ft.).[56] Many HDMI cables under 5 meters of length that were made before the HDMI 1.3 specification can work as Category 2 cables, but only Category 2-tested cables are guaranteed to work." - wiki

HDMI FAQ:

• HDMI Cables Sticky
• Home Theater Connections (Explained)
• $20 HDMI cables, C|NET, YouTube
• C|NET reviews
• HDMI info, wiki
• Audioholics bench tests
• HDMI.org
• MonoPrice - where to get them.

So, what happens if my cables suck?

• Sparkles - crackinhedz
• Good or Bad - tommyD

But, if you insist on the best...Monstercable.com

Why we want HDMI: Analogue to Digital.


Discussion

• Category 1/2 - crackinhedz, 2007
• Cables Under 4-5 Meters - Big Daddy, 2010
• No such thing as a 1.3a Cable - Big Daddy, 2010
• Altering the signal - Craig, 2007
• The Gold Connection - Big Daddy, 2010
• HDMI Extenders - Big Daddy, 2010
• Oxygen-Nitro Cables - Craig, 2007

DisplayPort
DisplayPort

Glossery

Voltage (E)
Electricity is the flow of electrons through a conducter from point A to point B. Voltage is the measure of electrical potential called the electromotive force.

Current (I)
The total amount of electricity that passes a point over a given amount of time.

Resistance (R)
The opposition to the passage of an electric current. An object of uniform cross section has a resistance proportional to its resistivity and length and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area. Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω). Ohm's law, Georg Simon Ohm, 1827. The relationships between (P) power, (E) voltage, (I) current, and (R) resistance. One Ω is the resistance value through which one volt will maintain a current of one ampere.

Power (P)
The amount of current times the voltage level at a given point measured in wattage or watts.

Volts x Amps = Watts
Watts / Amps = Volts
Watts / Volts = Amps

The Seven Basic(SI) Units

• metre [m], The distance light travels in a vacuum, in 1/299792458th of a second.
• kilogram [kg], The mass of an international prototype of a platinum-iridium cylinder.
• second [s], The length of time taken for 9192631770 periods of vibration of the caesium-133 atom.
• ampere [A], A specified force between two parallel wires which are 1 metre apart in a vacuum.
• kelvin [K], 1/273.16th of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.
• mole [mol], The amount of substance that contains as many elementary units as there are atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon-12.
• candela [cd], The intensity of a source of light of a specified frequency

Some Basic Concepts:

• F - Force: F = m*a; Force = mass x acceleration. This is not to be confused with energy(E) where E = mv^2 which Einstein made to E = mc^2
• N - Newton: 1N = 1(kg x m)/s^2. The force required to accelerate a one-kilogram mass one meter per second per second (m/s^2).
• J - Joule: 1J = 1(kg x m^2)/s^2. 1J is the work done by a force of 1newton moving an object a distance of one meter.
• C - Coulomb: 1C = 6.25x10^18 electrons per second or the charge transfered though a conductor by a current of one ampere.
• I - Current: The rate an electrical charge passes though a given point in time.
• V - Voltage: The voltage difference between two points A and B.
• R - Resistance
• P - Power = I^2*R:
• Ω - Ohm's law: I = V/R or J/(s x A^2)
• A - ampere, 6.242x10^2 electrons per unit of time.
• W - Watt: 1W = 1V * 1A; 1W = 1 joule each second; one watt is equal to 1/746 of a horsepower.

The Decibel The Decibel is the relative differences in signal strength: the base 10 logarithm of the ratio of the powers of two signals:
dB = 10 log (P1/P2)



Back to The HD POST

[Grubert]

Originally Posted by farhan

hi guys, i dont know if this is the right thread to ask but i hope u guys cud help me with this question thats running in my head,
i own a samsung BD1500 and a full hd 46 inch samsung tv. Does it makes a diifference if i wud to change a better HDMi cable. Does it makes the PQ better that my standard cable??

Thanks for looking and answering the question.

If you're not losing the signal and you don't get sparkles in the picture, you don't need to change a thing.

[Samsang]

Originally Posted by mjbethancourt

You're so eager to blurt out "don't buy Monster" that you didn't even stop to consider that he might not be using HDMI1.3a... If it's a generic cable that doesn't meet 1.3a specs (such as one that comes with the player, or something like that), he may very well need a better cable. You have one-track minds.

Most of the HDMI cables produced before the 1.3a spec was published do indeed meet that spec. They just aren't certified to meet it. Fact is, it is highly unlikely for any HDMI of shorter lengths (< 10') to cause problems with the signal unless the cable assembly is physically damaged.

[SpHeRe31459]

Originally Posted by Samsang

Most of the HDMI cables produced before the 1.3a spec was published do indeed meet that spec. They just aren't certified to meet it. Fact is, it is highly unlikely for any HDMI of shorter lengths (< 10') to cause problems with the signal unless the cable assembly is physically damaged.

+1

[SpHeRe31459]

Another good link that might want to be added to the 1st post about cable lengths, brand name, and performance that was a great group of three of head to head tests is from gizmondo a couple of years ago...

http://gizmodo.com//gadgets/hdmi-cable-battlemodo/

[tek101]

Originally Posted by hoogoosedmoose41

id love to see someone buy a couple of dozen HDMI cables at mono price and sit in best buys parking lot and sell them at half price of monsters cables they would make a killing if they didnt get kicked out in 30 minutes.

Thats a Darnnnnnnn goooood idea ....man....
I'm with you.

[Sammy]

Worse than that. The @$$holes in the yellow shirts will come out and kick you in the beanbag.

[Sampinto05]

This is the same advice that I took "All 1.3 hdmi cables are the same" and I regret it to this day. It's is true that you don't have to buy expensive cables and infact you can premium cables for for less on amazon. Please try media bridge hdmi cables (i bought a 3ft one and a 6ft one). They are 1.3b category 2 and can transfer faster video information and supports x.v color perfectly resulting in smooth picture all for less. Do not buy crappy cables and think it would work the same that,s a lie, in the end you don't have to buy expensive cables either. I experienced alot of noise on my tv when I bought a cable with the 1.3 spec hopping it would work fine but I change it with mediabridge cables that support 120hz and are very fast.

[Sammy]

What's the difference between a 120Hz-supporting cable and a Cat 2 cable?

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by amidujusu

This is the same advice that I took "All 1.3 hdmi cables are the same" and I regret it to this day. It's is true that you don't have to buy expensive cables and infact you can premium cables for for less on amazon. Please try media bridge hdmi cables (i bought a 3ft one and a 6ft one). They are 1.3b category 2 and can transfer faster video information and supports x.v color perfectly resulting in smooth picture all for less. Do not buy crappy cables and think it would work the same that,s a lie, in the end you don't have to buy expensive cables either. I experienced alot of noise on my tv when I bought a cable with the 1.3 spec hopping it would work fine but I change it with mediabridge cables that support 120hz and are very fast.

ummmnnn, sorry but this is not true. X.V Color is barely used and I believe its only used now for video recorders. Also, a cable isnt going to transfer faster video for a smoother picture. If anything it might have a higher rating for future uses, but as of the present, its pointless... also, you dont need any extra cables for 120 hz since the tv is what is doing the 120 hz, not the player...

[Sammy]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

ummmnnn, sorry but this is not true. X.V Color is barely used and I believe its only used now for video recorders. Also, a cable isnt going to transfer faster video for a smoother picture. If anything it might have a higher rating for future uses, but as of the present, its pointless... also, you dont need any extra cables for 120 hz since the tv is what is doing the 120 hz, not the player...

That is the point of my asking the previous poster.