HDMI Cables

[mjbethancourt]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

mj, im curious as to your thoughts on what happens after these bits fail or disappear, (lost) as you put it... What happens to the picture on the TV?

The result would be a display artifact of some type... it could be as small as a single pixel, or as large as a dropped signal; but you know that. Are you trying to imply something else, which I, or anyone else for that matter, have never said?

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

...the bitstream gets accurately reconstituted, and the picture on your display is as good as the HDMI signal can make it.

I fail to see how an overpriced cable will give you a better picture??

Better than what? A faulty signal with sparklies or snow? Then YES, absolutely it will give a better picture. To continue beating a dead horse: every signal suffers. If you can afford it, why not use equipment that will allow the signal to suffer the least? If $4 cables perform up to a standard that you're happy with, and are sufficient to essentially meet the optimum parameters allowed by the rest of your equipment, then rock on. I don't see anybody hassling users of inexpensive cables here.

[xneox]

I'm still impatiently waiting for my overpriced, waste-of-money Monster Cable right-angle HDMI cable to arrive. And yet, with all of that waste, I'm damned excited to get her hooked in.




I wish I could take back all of the bandwagon bull I said about paying more for a better cable. Oh well. Live and learn...trick is to be open-minded enough to do the latter.

[Hammie]

While it is all ones and zeros, voice and video are real-time applications. Unlike data 1's and 0's, voice and video doesn't run with a transmission control protocol which allows for lost 1's and 0's to be retransmitted. That bit is lost.

Granted buffers and processors can help with the delay and "guessing" as to what data was lost in the stream, but when it gets to be too much, there is no salvation of the lost data. Even the best processors cannot "guess."

You asked what happens. Well, it depends. You could get what appears to be a stuck, hot, or dead pixel. You could get pixelation. You could get out of sync audio and video. You could get color misrepresentation (cyan versus blue). Loss of sharpness. Snow. Horizontal or vertical lines. I guess the list can go on.

I think in most cases, there will be very little difference between cable performances at short distances (unless the shielding is horrible). I think in most instances, the BD player, receiver, or TV will be the issue when it comes to inadequate processing capabilities.

Just my two cents.

[SoundFreak]

Sorry to invade this thread but I have a question. I have a need to run 25 feet of hdmi and I understand that it will be a wise choice to upgrade on cable. My problem is I don't know which cable to buy. Monoprice has different gauge cables of 1.3a. I'm not sure my receiver is 1.3a compatible (yamaha v663) and if it even is, which gauge would I want? Or can someone point me in the direction of a worthy cable.?

[mjbethancourt]

you're not invading anything, your question is perfectly placed for this thread. That model of Yamaha is listed as compatible to HDMI 1.3a. For a run that long, I would recommend a run of very large guage cable, I'm sure there are plenty of people on this site that are using long runs that can help more with that. I know there are theoretical tests that suggest long runs can work without any supplemental device, but in my opinion it's pretty sketchy. An additional device may be necessary to amplify that signal if you want best performance.

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by SoundFreak

Sorry to invade this thread but I have a question. I have a need to run 25 feet of hdmi and I understand that it will be a wise choice to upgrade on cable. My problem is I don't know which cable to buy. Monoprice has different gauge cables of 1.3a. I'm not sure my receiver is 1.3a compatible (yamaha v663) and if it even is, which gauge would I want? Or can someone point me in the direction of a worthy cable.?

The term "1.3a" has nothing to do with wire guage or cable length. The version (1.2, 1.3a, 1.3b, etc.) has to do with the features supported (Deep Color, CEC, TrueHD bitstreaming, etc.)

Cable Category, on the other hand, is what you need to look at for the specifications of the cable construction, including length. Manufacturers don't always specify whether they are Category 1 or Category 2 cables. However, here are a few tips on how to determine which category you should be getting.

28 AWG is considered to be a Category 1 cable, which, by its specs, only supports 720p/1080i. Now, that doesn't mean that a 1080p signal could not be sent, there may be errors. Many manufacturers label these cables as "Standard" HDMI cables.

24 AWG or higher (a lower number means thicker wire) is considered to be Category 2. This type fully supports all 1080p bandwidth requirements (actually supports up to 1600p). Cables that are Category 2 are usually labeled "High-Speed" HDMI cables.

As mj noted, try to get as cable with as low a wire guage as possible.

[Chizzap30]

Nordost guarantees the Wyrewizard HDMI up to 15 Meters and is available in a 10 Meter length.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Chizzap30

Nordost guarantees the Wyrewizard HDMI up to 15 Meters and is available in a 10 Meter length.

If he gets those, will it require a down-payment?

John

[Chizzap30]

Originally Posted by John72953

If he gets those, will it require a down-payment?

John

If he went with Nordost's Silver Screen HDMI, possibly. But I think the Wyrewizard in a 10 Meter at a price point around $229.99. But I can double check that on Tuesday when I stop by the shop.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Chizzap30

If he went with Nordost's Silver Screen HDMI, possibly. But I think the Wyrewizard in a 10 Meter at a price point around $229.99. But I can double check that on Tuesday when I stop by the shop.

That's actually a lot less than I would have imagined. Thanks.

John

[rded]

Originally Posted by John72953

That's actually a lot less than I would have imagined. Thanks.

John

I betcha I can get it for cheaper

[Chizzap30]

Originally Posted by rded

I betcha I can get it for cheaper

Bet you I can too...

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by SoundFreak

I have a need to run 25 feet of hdmi

High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Silver-Plated Copper CL2 Rated (For In-Wall Installation) Cable (22AWG) - 25ft

or

BJC Series-1 Belden Bonded-Pair HDMI Cables (25ft, 30ft, 35ft)




just keep in mind, these cables are extremely thick. Leave yourself some wiggle room.

[mtbkr]

[xneox]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

do we keep the discussions civil and on-topic?

I vote for this one.

Bunch of smart folks here. Imagine what we could accomplish if we all worked together...Muuuuaahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa.. .

Sorry...kinda hard to pull off a decent evil laugh in text.

[Hammie]

Originally Posted by xneox

I vote for this one.

Bunch of smart folks here. Imagine what we could accomplish if we all worked together...Muuuuaahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaa.. .

Sorry...kinda hard to pull off a decent evil laugh in text.

You pulled it off nicely.

[MasterSandman]

It's not really my fight but this is pretty interesting

Edit: Nevermind me. It was posted in the original post. I'll just keep using my Monoprice cables

[Chizzap30]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

*sigh*

All I have ever done was offer my opinion in support of these studies because a) I, too, have an engineering degree and understand the science and b) I've seen the results myself.

-That just the fallacy of Ad Hominem - Circumstantial.

Yes. Just for fun, and to see with my own eyes that there really were no visual differences between my $5 Monoprice cables and a $200 Monster cable, I went ahead and "borrowed" one from BB just to test. Guess what I found? Yep, no difference. So until there are some valid, scientific studies that prove these multi-hundred dollar cables will improve your overall picture quality versus good quality/low cost cables, I will continue to dispell the misinformation that one needs to spend a great deal of money on HDMI cables in order to get "the best" picture. So again I ask you, please provide the studies that conclude different 'quality' HDMI cables will give you better colors, contrast, sharpness, etc. (did you even read my last paragraph?) I think we'd all like to see this confirmation.

-Just because a monster cable costs more does not automatically make it a higher quality cable. Which is just another fallacy of Richer = Better
-However, if you say you didn't see a difference in the two cables, then I believe that you did not see a difference. But if you are saying just because you didn't see a difference, then no one esle should not see one either you are commiting the fallacy of converse accident.
-There have been some pieces showing the differences in the eye test pattern. However, to say just because there is no evidence for an event, therefore the event must not of occurd is the fallacy of argument from ignorance.

I am not pointing your errors in reasoning out just to do it. But they are flaws in your argument.
I am not going to tell you you're wrong because you did not perceive a difference in the cables. Just like I would hope you would not tell me I'm wrong for believing I perceived a difference with my cables.
-Home Theater is a hobby and it is one that is meant to be enjoyed and to do experimenting to see what works for one's personal self.

[drago3451]

Well to throw my thoughts in I purchased a 25 foot monoprice HDMI cable and have it hooked up to my 1080p projector. The image is great and I do not feel that paying ten times the amount would be justified.

I will say that my equipment is still entry level/mid grade so I imagine that if I paid $36,000 for a projector the cables may come into play.

[Chizzap30]

Your project is still pretty sweet. I wouldn't say the projector is the weak point in your current set up. If anything, if you ever get the itch of upgrade-itis that goes around, I would start with upgrading the source and then move on down the line of the signal path to the AVR, etc. As those get upgraded, the project and your speakers will show you why you upgraded those to begin with.