HDMI Cables

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

Cev, I think you missed the point.

selling TV's does not dictate cable price...name brand does.



Again, the average Joe Schmoe who doesn't know any better will buy the cable simply on name brand alone.

Best Buy (or any other box store) doesn't make a cable overpriced...they merely sell the cable. If someone is willing to overpay for a cable, then of course the selling store should get as much of the profit as they can, how could you blame them?

It means, the price is overpriced to begin with. Period.

They do not sell TV's...so the logic you use for stores selling the expensive cables because of low profit margin on tv sales shows the flaw in the logic.


Why are we even arguing this?? HDMI cables do not need to cost an arm and a leg to work properly.

No, u are wrong, as your comments are based on America and your market.
Here in Australia hdmi cables cost about $50 as a minimum (cheapest I have seen is $30, but I wouldn't of bought it, because it looked so cheaply built) regardless of the brand name. Monster cable isn't even widely sold here, in the last few years Belkin have moved in on their territory and have managed to negotiate nation wide contracts with some of Australia's biggest electronic retailers. Most people here wouldn't even know who monster cable or even Belkin are, when they walk into a store they have no idea what brands exist, so they certainly aren't brain washed by a brand name that's for sure, instead they just trust what the retailer tells them and would buy whatever cable the retailer recommended whether the brand name was Monster, Belkin or even Monoprice.

Unfortunately we don't really have the luxury of having $5-$10 hdmi cables here, they are much more and all cost very close to the same, in most cases brand makes no difference to the price (places like ebgames even sell hdmi cable brands that I've never heard of here for $80). Just because retailers sell monster cables to customers at higher prices, that doesn't mean that monster sells them to retailers at a high cost price. Companies like monster cable don't sell their products to retailers really any higher than cheaper less known brands, they just recommend that retailers sell them at a higher price, I know this because my brother has worked for a major electronics retailer here in Australia for the last 8 years, and that's how I got all my cables really cheap, cheaper than what it would have cost me for monoprice or bluejeans cables delivered here to Australia. Monster is not the only company who has high prices listed on their website, the same thing applies to almost every company, just go to samsungs website for example and have a look at the prices they have their tv's listed for, those high prices are their recommended sale prices, but how many retailers actually sell them for those prices, not many, they sell them for cheaper.

I'm certainly not arguing that 1 cable is better than another, like u I understand the facts about cables, and how there is no need to go all out, but not everyone on these forums lives in America, so before assuming that someone overpaid for cables, I think u should have a look to the left hand side to check what country they are from before commenting, because most countries have to pay more than u for cables, monster or not.

[oppopioneer]

Originally Posted by Cevolution

Here in Australia hdmi cables cost about $50 as a minimum (cheapest I have seen is $30, but I wouldn't of bought it, because it looked so cheaply built)

Can't Australians order their cables online from http://www.bluejeanscable.com/ or http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp where I believe most people on this website today buy our HDMI cables? It must be the shipping?

What helps to lower prices is competition in the free markets and the more people who boycott and avoid companies like Monster and buy from Bluejeans and Monoprice will force Monster to eventually start to lower their prices to compete or they will just lose more and more customers as word of mouth spreads about HDMI cables.

Bluejeans cables uses the broadcast industry standard Belden cable which was used by NBC to broadcast the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and they are affordable.

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by oppopioneer

Can't Australians order their cables online from http://www.bluejeanscable.com/ or http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp where I believe most people on this website today buy our HDMI cables? It must be the shipping?

What helps to lower prices is competition in the free markets and the more people who boycott and avoid companies like Monster and buy from Bluejeans and Monoprice will force Monster to eventually start to lower their prices to compete or they will just lose more and more customers as word of mouth spreads about HDMI cables.

Bluejeans cables uses the broadcast industry standard Belden cable which was used by NBC to broadcast the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and they are affordable.

That would be relevant if the discussion was about shopping over the Internet, but it wasn't. Crackinhedz singled out a members post who was talking about buying hdmi cables from retail stores, and why cables are expensive when buying them from them. The member made a comment about his opinion about why they are expensive to buy from retailers but crackinhedz quickly shot him down, so I jumped in because what the member said is correct, maybe not in the American market, but it is here in the Australian market. Crackinhedz also used monster cable in his reply, so in my post I thought I would educate him on the fact that in some countries, monster are not that expensive compared to the cost of every other brand of hdmi cable which are also sold in retail stores.

All brands sold by retailers here would be consider expensive to Americans, because most brands on average are around $70-$80 (if u look hard enough u can find a couple of brands for around $30-$50 at some retailers here, but not many) so my point was is here in Australia Monster cable aren't as wicked or that much of a rip off considering $100 for a monster cable (which is around what most retailers here will charge, not the high prices listed on http://www.convoy.com.au, who are the Australian distributor of monster cable) is not far off $80 for any other brand hdmi cable.

Here customers don't really get ripped off by a particular hdmi manufacturer but instead by the retailer highly marking up every single brand available, here monster cables don't sell for hundreds of dollars above every other manufacturers of hdmi cables unlike where u are, we get taken for a ride on all brand hdmi cables as a whole, because hdmi cables in general are expensive here. Brand barely makes a difference to what we pay for them, and not many customers walk into a store asking for a particular brand of cable, they just buy whatever the retailer recommends, that could be any brand because retailers here highly profit from selling all of them. Retailers here try to make as much profit as they can from selling all brands of add on's (hdmi cables, surge protectors, extended warranties etc), thats where they make most of their money, not from tv's, receivers etc, but if they weren't making high profits from selling add on's, then they would increase their prices of tv's etc to make up for it.

Yes I agree with u about how people can order hdmi cables cheaper over the internet, but the disagreement between myself and crackinhedz isn't about the cost of hdmi cables bought over the Internet, but at retail stores. Besides there are plenty of people who don't shop over the Internet, because they don't want to not because they don't know about it, and will forever buy from retailers.

[oppopioneer]

Originally Posted by Cevolution

Yes I agree with u about how people can order hdmi cables cheaper over the internet, but the disagreement between myself and crackinhen isn't about the cost of hdmi cables bought over the Internet, but at retail stores. Besides there are plenty of people who don't shop over the Internet, because they don't want to not because they don't know about it, and will forever buy from retailers.

What'd your opinion on buying hdmi cables online?

[oppopioneer]

Report: Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Cables Are Illegal

Cables are unable to be tested against HDMI spec, so HDMI Licensing LLC declares them as unlicensed.

http://www.cepro.com/article/report_...s_are_illegal/

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by oppopioneer

What'd your opinion on buying hdmi cables online?

If people feel safe using the Internet for shopping (though a lot don't, which I completely understand considering I have 4 mates who have had thousands of dollars stolen from their bank/credit accounts as a result of shopping online) then I'm all for it if it saves them money. I myself would have bought monoprice or bluejeans cables if my brother didn't work for an electronics retailer.

[crackinhedz]

Cev, youre still missing the point.

Even here in America, most brick and mortar stores sell generic cables in the $30-$50 range. Even this is overpriced since we know how much it costs to make the cables etc.

No one is arguing the stores don't have a right to sell any product they feel and make a profit.

Its unfortunate that ordering a cable online in your country is more expensive than going to the store to get one.


And I certainly didn't "shoot down" anyone, I (disagreed and) pointed out that cable prices are not high just because of poor tv profits...and which is why I threw Monster cable as an example (which youre dwelling on, we could even talk about Audioquest?!). Monster sells overpriced cables, not to make up from poor tv sales...so that logic does not work. Thats my point.



If your country has to pay high rates for online shipping, and buying from the store is the best option...then whats the argument??

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

Cev, youre still missing the point.

Even here in America, most brick and mortar stores sell generic cables in the $30-$50 range. Even this is overpriced since we know how much it costs to make the cables etc.

No one is arguing the stores don't have a right to sell any product they feel and make a profit.

Its unfortunate that ordering a cable online in your country is more expensive than going to the store to get one.


And I certainly didn't "shoot down" anyone, I (disagreed and) pointed out that cable prices are not high just because of poor tv profits...and which is why I threw Monster cable as an example (which youre dwelling on, we could even talk about Everquest?!). Monster sells overpriced cables, not to make up from poor tv sales...so that logic does not work. Thats my point.



If your country has to pay high rates for online shipping, and buying from the store is the best option...then whats the problem??

Don't turn this into some BS compangn accusing me of siding with companies like monster, because I'm not. Where we are conflicting is that u obviously think monster sell their cables at a high price to retailers which is why they are more expensive? But I'm telling that that's not true, monster sell their cables to retailers for pretty cheap and very close to what other lesser known brands sell their cables to retailer for, it's the retailers who mark them up so high, monster doesn't see any of that profit from those high mark ups.

No one said tv prices were low directly because of high cable prices, there are many factors involved in that, but if companies weren't making as much money out of add on's (cables, surge protectors, extended warranties etc) then I know for a fact (as i have said in my previous posts, my bro has worked for 1 of Australias biggest electronic retail chains for the last 8 years, so I know very well how their business is operated) that tv prices would be a bit higher so retailers could recoup some of their lost profits, and for u to deny that is just a bit strange IMO.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by Cevolution

No one said tv prices were low directly because of high cable prices...

talk about spinning words and not making sense. Who said anything to this effect?? I really don't care what the sale price of a TV is.

Youre right Cev, you win.

Originally Posted by Cevolution

Don't try and turn this into some BS compangn accusing me of siding with companies like monster

when and where did I say anything of the sort?? Cev, you should stop while youre ahead.

[crackinhedz]

to end this ridiculous disagreement, let me just say:

If the cheapest cable you can buy in your neck of the woods, be it online, at the store, farmers market, flea market...whatever...and it works properly, then buy it.

But if your option is between a $5 and a $1,000,000 cable and they both perform the same...

[oppopioneer]

I think Cevolution's point is that it's not the cable companies that are the problem...it's the retailers and the contracts they have with the cable companies.

Now here in the U.S. even if you were to buy directly from Monster's factory they still would sell their hdmi cables at the same price.

I would like to know the name of the Chinese factory that makes Monster cables. I do believe over 90% of all hdmi cables in the World are made in China. Copartner is the World's largest cable manufacturer and they make cables for many companies. I wouldn't be surprised if Copartner makes the cables for Audioquest and Monster in the same Chinese factor.

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

talk about spinning words and not making sense. Who said anything to this effect?? I really don't care what the sale price of a TV is.

Youre right Cev, you win.



when and where did I say anything of the sort?? Cev, you should stop while youre ahead.

Whatever man, I think u have misunderstood me somewhere along the line, but anyway...

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by oppopioneer

I think Cevolution's point is that it's not the cable companies that are the problem...it's the retailers and the contracts they have with the cable companies.

Now here in the U.S. even if you were to buy directly from Monster's factory they still would sell their hdmi cables at the same price.

I would like to know the name of the Chinese factory that makes Monster cables. I do believe over 90% of all hdmi cables in the World are made in China. Copartner is the World's largest cable manufacturer and they make cables for many companies. I wouldn't be surprised if Copartner makes the cables for Audioquest and Monster in the same Chinese factor.

At least 1 person understands .

[Cevolution]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

to end this ridiculous disagreement, let me just say:

If the cheapest cable you can buy in your neck of the woods, be it online, at the store, farmers market, flea market...whatever...and it works properly, then buy it.

But if your option is between a $5 and a $1,000,000 cable and they both perform the same...

Agreed

[Constitution 101]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

Cev, I think you missed the point.

selling TV's does not dictate cable price...name brand does.



Again, the average Joe Schmoe who doesn't know any better will buy the cable simply on name brand alone.

Best Buy (or any other box store) doesn't make a cable overpriced...they merely sell the cable. If someone is willing to overpay for a cable, then of course the selling store should get as much of the profit as they can, how could you blame them?



It means, the price is overpriced to begin with. Period.

They do not sell TV's...so the logic you use for stores selling the expensive cables because of low profit margin on tv sales shows the flaw in the logic.


Why are we even arguing this?? HDMI cables do not need to cost an arm and a leg to work properly.

They're not OVERPRICED in the sense you're saying. The price is what PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY for that cable. A top of the line Monster can cost around $150-$200 for 3ft. If they were so overpriced Monster would eventually have to stop making them or lower the price(because no one would be buying). They're not lowering the price or stopping production. That's because consumers have decided the price is still appropriate. If the product doesn't do what's advertised, that's not a price issue. That's a legal(or at least ethical) issue. The price is ultimately determined by the consumer.

[Ryan Peddle]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

Cev, I think you missed the point.

selling TV's does not dictate cable price...name brand does.



Again, the average Joe Schmoe who doesn't know any better will buy the cable simply on name brand alone.

Best Buy (or any other box store) doesn't make a cable overpriced...they merely sell the cable. If someone is willing to overpay for a cable, then of course the selling store should get as much of the profit as they can, how could you blame them?



It means, the price is overpriced to begin with. Period.

They do not sell TV's...so the logic you use for stores selling the expensive cables because of low profit margin on tv sales shows the flaw in the logic.


Why are we even arguing this?? HDMI cables do not need to cost an arm and a leg to work properly.

You do not seem to understand what is happening in the electronics world at all.

No profit is being made, especially on TVs. TVs are the largest marketable home entertainment electroncs product to the average consumer. So the big stores sell these tvs at atrociously low prices and make no real profit after they pay their bills and employees, thus other product have to generate profit regardless of who buys them.

Based on your analogy, if a person buys a tv, they should be the ones paying more for the cable, since they are buying the product that is very low on profit. But since you are just buying a cable, you should pay less. Guess who asks for the discount though?

If cable prices in the store dropped to what the gastly internet companies are, they would be out of business overnight.

Here is a weird comparison. Imaging you could walk out today and buy a brand new 2011 Ford F150 for $10000. You would think it was great...freaking fantastic...but then the salesman tells you that the tires are $3000, the keys are $2000, the windows are $3000 etc. You would lose your mind asking why the hell are the keys $2000.

The manufactures/stores are having to sell the TVs at such a low price that they have to sell you other things just to make the system work. It is very very close to the apple model which is ludicrous for anybody but apple (that is why Apple is announcing record profits and Best Buy is annoucing record losses.

While you think you are doing someone a favor by announcing that their are cheap cables around...another person is losing their job because profits are going south.

Do I agree with the system? Absolutely not. I would rather more profit be allocated to TVs and less to peripherals...but consumers are not letting that happen.

BTW, I am not trying to ruffle feathers, but I work in the industry, and what I have said is very very true. Please, buy where you want to buy and do what is right for you. But don't attack certain people or companies thinking they are evil gougers...it has to be done that way.

[jollymark]

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency (RF) coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA. HDMI connects digital audio/video sources (such as set-top boxes, DVD players, HD DVD players, Blu-ray Disc players, AVCHD camcorders, personal computers (PCs), video game consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and AV receivers) to compatible digital audio devices, computer monitors, video projectors, tablet computers, and digital televisions.HDMI implements the EIA/CEA-861 standards, which define video formats and waveforms, transport of compressed, uncompressed, and LPCM audio, auxiliary data, and implementations of the VESA EDID. HDMI supports, on a single cable, any uncompressed TV or PC video format, including standard, enhanced and high-definition video; up to 8 channels of compressed or uncompressed digital audio; a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) connection; and an Ethernet data connection.

[My_Two_Cents]

Wow, haven't been in this thread for awhile, yet I see the misinformation and BS continues to flow. At least Crack steps-in on occasion to bring facts back into the discussions.

[dyne]

Originally Posted by Constitution 101

. That's because consumers have decided the price is still appropriate. If the product doesn't do what's advertised, that's not a price issue. That's a legal(or at least ethical) issue. The price is ultimately determined by the consumer.

Which is sad. It's the stores preying on the uneducated mouth breathers that come in and are under the impression that the prices they see are normal.

[jonesyg27]

Wow, I feel sorry for Crackinhedz. He gives some of the best advice I've seen and has to get crap on this dopey thread. Listen to him already.

Buy the cheapest certified HDMI cable you can find in your country. In the US, that will not be at a retail store. Anywhere else, shop around. I have bought only 2 cables, and have been given several more by my cable/FIOS providers, and so have spent about $10. They all work perfectly. Stop the madness.