difference in HDMI cables

[bootman]

Originally Posted by sean10mm

As someone who worked in the telecommunications industry, when it comes to digital transmission it pretty much either works or it doesn't. Spending more than $10 on a cable to go 3 feet for digital data transmission from your Blu-ray player to your TV is moronic.

The "more expensive cable is better" thing is based on a misunderstanding of how digital signals work. As long as the signal isn't so horribly degraded that the TV can't tell a 1 from a 0, the data transmission is essentially perfect. And if you make the transmission so "dirty" that the TV can't tell a 1 from a 0, the picture falls apart almost instantly. There is almost no in-between because it either reads a 1 as a 1 and a 0 as a 0, or it doesn't.

If you buy a cheap HDMI cable and plug it in and get a pretty picture, you're seeing all there is to see. There isn't anything else because there is no essentially no gradual drop-off over digital. There is no shade of gray.

Don't take this as a personal attack, but this is not 100% true.
Not all of the ones and zeros make it safely across the analog domain when traveling on a cable. (yes I said analog domain)
When you send a signal at high frequency (HDMI1.3 calls for 340MHz) a lot can happen to the signal at distances longer than say 15ft with poorly made cables.
Of course, if the degradation is low enough that the ECC can properly reconstruct 100% of the signal, then no loss occurs.
Coming from the telcom world you must be familiar with MER and BER.
If they just start to get too much for the ECC to handle then you will still get a picture but it will contain artifacts.
(of course, blow BER and MER reading out of the water and you will get no pic at all)
In most cases this rarely happens so we get something in between.
Digital noise, macroblocking, etc.

This however has nothing to do with how much a cable should cost to properly carry the signal at the specified length.

[Roland1919]

Originally Posted by dk3dknight

I could never imagine paying that for a cable that is ridicolous ($900) unless it was diamond plated, ruby encrusted, and connectors are made from 100% gold bars.

I admit I cheated and bought a $4.77 from a local store, it was on the way to buying my tv so it worked for me.

But regardless if everyone is happy ive noticed these hdmi debates go no where...

dk3...I was kidding...LMAO Thanks buddy this makes for a great 200th post. Thank You, Thank, You now sit down.....

[dk3dknight]

Originally Posted by Roland1919

dk3...I was kidding...LMAO Thanks buddy this makes for a great 200th post. Thank You, Thank, You now sit down.....

Your welcome, Ive discovered leave these people alone too long and they will start yelling at each other posting links to various websites, and continue to way past any form of discussion.

Oh and if you want to get people really rallied up you just have to say you don't plan on buying a cable from monoprice heck they will bring torches to your house on that and burn the nonbelievers.

See what ive discovered with my own scientific research is,

a. there are two groups.
b. both groups are set in there ways.
c. neither group will ever agree ever.
d. both groups have certain logic patterns that are illogical to other group.
e. this discussion will never truly end, because another person will just ask a question about hdmi and this whole mess will restart.

Hopefully though we can all agree on at least one subject...

svideo < HDMI
HDMI > svideo

Do we all agree on this, can we hand to hand walk together on this...