Does it REALLY matter what type of HDMI cables i buy?

[YankeesWin]

Just got back from Cablevision with my hdmi ready box . I asked the guy if I could just pickup a cable from radio shack, and he told me I should probably go with a "better quality cable" from a bb, cc, target etc.

I guess my question is ehh....which brand is "good"? Maybe I can do some fishing and find a quality one for cheap. I need a DVI<>HDMI cable as well.

thanks in advance.

 

[n7]

Go with the most expensive one; preferably Monster :evil:







/Actually it doesn't likely matter much; cheap should be fine.

 

[MrWizzard]

How long a run is the cable going to need to go? I have run a $3, six foot cable for 1080P signal with no problem. If it's a relatively short distance you can get a cheap pair and have no problems.

 

[YankeesWin]

No longer than 8 feet.I'll just go with el cheapo and see what happens. thanks.

 

[kpb]

www.monoprice.com has a good selection and price and can get anything from cheap to highest quality in most any length you want. In most cases for short lengths cheap cables should be fine. Long runs or in wall you want to make sure the cable is going to handle that.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I bought a DVI cable from Monoprice.com, and it was so heavy-duty, it was unusable in my application. Too big a cable, not flexible enough, and the ferrites were way too large, and located in the exact wrong place, in order to mount the cable properly.

Given my experience, I should have bought an el-cheapo cable from BestBuy, for the same $20 I spent at mono.

 

[s44]

Monoprice is better constructed than the B&M brands, at 1/5 the price.

The idea of paying $100 for a cable is hilarious.

 

[krotchy]

Originally posted by: s44
Monoprice is better constructed than the B&M brands, at 1/5 the price.

The idea of paying $100 for a cable is hilarious.

Monoprice seconded. Great prices, great quality.

P.S. With HDMI, since it is all digital, it pretty much will work or it wont, and unless you buy a cable some guy would with his hands, I think you will come out ok

 

[nitromullet]

http://bluejeanscable.com/store/dvi/index.htm

good and resonably priced...

 

[hans007]

the mono price cables are great. it is all digital , all that stuff doesnt matter , plus there is probably error corection.

the mono price cables are actually gold plated. even the radioshack brand 6' cable is $50. believe me i looked. monoprice is like $4.60

 

[Matthias99]

the mono price cables are great. it is all digital , all that stuff doesnt matter , plus there is probably error corection.

the mono price cables are actually gold plated. even the radioshack brand 6' cable is $50. believe me i looked. monoprice is like $4.60

Being 'gold-plated' doesn't really improve signal integrity (though it does prevent oxidation or reactions between dissimilar metals). It's not a bad thing, but it's not worth paying a whole lot extra for.

Cables are marked WAY up in retail stores. While there is some value in not getting super-duper-low-quality cables, especially if they're on the long side, buying $100 Monster cables is a bad deal all around. How do you think they paid for the naming rights to that stadium?

I've also bought cables from http://www.cablesforless.com/ several times. They do have some overpriced stuff, though, so double-check what you're ordering.

Also note that if you don't care about sending audio in the same cable (like you're sending video to a TV and using an optical out for a receiver), it might be cheaper to go HDMI->DVI->HDMI. HDMI is just DVI+digital audio in one feed, so you can get cheap adapter plugs or cables to go back and forth with no quality loss.

 

[Matt2]

I have the $100 Monster HDMI cable. But I got it for $38, couldnt really argue for that price.

I also have a $6 HDMI cable and I can honestly say that the difference is negligible.

 

[RichUK]

HDMI uses a digital signal, this means you either have the signal or you don?t ? there is no in between. So, to answer your question: No, it doesn?t make a difference picture quality wise what cables you use.

However, with an analogue signal an improved medium can improve or maintain the signal quality, the aim of a better medium (cable) with an analogue signal is to keep (and to not) degrade the initial clean signal to and from an I/O device.

 

[JesseKnows]

it might be cheaper to go HDMI->DVI->HDMI.

Some HDMI equipment (e.g., repeaters/receivers with switcher) have difficulties with HDMI->DVI.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I bought a DVI cable from Monoprice.com, and it was so heavy-duty, it was unusable in my application. Too big a cable, not flexible enough, and the ferrites were way too large, and located in the exact wrong place, in order to mount the cable properly.

Given my experience, I should have bought an el-cheapo cable from BestBuy, for the same $20 I spent at mono.

I know the cables you are referring to. I use several of them, and they are GREAT. The ferrites are large, but they have to be in this application. I'm using the 30 foot and 50 foot ones. Heavy duty isn't the word for 'em. These things are tanks.

Good luck finding anything of that quality at Best Buy.

As for the OP, stick with the MonoPrice HDMI cables. I own several of them (as well as numerous HDMI->DVI cables) and they work great. Don't be swindled by Monster or even the $40 ones.

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

the mono price cables are great. it is all digital , all that stuff doesnt matter , plus there is probably error corection.

the mono price cables are actually gold plated. even the radioshack brand 6' cable is $50. believe me i looked. monoprice is like $4.60

Being 'gold-plated' doesn't really improve signal integrity (though it does prevent oxidation or reactions between dissimilar metals). It's not a bad thing, but it's not worth paying a whole lot extra for.

Cables are marked WAY up in retail stores. While there is some value in not getting super-duper-low-quality cables, especially if they're on the long side, buying $100 Monster cables is a bad deal all around. How do you think they paid for the naming rights to that stadium?

I've also bought cables from http://www.cablesforless.com/ several times. They do have some overpriced stuff, though, so double-check what you're ordering.

Also note that if you don't care about sending audio in the same cable (like you're sending video to a TV and using an optical out for a receiver), it might be cheaper to go HDMI->DVI->HDMI. HDMI is just DVI+digital audio in one feed, so you can get cheap adapter plugs or cables to go back and forth with no quality loss.

i thought the stadium was named after monster.com

 

[craftech]

Monoprice is the greatest.

However,

Don't buy 24 gage or even 26 gage cables. The are flat out TOO THICK and a nuisance to deal with.

28 gage is cheaper and is much easier to route, bend, and generally handle. There is zero difference in signal carrying ability.

John

 

[JBT]

Like all the others Monoprice cables are AMAZING. Inexpensive and better quality than pretty much anything at a B&M's.

 

[JRW]

I was using an el cheapo HDMI cable with my PS3 (it came with my up converting DVD player) and kept having random glitches / snow artifacts / screen flashes , I finally replaced it with a cable from monoprice.com and havent had a single issue since.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: hans007
i thought the stadium was named after monster.com

That's what I also thought when I first heard it. But no, it's Monster Cable.

http://www.monsterparksf.com/

 

[hondaf17]

so would you guys go with this from monoprice for $4.69
or this from newegg for $21.99? At least the one on Newegg advertises that it can support up to 1080p, or at this point is that just a marketing gimmick?