what's the difference between cheap and expensive HDMI cable?

[bigrash]

Monster cable is around $130 for 6ft. that's crazy! Is the video/audio quality the same for cheaper ones that are like $25 or $30?

 

[purbeast0]

about $100

 

[Linflas]

I bought HDMI cables for $9.95 and they work with no problem. The consensus over at AVSForum seems to be to get them as cheap as possible. There are even links to places selling them in the $6.00-$10.00 range.

 

[Savij]

Quick scan through says no. You either have the signal or you dont.

 

[Pepsi90919]

the price

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Buy here and be happy

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&style=

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: Linflas
I bought HDMI cables for $9.95 and they work with no problem. The consensus over at AVSForum seems to be to get them as cheap as possible. There are even links to places selling them in the $6.00-$10.00 range.

we actually ran tests on the cables at school and determined there is no difference as long as the field propogation speed of the wire is above .75c (3/4 of the speed of light) and most decent cables are easily over this.

we tested all different kinds of monster cables. it was determined experimentally and scientifically that they are a waste of money. no, this is not a joke.

 

[RossMAN]

Retail markup?

I bought 3 HDMI cables from MonoPrice.com and they're awesome.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: Linflas
I bought HDMI cables for $9.95 and they work with no problem. The consensus over at AVSForum seems to be to get them as cheap as possible. There are even links to places selling them in the $6.00-$10.00 range.

I saw the high dollar ones at BB but there was a link on here that steered me in a better direction. Got a 15ft one for $20-25 dollars from monoprice.

EDIT: see monoprice is very popular

 

[JulesMaximus]

The only difference is the dollar amount that they lighten your wallet by.

 

[Hyperlite]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Buy here and be happy

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&style=

monoprice ftw.

 

[mpitts]

Digital singal = it either gets there or it doesn't.

No reason to shell out extra cash. As long as the cable works, you won't notice a difference between a $100 and $10 HDMI cable.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Monster cables are over rated. In every area of cables.

 

[ScottFern]

monoprice.com /thread.

 

[jimbob200521]

It's kind of hard to screw up an HDMI cable, as the signal is digital so anything that can carry 1's and 0's should do the trick.

 

[EstimateMe]

sorry to get off topic OP, but does anybody know of somewhere to buy an HDMI switch? My TV has 1 HDMI input, but I want to run an upconverting DVD player and my cable box through the 1 input.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: EstimateMe
sorry to get off topic OP, but does anybody know of somewhere to buy an HDMI switch? My TV has 1 HDMI input, but I want to run an upconverting DVD player and my cable box through the 1 input.

Monoprice?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&style=

 

[EstimateMe]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: EstimateMe
sorry to get off topic OP, but does anybody know of somewhere to buy an HDMI switch? My TV has 1 HDMI input, but I want to run an upconverting DVD player and my cable box through the 1 input.

Monoprice?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&style=

Yeah I saw that, just out of stock until 11/27

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: EstimateMe

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: EstimateMe
sorry to get off topic OP, but does anybody know of somewhere to buy an HDMI switch? My TV has 1 HDMI input, but I want to run an upconverting DVD player and my cable box through the 1 input.

Monoprice?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&style=

Yeah I saw that, just out of stock until 11/27

I see plenty of places to get rather expensive ones, but nothing that cheap yet.

There's a fairtly good mix on ebay if you want to try to research some of the more affordable models.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dl...+switch&category0=&submitSearch=Search

 

[Staples]

Nothing traditionally has been the difference although I am using a PS3 through a cheap HDMI cable that I got from TWC and I can't get 5.1 audio to play. Not sure why.

HDMI 1.3 devices are supposedly picky because some HDMI cables are not good enough to handle the bandwidth. Luckily, very few things on the market at HDMI 1.3 right now.

 

[MrWizzard]

mpitts

Digital singal = it either gets there or it doesn't.

QFT

 

[bigrash]

Thanks for all the comments. I'll be sure to pick up a cheap one

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: MrWizzard
mpitts

Digital singal = it either gets there or it doesn't.

QFT

not quite.

Originally posted by: mpitts
Digital singal = it either gets there or it doesn't.

No reason to shell out extra cash. As long as the cable works, you won't notice a difference between a $100 and $10 HDMI cable.

actually that isnt true. the speed at which the signal propogates over the wire has more to do with it than the attenuation properties of the cable itself. as long as the cable is properly shielded and the velocity of propogation is sufficient, then yes, it is a signal and it either gets there or it doesnt, but it isnt always that simple. you are making the design of high accuracy amplifiers and electronics in general seem trivial when it most assuredly is not. the point of this thread is if the cables are worth it or not, and the answer is it depends. monster cables are always overpriced - i can safely say that. however, some cheap cables are exactly that - cheap - and do not deliver. there is no way to know without either testing or buying and experiencing.


everyone saying its carrying 1s or 0s is very mislead. the signals carry a hell of a lot more information than 0 or 5V. how do you think so much data is transferred so quickly over so few wires at not that high of a frequency? the answer is it is not a 1 line, 2 possible state situation all the time. it can work on phase change, several voltage levels for several bits per clock, and noise is a problem even in a digital signal. you realize when you say digital that the actual wave is still sinusoidal, right?

the point of all of this is that if your cable doesnt trasmit the wave at above a certain velocity then the trasmitting and receiving ends will not be in sync and data will be lost. if the receiver is expecting a 25 degree phase shift per bit per clock and the wave is "too slow" then it will read a wrong value and it isnt simply a "digital signal" since each wave could carry as many as 8 to 16 different values, not just 1 and 0.

 

[Kelemvor]

Check out http://www.trianglecables.com

I usually get all my cables there and the prices are always great. Monster is just a brand name like Bose. Only people who buy them are the people that don't know any better.

 

[spidey07]

MrDudeMan,

Very good point. Most people don't realize that it's not 1s and 0s. Just analog to look like it.

I would assume there is some bandwidth/attentuation/crosstalk differences in the cables though and that could make a big differences at longer lengths.