Difference in HDMI cables

[wiiaddict123]

I previously bought a Monster HDMI cable for about $100. The guy at Best Buy was telling me that the cable was the best out there and would "make my HD TV experience better". This doesn't seem to be true. Not that the cable isn't great, but I also bought another HDMI cable online from Otter Technologies, at ottertechnologies.com and it seems just as well-built and the picture is just as good as the monster cable. The difference is that on this one I only spent $25. So is there really a difference in HDMI cables? I feel like such as sucker for buying that Monster cable in the first place now, when I got another cable online for so much cheaper and the picture is really identical.

Can somebody tell me - is there a difference with HDMI cables? Are Monster cables worth the price like this guy claimed?

 

[TLS Guy]

I previously bought a Monster HDMI cable for about $100. The guy at Best Buy was telling me that the cable was the best out there and would "make my HD TV experience better". This doesn't seem to be true. Not that the cable isn't great, but I also bought another HDMI cable online from Otter Technologies, at ottertechnologies.com and it seems just as well-built and the picture is just as good as the monster cable. The difference is that on this one I only spent $25. So is there really a difference in HDMI cables? I feel like such as sucker for buying that Monster cable in the first place now, when I got another cable online for so much cheaper and the picture is really identical.

Can somebody tell me - is there a difference with HDMI cables? Are Monster cables worth the price like this guy claimed?

No, they are not worth it, and you fell for "Worst Buy" sales pressure , a desperate ploy to try and keep them in business. A digital signal passes or it does not. So you found your two cables are equivalent except for price.

On these forums, we usually recommend people use Blue Jeans Cables or Monoprice for their cabling needs.

Also we do not recommend anything from Monster Cable due to the companies lack of ethics.

 

[Swerd]

Can somebody tell me - is there a difference with HDMI cables? Are Monster cables worth the price like this guy claimed?

I can't add anything to what TLS Guy already said. He's right.

I'm sorry it cost you $75 to learn that, but at least you were smart enough to doubt what the BB salesman said, and test it yourself. It helps that you posted your experience here, because you can't repeat it often enough. Others will read it and benefit.

The worst part about these over priced cables is that the manufacturers, including Monster, offer the stores a very high profit margin and commission to encourage them to push their products. You may have paid a decent price for the TV set, but got nailed on the cable.

 

[3db]

The other thing left to do is to spread the gosbel about cable manufacturers. I do this with all my friends or people who approach me at parties etc if the topic comes up that is.

 

[highfigh]

I previously bought a Monster HDMI cable for about $100. The guy at Best Buy was telling me that the cable was the best out there and would "make my HD TV experience better". This doesn't seem to be true. Not that the cable isn't great, but I also bought another HDMI cable online from Otter Technologies, at ottertechnologies.com and it seems just as well-built and the picture is just as good as the monster cable. The difference is that on this one I only spent $25. So is there really a difference in HDMI cables? I feel like such as sucker for buying that Monster cable in the first place now, when I got another cable online for so much cheaper and the picture is really identical.

Can somebody tell me - is there a difference with HDMI cables? Are Monster cables worth the price like this guy claimed?

If it was less than 2 weeks ago, take it back. If it was more than 2 weeks, try to return it. It was sold as something that will make the experience better" and if it didn't, you shouldn't have to keep it.

There's a fine line between a sales pitch and fraud.

 

[htgeek]

Well said gentlemen, anyone who doesn't know A/V could go crazy reading about hype and snake oil. It is really a shame, but it's been like this for so long. Fortunately good forums like this exist to help try to keep the path clear, well, somewhat clear. Some people want to believe what they want to believe, even when you show them in black and white. The only 2 cents I want to put in is, cheap cables can produce poor pq and aq. Any self respecting manufacture will produce a quality cable and not kill you on price. Also awg will make a difference for long runs. That's the only "real" difference.

 

[j_garcia]

They make less on the TVs so they have to make it up somewhere and accessories and cables are where they do it because the profit margins are astronomically higher on them. At BB, they are trained to upsell you on the accessories for that reason and no other. They certainly aren't going to tell you that there is no difference between a $5 HDMI cable and a $100 one.

 

[BMXTRIX]

There is no finer cable than Monster!

Also, there is no finer cable than the ones from Monoprice!

Also, there is no finer cable than the ones from Blue Jeans Cable!

Bottom line, is that if a cable can carry the standard HD signals you throw at it such as 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p, then that cable is capable of delivering the 'best' image quality on the market and can say that 'nobody is better'.

Not a lie, but the reality is that almost 'nobody is worse' is also the case.

There are dozens (hundreds?) of equally capable products on the market. But, Best Buy sells Monster, so that's what you ended up with.

A few minutes on the Internet and you now know better. Makes you wonder what would happen if you researched everything before you bought it doesn't it?

 

[cheapmods]

I read about the whole "signal gets there or it doesnt so a cable is a cable reguardless of price or supposed superior quality" thing when I originally wired up my house several years ago, BUT since this is about the "difference" in HDMI cables, I have a question....

Is there a difference between the HDMI cable I bought 4 years ago vs the new "high speed" HDMI cables? Would the old cables be unable to handle the new 1.4 audio return feature??

 

[BMXTRIX]

High speed doesn't mean it is HDMI 1.4. High speed certification means that it has passed lab testing on a group of that length/spec cable to meet the demands on 1080p video.

On the other hand, almost NO 50' HDMI cable is 'high speed' certified. Yet, I've used HDMI cabling of 85' with 1080p without issue.

But, that was HDMI 1.3 cable.

HDMI 1.4 has specifications you can read online and includes two major new hardware standards.

1. It includes ARC, or audio return channel. This is very nice for those people who may have a receiver not conveniently located near a TV, or who may want to plug into a game system or video camera directly to the TV. The ARC allows the audio to travel from the TV back to the receiver to use surround sound. Very nice for kids who bring over gaming systems for sure. Or if a receiver is not located near the room.

2. Ethernet. HDMI 1.4 calls for a Ethernet cable set within the HDMI cable. This was not a part of HDMI 1.3. At this point, I'm not sure if a manufacturer has made use of embedded Ethernet on HDMI cables or not.

So, while a HDMI 1.3 cable may (and typically does) support 3D, it does not support the other two items listed above.

 

[Nestor]

I previously bought a Monster HDMI cable for about $100. The guy at Best Buy was telling me that the cable was the best out there and would "make my HD TV experience better". This doesn't seem to be true. Not that the cable isn't great, but I also bought another HDMI cable online from Otter Technologies, at ottertechnologies.com and it seems just as well-built and the picture is just as good as the monster cable. The difference is that on this one I only spent $25. So is there really a difference in HDMI cables? I feel like such as sucker for buying that Monster cable in the first place now, when I got another cable online for so much cheaper and the picture is really identical.

Can somebody tell me - is there a difference with HDMI cables? Are Monster cables worth the price like this guy claimed?

If you got the Monster cable from Best Buy you should be able to bring it back for a refund.

 

[mtrycrafts]

As mentioned.
Take it back and tell them it made 0 difference and you will not pay $75 more for a 0 difference cable. I'd like to see their faces. Hope they don't bring out the manager to pressure you to keep it or come up with some other nonsense about it.

 

[highfigh]

Here ya go- typed 'HDMI testing' in the google search bar and all kinds of other options showed up, so I picked one.

http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/testing_policies.aspx

I'm beat. Time for a nap.

 

[Pyrrho]

For short cables, you can go as cheap as you want with HDMI, and you will probably not have any troubles at all. I have used 6' HDMI cables that cost $5 or less and they work perfectly. For some actual testing, see:

http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/long-hdmi-cable-bench-tests

Basically, if it is short, you ought not pay more than $5 for it. For long cables, things get a bit more complicated, as the article indicates.

 

[valvesnvinylfan]

+1 for Blue Jeans Cable. I use the Blue Jeans bonded pair HDMI cables at home, $25 each or something, and they work great--plus, they were much less than even the similar 6 ft. lengths at my local Fred Meyer/Kroger, Target, or Radio Shack, those were all like $40/ea.

 

[audioAl]

Hdmi 1.2,1.3,1.4

Well said gentlemen, anyone who doesn't know A/V could go crazy reading about hype and snake oil. It is really a shame, but it's been like this for so long. Fortunately good forums like this exist to help try to keep the path clear, well, somewhat clear. Some people want to believe what they want to believe, even when you show them in black and white. The only 2 cents I want to put in is, cheap cables can produce poor pq and aq. Any self respecting manufacture will produce a quality cable and not kill you on price. Also awg will make a difference for long runs. That's the only "real" difference.

Also HDMI cables keep changing due to Dolby Digital & DTS standards.

 

[avliner]

Not only that, but due to 3D, 4X2K, bla, bla, bla...

I might be wrong, but I have the feeling that all this HDMI evolution will settle down for a while, as IMO, they've reached the climb already...
Let's wait and see then.

Oh, one more vote here for Monoprice & BJC

 

[BMXTRIX]

Also HDMI cables keep changing due to Dolby Digital & DTS standards.

To my knowledge, HDMI cables have not changed due to these audio standards changing. HDMI, at the source, has changed to support the new audio formats, but not the cables.

It's important that people realize that just because HDMI 1.4 is out, doesn't mean they have to upgrade their cables to HDMI 1.4 to get many of the benefits that HDMI 1.4 delivers. The bandwidth requirement of the HDMI 1.4 cable is the same as the HDMI 1.3 cable. It adds ethernet and audio return channel. While both nice features, they aren't required to implement 3D over HDMI, or any of the current audio formats.

So, if someone has an existing HDMI 1.3 certified cable in their wall, they can add a 3D source and 3D display and be assured that the HDMI cable will do the job of carrying the video as expected.

Unlike the chipsets inside receivers and televisions, HDMI cables are far more capable to move forward when new specifications are released for the technology. I'm sure at some point, it'll all go wireless anyway.

Just look at the new wireless HDMI transmitters from Monoprice for $150! Imagine a wireless matrix switcher version of that within 10 years or so.

 

[avliner]

Totally agree with you BMX!

All you gotta do is to have a good' n affordable Hi-Speed HDMI cable - also known as Cat. II - and you'll be forever golden (in this case if they're gold plated, of course)