HDMI cables - What to look out for...

[jackdean101]

How do I pick a good HDMI cable???? I have noticed there is a huge variety on ebay and the price ranges from $10 up to $100. I need a 15 foot cable to my receiver to my projector and a 3 foot cable for my playstation 3 to my receiver..

Thanks for the help.

Jack

 

[mtrycrafts]

How do I pick a good HDMI cable???? I have noticed there is a huge variety on ebay and the price ranges from $10 up to $100. I need a 15 foot cable to my receiver to my projector and a 3 foot cable for my playstation 3 to my receiver..

Thanks for the help.

Jack

Try monoprice.com and get the 24ga one for the 15ft cable. The 3 ft is not that critical at all.

 

[jackdean101]

Thanks for the lead... but I am also wondering what makes up the difference between the cheap and the expensive and what I would sacrafice if I used something cheaper. For example Monster seems to have the best quality stuff, but as I have learned in the past you can actually get better quality stuff at a cheaper price then Monster. So what is it I need to be looking for.... ie. gold contacts... plastic vs Nylon casing...

I am already 3k into my system so I don't want to sacrafice quaility for $100 but at the same time I want to save any money I can... aka I am running out and I still need to buy a screen for my projector.

 

[avaserfi]

Thanks for the lead... but I am also wondering what makes up the difference between the cheap and the expensive and what I would sacrafice if I used something cheaper. For example Monster seems to have the best quality stuff, but as I have learned in the past you can actually get better quality stuff at a cheaper price then Monster. So what is it I need to be looking for.... ie. gold contacts... plastic vs Nylon casing...

I am already 3k into my system so I don't want to sacrafice quaility for $100 but at the same time I want to save any money I can... aka I am running out and I still need to buy a screen for my projector.

The differences between types of HDMI cable mainly apply to longer runs as with short runs most of the time any old cable will do as there isn't enough signal degradation to matter.

With longer runs via HDMI signals can have a tendency to degrade as I said earlier. Some cables are better at sending these signals than others because they have higher bandwidth capabilities. The longer the run the more likely you are to need a higher bandwidth cable. In reality it is pretty tough to know just by specs how well a HDMI cable will work that is why it is important to buy a HDMI cable from a reputable source. I wouldn't recommend Monster as they make a decent cable, but from a price perspective you can get much better for less. mtrycrafts was dead on with the three foot run any old HDMI cable will work. With the 15 foot one you might want a larger gauge cable just to insure it will work.

My dad recently bought a 35 foot HDMI cable from bluejeanscables.com and hasn't had a single problem with it as they make quality cables for a good price. I also have two HDMI cables from them that are 4 feet and they work great too.

I guess the things you really want to look for only really applies to longer runs, but you want to buy from somewhere reputable who backs their cables and not always but a larger gauge cable is better. The former is far more important because if you buy from somewhere reputable that stand behind their product if there is a problem they will help you fix it.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Thanks for the lead... but I am also wondering what makes up the difference between the cheap and the expensive and what I would sacrafice if I used something cheaper. For example Monster seems to have the best quality stuff, but as I have learned in the past you can actually get better quality stuff at a cheaper price then Monster. So what is it I need to be looking for.... ie. gold contacts... plastic vs Nylon casing...

I am already 3k into my system so I don't want to sacrafice quaility for $100 but at the same time I want to save any money I can... aka I am running out and I still need to buy a screen for my projector.

A quality cable is well made, solder connections are solid, inspected. As to plastic or nylon, I don't know but cables usually are not exposed to abuse and life cycle events, constant unplugging and replugging, twisting, etc.
Connector tolerances can be an issue; just a bit too large and it will have a hard time fitting, a bit small and it might be loose enough.
I doubt you will have any of these issues from monoprice though. I have not read any such complaints yet.

 

[Ax-man]

I have a 40ft run of HDMI cable bought from Monoprice that I've been using over a year without any problems, if I would have made this purchase through Monster or any like manufacturer I would probably still be making payments. Monoprice and Bluejeans make quality cables at very affordable prices and I've had prompt service from both companies.

 

[Kolia]

I get all my cables at www.bluejeanscables.com. Quick, cheap and pretty fat HDMI!

 

[matto1985]

Here is a good article on the differences (or lack there of) between high and low price cables. http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/feature/the-truth-about-monster-cable-part-2-verdict-cheap-cables-keep-upusually-268788.php It's part 2 of a 3 part series. If you want a little more just check out parts one and 2. I have to say that what people have told you is correct. At the lengths you're looking for there really is no difference in quality. Generally if the hdmi is under 15 feet it differences are not noticed. If you're looking to save money check out TendonUSA's cables. They are good quality, sturdy, affordable, and have always done right by me.

here's a link to their hdmi http://tendonusa.com/shop/home.php?cat=7

 

[Adam]

A good article from Gizmodo. Thanks for the link!