# HDMI Cable Quality



## gnm313-1 (Apr 24, 2005)

I am going with a 622 and a new Plasma. I need a 25ft HDMI cable because of my room set up. I have found HDMI cables that vary in price from $40 to $160. I would imagine, because of the distance, that I want a low loss cable, but any advice would be appreciated. Perhaps HDMI is so good that it doesn't matter. What should I look for?


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## Virus (Sep 22, 2005)

www.bluejeanscable.com


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## rdopso (Jan 26, 2004)

http://www.av-cables.net/index.html


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

rdopso said:


> http://www.av-cables.net/index.html


or for great prices on good cable:

http://www.monoprice.com


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## rdopso (Jan 26, 2004)

Did not do this on my A/V setup, but helped a friend do it on her high end system -- tested three different HDMI cables and not unexpectedly the most costly give a noticably better image quality. Sorry, don't remember which specific cable it was, but I Use a Monster Cable for HDMI (think it cost about $130 for six feet) and am very happy with it. I would not skimp on this.


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## logicman (Feb 9, 2006)

gnm313 said:


> Perhaps HDMI is so good that it doesn't matter. What should I look for?


From my personal experience, I have a set of Monster component cables that cost $79 and a set of Phillips component's that cost $19. I simply cannot see a difference in picture quality between the two and I've been using both sets for over a year. I just bought a monoprice.com HDMI cable for $15 that is working fine but I have no long term usage, yet. The quality/workmanship of Monster cables is exemplary -- but I'm not convinced they are your best value.


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

rdopso said:


> Did not do this on my A/V setup, but helped a friend do it on her high end system -- tested three different HDMI cables and not unexpectedly the most costly give a noticably better image quality. Sorry, don't remember which specific cable it was, but I Use a Monster Cable for HDMI (think it cost about $130 for six feet) and am very happy with it. I would not skimp on this.


I find it hard to believe that you can see any difference between any HDMI cable, I've installed some for friends like you, and brought a $20 6 footer and compared it to the highly over-priced monster cables and saw no difference.

This isn't to say one cannot find a really crappy HDMI cable, though I've yet to find a cheap one fail to do the job..


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## rdopso (Jan 26, 2004)

normang said:


> I find it hard to believe that you can see any difference between any HDMI cable, I've installed some for friends like you, and brought a $20 6 footer and compared it to the highly over-priced monster cables and saw no difference.
> 
> This isn't to say one cannot find a really crappy HDMI cable, though I've yet to find a cheap one fail to do the job..


When we did the cable tests on a friends system, two of the three cables had what we judged to be the same picture quality, but the third was just slightly but decernably better to the three of us doing the subjective evaluation. My personal position on this is basically that because I have over $6K invested in my home theater A/V system, I am not going to take a chance on the main connecting cable to the TV just to save a hundred bucks (two percent of the total system cost). For those who are not so crazy and spend far less on their toys, I can see how a hundred dollars extra would be significant. Its just a personal judgement thing.


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## Kricket (Nov 18, 2005)

id have to recommend www.ramelectronics.net - great quality cable - great price

ps - its a digital signal - there will be no difference in quality between a $40 ram cable or a $150 monster cable - its just like a digital coax or an optical cable for your surround sound - as long as the signal reaches the tv or the receiver, youll be fine - its not like an analog cable where the shielding matters...

save your money on the cable and spend it where it really matters


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

rdopso said:


> When we did the cable tests on a friends system, two of the three cables had what we judged to be the same picture quality, but the third was just slightly but decernably better to the three of us doing the subjective evaluation. My personal position on this is basically that because I have over $6K invested in my home theater A/V system, I am not going to take a chance on the main connecting cable to the TV just to save a hundred bucks (two percent of the total system cost). For those who are not so crazy and spend far less on their toys, I can see how a hundred dollars extra would be significant. Its just a personal judgement thing.


If you had to squint to see the difference, then I am pretty sure you could have found some companies $20 cable and not have spent $130 for a cable that probably cost Monster $10 to build. Granted, you have a spendy setup, and you obviously have $$ to burn, but IMHO, most of these expensive cables are not worth it...

I might even go so far as to say that if you did it blind, and had some un-interested friend come in and hook up each cable and not tell you which one was which, you would come up with a different result..


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## jltv (Mar 4, 2006)

I've had great luck with cablesforless.com
I've been using one of their 50' s-video for a while, and a 50' hdmi will be arriving tomorrow. (I'll let you know)
With digital cables, the super cheap ones might have bad connectors.
In double blind tests, the super expensive digital cables have never won.


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## cebbigh (Feb 27, 2005)

Kricket said:


> id have to recommend www.ramelectronics.net - great quality cable - great price
> 
> ps - its a digital signal - there will be no difference in quality between a $40 ram cable or a $150 monster cable - its just like a digital coax or an optical cable for your surround sound - as long as the signal reaches the tv or the receiver, youll be fine - its not like an analog cable where the shielding matters...
> 
> save your money on the cable and spend it where it really matters


Totally agree with this. If the cable doesn't perform it's defective. Cost of the cable has little to do with transmitting 1's and 0's. Analog is a different story.


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## gnm313-1 (Apr 24, 2005)

jltv said:


> I've had great luck with cablesforless.com
> I've been using one of their 50' s-video for a while, and a 50' hdmi will be arriving tomorrow. (I'll let you know)
> With digital cables, the super cheap ones might have bad connectors.
> In double blind tests, the super expensive digital cables have never won.


Thanks to all that responded. I'd like to see how you do with the 50' cable. It's the distance that i am worried about. I have to figure on a 6' cable there would be few issues unless the connectors were faulty.

The one comment about the digital signal ensuring the picture quality is probably valid, but it won't stop interference. I have to believe shielding is somewhat important, especially at distances.

I am looking at one of the 9th Generation Panasonic HDs to be released this spring. These things are claiming 29B colors and a 10K contrast ratio. I don't want to screw around. I think I will go with one of the higher end cables.


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

gnm313 said:


> I am looking at one of the 9th Generation Panasonic HDs to be released this spring. These things are claiming 29B colors and a 10K contrast ratio. I don't want to screw around. I think I will go with one of the higher end cables.


The specs of the Panasonic really don't matter, its only going to display what its sent by whatever reciever is on the other end sending it the data. While length can have an effect, you still don't have to spend big bucks to get good results.. however, its your wallet..


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## cclement (Mar 22, 2004)

I use a 30 meter (66 foot) HDMI cable and it works great. I bought it online from Lindy.com for $145 and it has worked perfectly.


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## jltv (Mar 4, 2006)

Update: (getting ready for my 622, I'm moving equipment around)
I've been testing my new 50' hdmi cable with no problems
Panny S77 dvd player (hdmi) to Optima H-31 (dvi)
Cable is HDMI to HDMI with a HDMI to DVI-D adapter into the Optima
Then I unplugged the Panny and plugged the cable into my G5 / EyeTV500 (ota HDTV dvr) using a another HDMI to DVI-D adapter. Worked fine.
I hate to add any extra adapters on a long cable run, but no problems so far. 
I want to fully test this setup before I run the cable under the floor. I got hdmi to hdmi so I'd could use a smaller hole. Turns out this cable has a molded noise suppressor on each end. It will require a bigger hole, but still smaller than a dvi connector. In the future I'm guessing my next PJ will had HDMI so I'll be ready.

if anyone wants part numbers:
HDMI Audio/Video Cable Male/Male, 50' (part number HDMI-50)
HDMI Female to Digital DVI-D Male Adapter (ADP-HDMIF-DVIM).
Also I've been using their 50' S-Video (SVHS50MM) to drive the H31 from my old Dish 508
(I don't work for cablesforless)
I hope this helps
- jl


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## Rogueone (Jan 29, 2004)

when trying to do visual or audible tests of cables, there is really only 1 way to do it so you don't "trick" yourself into seeing or hearing something that isn't there. 

1 person has to change the cables without telling you which is being used, and some of the time needs to make no change just to measure if you are truly seeing anything or thinking you are seeing anything. it's a simple psychological thing about us, when we observe something we think is suppose to be better operating, we think we hear/see a difference. So we have to keep ourselves clueless about which item we are testing so we can be truly impartial


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## wyattg (Feb 22, 2006)

Just received my HDMI cable from Monoprice.com for 9 bucks and some change shipped. Don't really see any improvement over my old Monster Component Cables. Only advantage is not having to run the audio cables to the tv.


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## Grandude (Oct 21, 2004)

Has anyone come across an HDMI to DVI cable that has a breakout for the two channels of audio at the DVI end so that two separate cables aren't needed?
Brian


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