Are Expensive HDMI cables Rip Offs

[digibucc]

you would gain Nothing, and lose a bunch of money as well as time.

There is a group that just wants quality, even if the difference isant always not that clear.

Now to me a $150 cable is insane, 20 years ago I spent over $2000 just for cables in my car stereo.

To some people a $150 is equivalent to a dollar hamburger to me..

and i can understand and agree to that. it also helps me understand your point before. yes there are those willing to pay more for even minimal improvement...

but i simply can't see how it can be considered anything but shady what MonsterCable does. they have to know the science just like us, so to even make advertise and sell a cable claiming the things they do is simply dishonest. free will, etc - yeah , but it's still dishonest.

 

[jasper1605]

and i can understand and agree to that. it also helps me understand your point before. yes there are those willing to pay more for even minimal improvement...

but i simply can't see how it can be considered anything but shady what MonsterCable does. they have to know the science just like us, so to even make advertise and sell a cable claiming the things they do is simply dishonest. free will, etc - yeah , but it's still dishonest.

Would you say that mcDonald's salads are dishonest too then? They have more calories than half the things on that menu lol. And a fruit parfait has more calories than a small bag of fries lol. Not to be argumentative but it is interesting to point out that I think this happens a LOT more than we realize.

 

[MKmods]

Down with Marketer's!!!!!!!!!

they are becoming worse than politicians and attorneys


(by the way Im using a $3 HDMI cable on my comp)

 

[digibucc]

Would you say that mcDonald's salads are dishonest too then? They have more calories than half the things on that menu lol. And a fruit parfait has more calories than a small bag of fries lol. Not to be argumentative but it is interesting to point out that I think this happens a LOT more than we realize.

no disagreement there. and yeah salads youd expect to be healthy so it's gray, but not dishonest.

but yeah, it's all over the place. the world we live in. i know.

 

[jasper1605]

Down with Marketer's!!!!!!!!!

(they are becoming worse than politicians and attorneys)

highly disagree with that edit. But that's more on an emotional level than a factual based level. At least marketers are in the wonderful spirit of capitalism. Attorneys are in the spirit of legalized robbery. And politicians get taller when they take viagra.

BTW: I'm using a $7 HDMI cable on mine MK so my performance is 133% of yours!

 

[Hockster]

My only complaint with cheap cables are the really cheap connectors. I've seen some HDMI cables that wouldn't stay connected.

 

[jasper1605]

My only complaint with cheap cables are the really cheap connectors. I've seen some HDMI cables that wouldn't stay connected.

Duct tape my friend. Duct tape.

 

[theonedub]

Basically, when it comes to HDMI and digital signals, at any length the cheapest cable will do. Generally, even the cheap cables, are good enough quality in the long lengths to get the job done, and as the picture points out, with digital that is good enough because it either work 100% or it doesn't work at all.

I just want to make sure you understand what I meant. Here is what the PCWorld article that is quoted in the original graphic says about long runs of HDMI cables (which is what I was talking about).

For its part, digital carries just ones and zeros. In HDMI, if the signal voltage is high, it encodes a one; if low, a zero. The voltage encoded as a one can drop a fair amount and still be distinguishable from voltage encoded as a zero. After a certain point, however, the signal voltage drops so low that ones and zeros look alike, and the TV's receiver chip attempts to guess their value. So rather than gradually diminishing in accuracy, the way an analog signal does, a digital signal may remain perfect up to a critical level and then fail catastrophically. According to the experts, such problems are likelier to occur with an 8- to 12-meter copper cable (which is significantly longer than most users need) than with a 4-meter cable of the same type.

So in short lengths its a wash, but in long runs some manufacturers' increased build quality may factor in (ie a manu using a thicker wire in their cable could prevent this signal voltage drop, etc). The 'value' of that quality is still very questionable. Im pretty sure we are on the same page

 

[n-ster]

My uncle and grandfather didn't listen to me, it was 2-3 years ago, and spent 400$ for 2 Monster cables Apparently they got a great deal because they paid 400 instead of 600

What is sad is that my cousin thinks his cable is leaps and bounds better than my 10$ one, that I bought the same day he bought his... AND GUESS WHAT THE REASON WAS? CUZ THE SALESMAN TOLD US ......

 

[Deleted member 24505]

Does the same thing apply to optical cables? i bet a $5 one is just as good as a $400 one.

 

[digibucc]

Does the same thing apply to optical cables? i bet a $5 one is just as good as a $400 one.

same as hdmi. digital.

though the connectors are a bit more complicated, and idk how solid the process for manufacturing long fiber strands is, but the same rules would apply as hdmi.

 

[MKmods]

my cousin thinks his cable is leaps and bounds better than my 10$ one,

to some people thats just fine..(that feeling they get was worth it)

To others "Value" is +1, there is no point to spend $600 on a cable when a $10 one will do just fine. There is no right/wrong just do what floats ur boat.


(I would pay 1,000,000 X more to go on a date with Jessica Alba over Rosie O'Donnell, technically they both have the same equipment, but I have a feeling I would have a much funner time with Jessica)

 

[jasper1605]

but a coax cable for a subwoofer from an amp would be better to go w/ some more bells and whistles on it?

 

[digibucc]

but a coax cable for a subwoofer from an amp would be better to go w/ some more bells and whistles on it?

that's what i meant before about signal processing.
optical is from the audio source to the receiver, which then processes and amplifies the signal. it then goes to possibly an amplifier, and finally the speakers.

are there any speakers that use optical wires? or is it all only optical to the receiver and then wire - possible a coax cable to a subwoofer - but regular wire that goes to each speaker?
if the latter is the case then it's not just a choice of either or, but also both.

Studies show that people cant really differentiate between 720p and 1080p anyway, so why the drama with monster cables?

general population maybe, a large percent. but it is definitely possible to see the difference. same with audio, which i am not as good at. but video i can tell the difference. provided the media was actually made in a way that makes use of it, ie not upscaling.

all my speakers are the standard high quality copper wiring. Right now I've got hdmi from my ps3 to the amp and then analog from my pc to the amp.

yeah that makes no sense. your amp must not just be an amp, but a receiver as well. because hdmi -> amp is trying to amplify a digital signal, which is not what you are doing.

 

[Fourstaff]

Studies show that people cant really differentiate between 720p and 1080p anyway, so why the drama with monster cables?

 

[n-ster]

I can see the difference quite easily, and I am no videofile at all

 

[jasper1605]

that's what i meant before about signal processing.

optical is from the audio source to the receiver, which then processes and amplifies the signal. it then goes to possibly an amplifier, and finally the speakers.

are there any speakers that use optical wires? or is it all only optical to the receiver and then wire - possible a coax cable to a subwoofer - but regular wire that goes to each speaker?

all my speakers are the standard high quality copper wiring. Right now I've got hdmi from my ps3 to the amp and then analog from my pc to the amp.

 

[ste2425]

my whole sound system is analuge, well the second it leaves my pc, so i had no idea about all this, once again usefull info on tpu

 

[Deleted member 24505]

are there any speakers that use optical wires? .

I believe there is a meridian system that uses digital amps in the speakers,so require digital connections from the control amp to the speakers.

 

[jasper1605]

ya my bad digi. it's a receiver I'm just used to calling everything an amp lol. I wouldn't be surprised if I called a surge protector an amp at some point because things plug into it. It's the yamaha rx-v663

 

[digibucc]

ya my bad digi. it's a receiver I'm just used to calling everything an amp lol. I wouldn't be surprised if I called a surge protector an amp at some point because things plug into it. It's the yamaha rx-v663

lol np. i like that surge protector bit

 

[Delta6326]

Still loving it the only hdmi cable that i have ever been able to tell a difference was the Microsoft 360 one they suck i can actually see it get better when changing to my LD

 

[MK4512]

Signal is 100% digital, no amount of gold or gas is going to change that...

 

[imperialreign]

not for a digital signal

This is true.

. . . and it's a shame companies cash in so heavily on consumer ignorance. It's also a shame consumers don't do their research.

But, as Barnum said, "there's a sucker born every minute."

 

[Easy Rhino]

people are still talking about this?? i thought we came to a concensus back in 2005!!