Does spending soo much money on a HDMI cable make a huge difference?

[Moyt]

Hi,
I've only ever bought standard cheap HDMI cables no more than $20. But then you have all these 'high end' HDMI cables, some that easily reach over $100, like the 'monster' brands.

From anyones personal experience does spending so much on a HDMI cable really make that much of a difference in visual quality?

 

[btarunr]

No. HDMI is essentially a digital data transfer cable. It either works, or it doesn't. There can't be a quality difference between cables.

 

[blu3flannel]

No. HDMI is essentially a digital data transfer cable. It either works, or it doesn't. There can't be a quality difference between cables.

What he said. Spend the money on a cheap one off Amazon or Newegg and it's just as good.

 

[Widjaja]

Bling factor.
Like owning an Apple over a PC.
Or owning a BMW over a Honda.

Do the same things but one has a premium.

 

[Batou1986]

The only time i would bother with a "quality" cable is runs over 25ft

 

[de.das.dude]

Bling factor.
Like owning an Apple over a PC.
Or owning a BMW over a Honda.

Do the same things but one has a premium.

WIN.

and +1 to what bta said.

 

[Moyt]

Cool, in that case there's no need to overspend.
I'm already happy with my HDMI cables, I just always wonder what the fuss is all about when these high brands go on about high copper shielding, 24K gold contacts etc.

Cheers

 

[MilkyWay]

There may be a quality difference in construction, my cheapo cables work well but the connector came off one of them but it still works fine when i pushed it back on.
Also for 3D i think you need a cable with ethernet carried through it or something like that.

EDIT: Other than that no a 1 is 1 and a 0 a 0 its not like analogue where the signal degrades.

 

[digibucc]

shielding and contacts mean nothing with digital signal. again, it either works or not. it's analog where shielding and contacts can prevent interference and increase quality. as long as your contacts connect and conduct, they're good.

the only time quality can matter, as batou said, is with length. over 16-20ft poor materials in an hdmi cable COULD make it unable to transmit the information. that being said, it is rare, and as long as you buy your cable from a reputable dealer, there will be no problems.

 

[Easy Rhino]

like kieran said, it mostly comes down to the materials used and the quality of construction. monster says they hold their products to a higher standard and they do when it comes to materials and construction but it does not justify the cost. ive bought a number of generic brand hdmi cables in my lifetime and they all still work great.

 

[Soylent Joe]

It's insane that people are still gouging for HDMI cables after this shit has been going on for 5 years. Where I work the cheapest one (3 ft.) goes for $25 + tax. Just a month or two ago I bought a 40 ft. HDMI for $18 online, fee shipping & no tax.

I've used HDMI cables ranging in price from $18 to $80, they have all looked the same.

 

[BumbleBee]

I buy mine for $2.50/ea and they come in the color of my choosing with ferrite cores.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10243

 

[eidairaman1]

Bling factor.
Like owning an Apple over a PC.
Or owning a BMW over a Honda.

Do the same things but one has a premium.

car comparisons, Chevrolet myself lol

 

[newtekie1]

There actually can be a difference with HDMI cables, but not generally with shorter cables(sub-10ft).

Longer lower quality cables can actually artifact at higher resolutions. For example, I've got a 25ft cable that shows green spots on the screen when used at 1080p, but works fine at 720p. I have a slightly higher quality 25ft cable that handles 1080p flawlessly. Mind you when I say slightly higher quality, I mean I spent $30 for a 22AWG cable vs. $20 for the 24AWG cable. No need to spend $100 on an HDMI cable, that is just ripping people off.

 

[claylomax]

This reminds me the debate about HIFI cables, both connectors and speakers.

 

[The_Ish]

No. HDMI is essentially a digital data transfer cable. It either works, or it doesn't. There can't be a quality difference between cables.

This. I have nothing to add, I just posted to reaffirm this.

 

[eidairaman1]

There actually can be a difference with HDMI cables, but not generally with shorter cables(sub-10ft).

Longer lower quality cables can actually artifact at higher resolutions. For example, I've got a 25ft cable that shows green spots on the screen when used at 1080p, but works fine at 720p. I have a slightly higher quality 25ft cable that handles 1080p flawlessly. Mind you when I say slightly higher quality, I mean I spent $30 for a 22AWG cable vs. $20 for the 24AWG cable. No need to spend $100 on an HDMI cable, that is just ripping people off.

AWG can u inform me what that is

 

[v12dock]

Bling factor.
Like owning an Apple over a PC.
Or owning a BMW over a Honda.

Do the same things but one has a premium.

there is a difference between BMW and Honda btw

I have purchased several HDMI cables from Monoprice I can assure you there quality is bar none, I suggest you try them

 

[m4gicfour]

AWG can u inform me what that is

AWG = American Wire Gauge.

Lower number = larger wire.

So a 22AWG cable has larger conductors than a 24AWG cable does.

I have purchased several HDMI cables from Monoprice I can assure you there quality is bar none, I suggest you try them

+1 I have to pay to ship them to Canada, and I still buy Monoprice. If that doesn't convince you, not much will.

There actually can be a difference with HDMI cables, but not generally with shorter cables(sub-10ft).

Longer lower quality cables can actually artifact at higher resolutions. For example, I've got a 25ft cable that shows green spots on the screen when used at 1080p, but works fine at 720p. I have a slightly higher quality 25ft cable that handles 1080p flawlessly. Mind you when I say slightly higher quality, I mean I spent $30 for a 22AWG cable vs. $20 for the 24AWG cable. No need to spend $100 on an HDMI cable, that is just ripping people off.

Exactly.

This is the difference between analogue and digital. Digital is 100% picture quality until it doesn't work (Artifacts, signal drops, etc). Analogue would degrade steadily with distance, and material quality (whether or not a perceptible difference is another story).

What newtekie is saying here is basically: Buy the cheapest cable that works at the length you need.

 

[AsRock]

There may be a quality difference in construction, my cheapo cables work well but the connector came off one of them but it still works fine when i pushed it back on.
Also for 3D i think you need a cable with ethernet carried through it or something like that.

EDIT: Other than that no a 1 is 1 and a 0 a 0 its not like analogue where the signal degrades.

Indeed, you just need to make sure the connectors are good quality.

These have been very good for me, all 5 of them i currently use.
Nippon Labs Premium High Performance HDMI Cable 6 ...


How ever i have had issue's with these ones. Problem always been the metal part comes loose. I have never understud the good reviews on the egg when i have had 3 of these and all failed.
Link Depot 6 ft. Ultra High Speed HDMI cable Mode...

 

[Widjaja]

car comparisons, Chevrolet myself lol

there is a difference between BMW and Honda btw

Lol true I could have chosen a better comparison in car brands since the last impressive super car Honda had was the NSX.

Anyway back on topic

 

[eidairaman1]

Lol true I could have chosen a better comparison in car brands since the last impressive super car Honda had was the NSX.

Anyway back on topic

the only super car that Honda had lol.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

I've had no problems with those $1 free shipped 6ft cables from ebay. Hard to get cheaper than that and they work fine. I might splurge for a new 6ft 3d cable from my receiver to the tv though.

 

[H82LUZ73]

The only time i would bother with a "quality" cable is runs over 25ft

What he said,I am using the cable that came with my video card for the pc and the second one is for my Samsung blu ray player....

I've had no problems with those $1 free shipped 6ft cables from ebay. Hard to get cheaper than that and they work fine. I might splurge for a new 6ft 3d cable from my receiver to the tv though.

uhm any 1.4 hdmi cable will work for 3d don`t buy into that crap about it being 3d lol.

 

[niko084]

Bling factor.
Or owning a BMW over a Honda.

Myself owning a BMW and Honda I would refute that greatly.

However, no as many have said previously.

Where you can get a difference is in the quality of the cable and casing which can make it easier or harder to bend turns and also some cheap cables have issues in long runs and do not function but generally only due to the fact that the internal wires used are not high enough gauge to handle the distance of the run. This is rare but does happen from time to time, we are talking about pretty long runs here 25-30ft+

Monoprice is my friend.
For analog cables, I generally buy bulk cable from Belden and some ends and make my own.