Any point in expensive HDMI cables?

I'm currently using a cable supplied by Sky. Will there be any difference with a more expensive cable? it's not the sort of thing you can try and return if not, is it?

I am not an expert on such things but just by reading afew posts on here it seems there is no difference between the expensive cables and cheap cables, its all digital and either the 1's and 0's get through or they dont.

I guess being a digital cable the only thing that could maybe be different from one cable to another would be things like shielding so there is no excess noise etc...but im only guessing.

I am all for decent well built cables but like the previous poster said its digital and like optical cables its all or nothing......

I have just bought a 5m hdmi cable from www.aria.co.uk for 14 quid http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Peripherals/Cabling/Video%2FScart/HDMI+to+HDMI+Cable+5m+-+High+Def+++?productId=25781 and it works a treat... Later on i may try a more expensive one to see if there is any difference....but i doubt there will be as much as say a an analogue coax cable!

Just found this aswell http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/other/cable-benchmark/hdmi-cable-benchmark.html which tends to point at the same thing. notice all the cables pass and they are not looking at picture qualioty etc.......just whether it keeps the signal from point a to point b.

More...http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2006/08/hdmi_part_8_-_c.php

Ok where is the best place to buy an HDMI cable on the high street? because I ordered two cables from Play.com for my PS3 and DVD Player and even though they were posted last Friday neither have arrived yet and I dont think I can wait any longer.

Wait dont give in to pc world and currys etc!!!!

Short length HDMI's up to 5m, then get something cheap. For longer lengths it's worth geting something good like Bettercables.

There may be a case for using particularly well shielded HDMI cables, even on shorter lengths, if you intend to use the audio feed via HDMI. Digital audio uses timing signals, which can be affected on cable runs, which results in added "jitter" (slight variations in the digital word clock). This can result in a less defined, and more digital sound. HDMI's jitter is already very poor compared to spdif.

Just found this aswell http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/other/cable-benchmark/hdmi-cable-benchmark.html which tends to point at the same thing. notice all the cables pass and they are not looking at picture qualioty etc.......just whether it keeps the signal from point a to point b.
Thanks for that. Cheapest one there is about £60 though. Rest are quite expensive.

Short length HDMI's up to 5m, then get something cheap. For longer lengths it's worth geting something good like Bettercables.

There may be a case for using particularly well shielded HDMI cables, even on shorter lengths, if you intend to use the audio feed via HDMI. Digital audio uses timing signals, which can be affected on cable runs, which results in added "jitter" (slight variations in the digital word clock). This can result in a less defined, and more digital sound. HDMI's jitter is already very poor compared to spdif.
I'm using a 3m cable for video only i.e. audio is routed via my AV amp.

Thanks for that. Cheapest one there is about £60 though. Rest are quite expensive.

Try Joe Fernand's www.tmfsolutions.co.uk/homecinema_molex.htm

The Molex brand are pretty cheap, and very good.

Try Joe Fernand's www.tmfsolutions.co.uk/homecinema_molex.htm

The Molex brand are pretty cheap, and very good.
The ones I have look very similar. If it was purple & had QED stamped on it you'd think it was worth ?5:grin:

The ones I have look very similar. If it was purple & had QED stamped on it you'd think it was worth ?5:grin:

:rotfl:

Sorry I was only showing you the website for refernence they hinted at how they tested the cables....as i linked to earlier i bought the 14 quid one from aria and am happy with it!

Sorry I was only showing you the website for refernence they hinted at how they tested the cables....as i linked to earlier i bought the 14 quid one from aria and am happy with it!
No need to apologise:) It's nice to read something that appears un-biased.

Wait dont give in to pc world and currys etc!!!!

I am not sure if I can, currently using a cheap PS2 Component Cable with the PS3 and while Blu-Ray films do look nice there is a nasty banding effect in the background which is kind of off putting.

If they cables dont turn up tomorrow I may have to give in and get a ?0 one from Argos :(

Try Maplins if there is one close to you, they have the more expensive makes and also the cheaper ones too.

Thanks for that, looks like there is a Maplins not 25 mins drive from me so if my cables dont turn up tomorrow I am off there.

Sorry for the duff information! Just looked at maplins website the cheapest they now offer is 29.99 for 1.5m! They used to offer the ?0 ones too but obviously dont anymore. :rolleyes:

I'm certainly not convinced of the point of expensive HDMI cables.

I'm of the opinion, if the internet can succesfully transfer gigs upon gigs of data with few errors travelling around the world via a mix of old copper wires and fibre optic cables, then surely a video signal can travel a few metres without error over a inexpensive HDMI cable.

I picked up a 3 metre cable from the following shop for ?5
http://www.sapphiremailorder.com/cube/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=51

Been working fine for me!!

Yet another day goes by and my HDMI cables from Play.com have failed to show up but a DVD that was posted on Wednesday turned up so where the hell are the cables that were sent Monday :mad:

More...http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2006/08/hdmi_part_8_-_c.php

Thanks for that.

It is most interesting when one get to read what the engineering type have to say on this interesting technical stuff rather then being confused even further by all the waffling by certain journalists in hifi magazines.

I'm certainly not convinced of the point of expensive HDMI cables.

I'm of the opinion, if the internet can succesfully transfer gigs upon gigs of data with few errors travelling around the world via a mix of old copper wires and fibre optic cables, then surely a video signal can travel a few metres without error over a inexpensive HDMI cable.

I picked up a 3 metre cable from the following shop for ?5
http://www.sapphiremailorder.com/cube/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=51

Been working fine for me!!

The internet is considerably lower bandwidth, and mostly error corrected.

But yes, cheap HDMI is fine for short distances. Argos and Sainsbury's do them very cheap.

I'm of the opinion, if the internet can succesfully transfer gigs upon gigs of data with few errors travelling around the world via a mix of old copper wires and fibre optic cables, then surely a video signal can travel a few metres without error over a inexpensive HDMI cable.

If only it were that easy. This is one area I speak with some authority. It's not at all easy.

In answer to the subject question: "Not usually."

None according to this:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,121777/article.html

Rang a local TV and Satellite business and asked if they had and HDMI cables and the answer was yes, ?0 for a 1.5m Panasonic cable :eek:

He said it was the best quality cable and other cheaper one's just cant match the quality at which time I said thanks and put the phone down.

I pity the poor buggers who go into his place and end up walking out with an overpriced TV (he wants ?99 for a 26" Samsung) and a ?0 HDMI cable.

Just found this aswell http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/other/cable-benchmark/hdmi-cable-benchmark.html which tends to point at the same thing. notice all the cables pass and they are not looking at picture qualioty etc.......just whether it keeps the signal from point a to point b.

Hello bu5ter

They only list cables that pass, failed cables dont get a mention yet.
(and they have only tested a few cables, not all of them available.)


it says this in the article :

Following are the cables that have passed the Benchmark. Because this is a new Benchmark, and the tests may change while we get it all standardized, we are not going to list the cables that failed our tests. At some later date, cables that fail the tests will be listed.


Mark.

it's not the sort of thing you can try and return if not, is it?

You can return stuff to any retailer :)

Mark.

i have been using a ?0.00 QED HDMi-SR Reference and i have just changed to a nordost silver screen hdmi for ?00 i have noticed a slight increase in quality and less noise and the colours are slightly better but for the extra money its not worth the upgrade .unless the qed one is very very good .:eek:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/K1Connectivity-Store_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm


anyone think this sort of gear would be acceptable quality?

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/K1Connectivity-Store_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm


anyone think this sort of gear would be acceptable quality?
I bought one of those some time back,seems like a good quality cable,it might even use it one day.

when i got a tosh 360 last year i was keen to try the different connections to see which gave the best results. so i was looking at a cheapish hdmi cable, because i liked the idea of one cable, i had been using component and the back of my screen had too many cables and wires. i ended up getting it here

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/dynamic/eshop_categories.set/ref/58/hdmi-to-hdmi-cables/browse.html

the price is still about the same and the cable is very good.

Woolworths do a 1m HDMI cable for ?.99 for the real cheapskate. Seems to work fine for me. I might pop round to my local AV retailer where my mate is the manager and borrow or hire a better quality one (or should that just be more expensive) and attempt a comparison.

I'd better get back to stirring my porridge and ironing my kilt.

There's only one reason not to use a 'cheap' digital cable and that's if it's faulty! Over distances of less than 5m you won't see any difference whether you spend a tenner or ten times that. How many people ever think of upgrading bundled USB leads in their computer set ups? Go figure.

ATB

Max

I cant believe this :mad:

Finally got my ?.99 HDMI cables through from Play.com this morning and the plastic is too thick on the connector end so there isnt enough room to connect them :god: