Anyone an expert on HDMI cable?

[CRMH Eagle]

So the wait to buy a new tv is over. The first television I owned was a 12" box I had during college and afterwards. In 2001 I put $750 on a Sony Wega 27" box. Great picture, still works fine. Then last week I found an incredible steal on the Panasonic 50" plasma G15 model at $1,100 plus shipping and jumped on it.

I'm wondering if there are savy tech people here who can tell me if there is or is not a difference from getting an HDMI cable from wal mart compared to getting the expensive monster 1000HD cable at Best Buy.

FYI - When I visited restaurants to watch sporting events on the big screen I wondered what it would be like to have a 1080p big screen at home. The difference is I can watch the game without interruption, pause when I need to get up, can lay on the couch in underwear and a tee-shirt, can sit wherever I want, the volume is where I want it, the beer is cheaper, the food is better, and I don't have to tip.

 

[Ignacio]

Since the cables are digital...unless you start getting over 4 meters price probably is not much of an issue.

Discussed here by Googling hdmi cable differences.

 

[Patriot]

I purchased $5 cables for both HDTV flat screens from cablebox to TV and from blueray player to TV.

6' each from amazon.

HERE'S YA CLICKY RIGHT HERE...

No problems and work great for me as far as I can tell. Have 'em over 2 years.

 

[Texan]

No difference.

 

[SnowAviation]

No difference.

I have two panasonic Plasma's, I used the cheapest HDMI cable I could find, and the picture is

outstanding.

 

[DELETE-PLEASE]

AMAZON has a $0.99 hdmi cable. I've got four, they work great.

In general, from the research I've done (lots and lots of a/v threads and articles read), 3 meters or less and quality of the wire does not really matter.

Alexi

 

[SCWatts]

Everyone who responded so far is absolutely correct. Buying an expensive HDMI cable can serve two purposes:

1. Provide a placebo effect

2. Enrich high end cable manufacturer

When it comes to digital, bits is bits.

 

[Pepperell]

As long as the cable Is the correct impedance, the electrons will never know the difference.

 

[Fred W]

I'm only a few months ahead of you into the HD revolution. In my case I went with a Samsung PN50B530S2F 50" 1080p Plasma because the response time was so fast (.001 ms), and I wanted it mostly for watching sports. I spent around the same $$ when it was on sale at BestBuy.

When I was setting up my new, er... set, I found out that my "HD ready" cable box provided by Comcast doesn't even have any HDMI cable outputs, and am therefore stuck using either component or a DVI to HDMI cable, with separate audio cables. I'm running it on the component cable now because I had one on hand and have been too lazy to go buy the DVI-HDMI cable.

Oh yeah, it looks great using the component. I'm not sure how much better it would get with an HDMI-HDMI connection, especially on the cable box connection, which I assume is running at 720p? If (when?) I ever get around to buying a blueray disk player it will definitely be HDMI.

 

[dll]

No difference, amazon is fine, I have a couple of pretty long cables I used for my 50 and my 60 plasma's and they work fine. Cables at retail stores (walmart, "best" buy, etc) are all about profit margins.

enjoy the new tv!

 

[Thug]

The human eye will not be able to tell the difference. the cheapies are as good as the dear ones you get ripped off for. The only real price difference will be the length of the cable.

 

[caryt]

IMO forget HDMI cables to flimsy ,prone to damage and to many hand shake problems just use these..undefined or undefined

I use 50' cables and get perfect 1080p from my blue ray...FYI I had a high end $150k home theater room so I do know what to "look" for.

 

[Patriot]

I'm only a few months ahead of you into the HD revolution. In my case I went with a Samsung PN50B530S2F 50" 1080p Plasma because the response time was so fast (.001 ms), and I wanted it mostly for watching sports. I spent around the same $$ when it was on sale at BestBuy.


When I was setting up my new, er... set, I found out that my "HD ready" cable box provided by Comcast doesn't even have any HDMI cable outputs, and am therefore stuck using either component or a DVI to HDMI cable, with separate audio cables. I'm running it on the component cable now because I had one on hand and have been too lazy to go buy the DVI-HDMI cable.

Oh yeah, it looks great using the component. I'm not sure how much better it would get with an HDMI-HDMI connection, especially on the cable box connection, which I assume is running at 720p? If (when?) I ever get around to buying a blueray disk player it will definitely be HDMI.

I'm just curious here because I'm convinced Comcast couldn't stay in business without providing a HDMI output box. I'm wondering if you just have the "old" version box like I found with my cox cable subscriber. (I'm pretty sure you would have checked and hope it works out for ya good sef)

I actually have and want the "previous" version box as it has both HDMI and additionally a coax cable output which I split to older electronics like VHS/DVD players. The newest box only has HDMI outputs.

 

[04Smitty]

Skip the retail stores & go to Amazon or buy.com to find "high quality" cables much cheaper. Don't bother going Monster. I got long Belkin cables from buy.com for a very reasonable price & have been perfectly satisfied.

 

[bluejag]

Comcast and Verizon are for the most part using Gen 2 and 3 Motorola built boxes There are many (older) units that Do not have HDMI connections. Fred you can simply exchange your box for a new gen with HDMI (get the DVR as well) as for cables

I did run quality HDMI and fiber optic but hey thats just me, whatever works

 

[Fred W]

I'll check with Comcast. I only got this box about a month before the HDTV. It was a 3 for one deal and included the digital cable with box (and HD) as well as digital VOIP phone and High Speed Intarwebs. :blink:

Before that I had no box and just watched the analog cable signal on my CRT TVs. I could still see all the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots games (you know... all the really good teams). They just wasn't in HD.

 

[bmwhd]

HDMI is digital. Either the signal gets there or it doesn't. I've got several cheapos and the work great including a 50' run in the media room. Don't be fooled into paying more than a few cents per foot.

 

[Thug]

IMO forget HDMI cables to flimsy ,prone to damage and to many hand shake problems just use these..undefined or undefined
I use 50' cables and get perfect 1080p from my blue ray...FYI I had a high end $150k home theater room so I do know what to "look" for.

Righto I'll bite! spill ya guts on what you have Caryt? MY humble system would cost about $30,000 to fully replace.....A mixture of Yamaha preamps, Cerwin Vega fronts with pearless subs, energy surrounds, samsung Lcd etc.....

 

[CRMH Eagle]

Thanks for the help. It confirms what I've been reading online. The only thing the experts agree on is the giga-bit per second. From what I read is then 4.45gbps is the minimum required for 1080p at 8-bit color and 60hz on the screen. To get 12-bit color and 120hz then one needs a higher gbps. A 720hd tv only needs about a 2.25gbps hdmi cable.

I could be wrong... just rehashing what I read.