HDMI cables - anything I should know?

[lordsmurf]

I'm going to go buy an HDMI cable, for an upscaling DVD recorder to HDTV. Any problems going with cheap ones from Walmart or Target? What's the average price on an HDMI cable? What I've seen is $30-40 each.

[edDV]

Much cheaper online but Walmart cables are fine ("RCA" or Philips" usually).

This guy has all the info you need to know about HDMI cables.
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/index.htm
He has a great overview
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/hdmi-cables.htm?hdmidept

The Walmart $24 cables are probably similar to his $6 models.

[lordsmurf]

Right now I'm using high-grade Monster RCA cables, but to connect component. I've never seen a difference in component cables vs good RCA cables in the component slot. Is there any reason to think otherwise? I'll just as easily leave it alone, if it's fine, instead of buying more wires and spending more money.

My HDTV upscales already, and it prefers it's own upscaling anyway (Sony A3000). I don't know what triggers upscaling or not, still trying to figure it out. If it's a certain wire, all of them, etc. How could I find out? From what I hear, certain sets only upscale on the HDMI, but I don't know if that's truth or BS.

Then I might buy a bluejeans HDMI cable. Any differences between his cheap ones and the more expensive ones? I won't need but 3 feet max.

[MysticE]

For short runs it doesn't make a difference. I've used a fair number of these on various installs with great results.

http://www.buyextras.com/6feethdmicable.html

[gshelley61]

MonoPrice.com is another great source for HDMI cables that are inexpensive but good

[edDV]

To simplify, it all comes down to cable length.

Analog coax of good quality has little rolloff or group delay out to over 100ft for SD (~8MHz). For HD (20-60MHz) you need double shielding and good quality for over 12 ft. It would take a very good HDTV set to see any rolloff. In simple terms, use the $9 Walmart component cables for SD or the $22 Walmart component cables for HD.

HDMI is digital. Short cables don't matter so long as the connectors connect. Long cables work great up until they don't. Shielding and wire gauge affect long HDMI cutoff. The BlueJeans guy explains issues for long cables.

[yoda313]

I bought the cheapest I could get at bestbuy when I bought my upconverting insignia player. They were dynex brand I believe. Been holding up very well.

[budz]

MonoPrice.com is another great source for HDMI cables that are inexpensive but good

Yup, I monoprice.com is a good online retailer for HDMI cables. I picked up a 3 foot HDMI cable from them a few weeks ago which was on special for $1.98!!!!!

LS if you're not in a hurry to get a HDMI cable order one from monoprice.com!

[samijubal]

My HDTV upscales already, and it prefers it's own upscaling anyway (Sony A3000). I don't know what triggers upscaling or not, still trying to figure it out. If it's a certain wire, all of them, etc. How could I find out? From what I hear, certain sets only upscale on the HDMI, but I don't know if that's truth or BS.

It's the DVD players and recorders that upconvert through HDMI and not component. The movie industry frowns on upconverted DVD signals being sent over unprotected analog connections. All HDTVs upconvert to their native resolution. The recorder won't look as good using it's upconversion as it will letting the TV do the upconversion. I bought an HDMI cable on Ebay for $6, decent quality cable, to see if it was better using the recorder's upconversion, it's not. Don't waste your money, it won't look better.

[gshelley61]

As to whether you will see a difference between sending 480i/p through analog component video to your A3000 and letting it do an analog to digital conversion and the required upscaling to 1080p... or having an upscaling DVD player send 1080i/p digital to the A3000 through HDMI - I would say you will notice a difference, yes. The HDMI digital video connection alone will avoid the digital to analog to digital process entirely, plus it is possible that the upscaling DVD player will produce a slightly sharper and more detailed image doing the scaling within the player rather than with the TV. That's been my experience with the DLP HDTV's I've owned, including the 1080p set I currently use. Keep in mind some upscaling players are better than others.

[videobread]

Ebay. I get all my cables on ebay and have never had a problem. Go to ebay and search HDMI.

[trhouse]

This is the only HDMI cable I have encountered which was bad right out of the package. It came with a used, upconverting dvd recorder purchased from eBay. I am not sure if the cable was supplied by the manufacturer of the recorder or the people auctioning the recorder but it came in a sealed plastic bag and appeared new.

The brand is ELKA. It is a Japanese company manufacturing in China. This is their web site,

http://www.elka.com.tw/

but it does not show any cable like this one which looks like tin plate,



All the ELKA products look like gold plate so it is possible this is a knockoff. The problem with it seems to be at the connection of the cable to the connector. It functions intermittently when that junction is flexed.

[lordsmurf]

$2 for a cable? Patience is a virtue.

Even if I don't need it after all, find I don't like it, that's costs less than a snack at the vending machine.

[kosekjm]

I'd agree with the monoprice route if you just need one or two cables.

Also Supermediastore is again running their 3 pack of 6 foot HDMI cables:
http://www.supermediastore.com/hdmi-to-hdmi-cable-2-meter.html

I bought a package of those about a year ago and I've been running those with no problems since.

In fact I gave one of them to my boss who is a perfectionist when it comes to his video quality. He swore that you couldn't beat monster cables for clarity. After he tried one (the supermediastore cables) he asked where I got them, ordered his own set and sold his monsters on e-bay He has the predecessor to your tv the A2020. He now has the supermediastore cables on his HD-DVD, Blu-ray, and Dish receiver with no problems yet.

I also have a coworker who has the A3000 and he's using the Supermediastore cables on all of his HD sources (PS3, Onkyo Upconvert DVD, and SA 8300HD DVR) and he's not complained of any issues to me with the cables/tv.

Again, might be overkill if you just need one cable, but since your TV has three ports, might not be a bad option to have for upgrades.

Hope this helps.

[edDV]

...
In fact I gave one of them to my boss who is a perfectionist when it comes to his video quality. He swore that you couldn't beat monster cables for clarity. After he tried one (the supermediastore cables) he asked where I got them, ordered his own set and sold his monsters on e-bay He has the predecessor to your tv the A2020. He now has the supermediastore cables on his HD-DVD, Blu-ray, and Dish receiver with no problems yet.

HDMI cables are digital component and as such there is no picture quality difference so long as data and clock timings are maintained. That is the only issue for picture quality in a digital component cable. Failures are due to poor connector contact or misclocking as the cable gets long. Failure shows first as digital pixel breakup. For a short cable ~6ft there is no picture quality difference for a $2 vs a $200 HDMI cable.

[ranchhand]

I just got a 40" Samsung LCD 1080p TV from Amazon, and ordered two HDMI cheepie cables, one 10ft. and one 6ft. Cost around $3.00 each. They work terriffic with my son's Playstation3, and we watch Blue Ray movies with great results. Try Amazon.

[videobread]

Another interesting thing about cables is gold platting. The ends of cables are gold platted to stop oxidation of the contacts over time. Only one end of the connection needs to be gold plated to stop oxidation. The male or the female. Not both. The contact ends can also be selectively platted. Platted at the contact points only. Selective platting at the contact point stops oxidation also.

[ebenton]

I bought a $12.99 Cables Unlimited HDMI cable, and it did not work right out of the package. It had a bad wire somewhere. I had to wiggle it and hold the cable in a certain position to get it to work. Letting go of it would make it fail again. I would avoid that brand, if possible.