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Which HDMI cable should I get?

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Which HDMI cable should I get?

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Old 07-04-08 | 09:31 PM
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Which HDMI cable should I get?

I want to order an HDMI cable from Monoprice for my PS3 which I use for playing Blu-Rays but I'm confused at which one I should get if I want to be current? I'm also planning to get another Blu-Ray player (when this profile stuff gets worked out) and a new reciever when more support HD audio. My question is, which 6ft HDMI cable should I get if I want the best now and for my future uses?

PG
Old 07-05-08 | 09:29 AM
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Any. 6' isn't long enough to be an issue for the cheaper cables.
Old 07-07-08 | 10:18 AM
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I use this one and works just as well as my $250 Monster one I have.http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
Old 07-10-08 | 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Spiky
Any. 6' isn't long enough to be an issue for the cheaper cables.
What about 10'?

6' is JUST enough for my system, but if I need to move one of the components, it puts a strain on it. I've already ruined one HDMI cable moving my TV only a couple of inches to hook up our Wii.
Old 07-10-08 | 11:25 AM
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Anything under 25' and you will be fine.
Old 07-13-08 | 03:29 PM
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What would you recommend in 40ft for a projector?
Old 07-13-08 | 07:51 PM
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24AWG or bigger for the 40'. Smaller number is bigger cable.

Last edited by Spiky; 07-13-08 at 09:51 PM.
Old 07-13-08 | 08:49 PM
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i dont understand. Why are monoprice.com prices a fraction of the stuff you find at bestbuy? I just bought a dynex hdmi cable at best buy for $50 and will of course return it if i can find a hdmi cable for cheaper. Why are some of the cables over $100?
Old 07-13-08 | 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by bhome83
Why are some of the cables over $100?
Mostly because people will pay that much.
Old 07-13-08 | 09:51 PM
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people don't know any better and/or assume bigger price= better performance.
Old 07-13-08 | 10:12 PM
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so all hdmi cables are alike? if i find one for .50 cents than that is as good as one that is $150?
Old 07-13-08 | 10:21 PM
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Originally Posted by bhome83
so all hdmi cables are alike? if i find one for .50 cents than that is as good as one that is $150?
in theory, yes. digital picture and sound are pretty much "all or nothing." so as long as you're not running the cable a great distance, you won't likely see any degradation.

For most people 6ft. is all that's needed, and for that distance "cheap" HDMI cables gets it done.
Old 07-13-08 | 11:20 PM
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Audioholics has a really interesting write-up where they took tens of HDMI cables of differing brands and lengths and used digital testing equipment to see if they could reliably pass signals of different bandwidths with no bit errors.

The short version of what they found:
  • Nearly all the cables shorter than 3 m passed their lab tests, even when pushing about 1.5x the maximum bandwidth supported by HDMI 1.3.
  • Even the cables which "failed" their lab tests worked fine in real-world tests, because of the robust error-correction used in real-world A/V equipment. The only way they were able to actually end up with corrupted video was when they took two long cables that individually failed their lab tests and then coupled them end-to-end into a massive 65 ft cable.
  • Monoprice cables were one of the five brands that performed well under long cable runs.
Old 07-14-08 | 12:39 AM
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Originally Posted by bhome83
i dont understand. Why are monoprice.com prices a fraction of the stuff you find at bestbuy?
In addition to what others have written, I'll add that cables and other accessories have a huge markup because that's where a lot of stores make their money. The markets for computers, TVs and other electronics are very competitive, so there's not as much of a markup.

A friend of mine used to work at Best Buy. His employee price for buying cables was a fraction of retail, because the formula for employees was something like wholesale plus 10 percent. A $50 cable would cost him about $8.

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