HDTV cables

[messmaker]

This a bit off the beaten path but here I go. If anyone else is getting a HDTV for the holidays, you got to check this place out. I heard about it on one of the home theater forums.They sell the cables you need to hook up a HDTV dirt cheap and the guys swear by them. A HDMI cable that sells for $89+tx at CC/Best Buys is about $8 including shipping.
http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp

They also said that since A digital signal is so simple it is either you get it or you don't. Good enough is as good as the best. Don't waste money spending extra on these. Composite is not the same so better is better.

[LCHIEN]

This a bit off the beaten path but here I go. If anyone else is getting a HDTV for the holidays, you got to check this place out. I heard about it on one of the home theater forums.They sell the cables you need to hook up a HDTV dirt cheap and the guys swear by them. A HDMI cable that sells for $89+tx at CC/Best Buys is about $8 including shipping.
http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp

They also said that since A digital signal is so simple it is either you get it or you don't. Good enough is as good as the best. Don't waste money spending extra on these. Composite is not the same so better is better.

As an EE, I'll take issue with the "digital is so simple" statement. The digital data rates are in the 200 MHz range sometimes depending upon the no. of vertical and horz lines. A good transmission line cable is necessary or you will get misshapen digital pulses with ringing and reflections (OK, so really ringing is just reflections manifested).

It is would be easy to make a bad cable for super cheap with improper transmission line charateristics and then sell it as a premium cable with premium cable prices if you were out to screw someone.

That said, good transmission cables are not super expensive or super high tech and I have bought cables from Ebay suppliers are very good prices. The key is to stick with vendors that have 1000's of sales.

[LYU370]

I'll put my vote behind monoprice.com as well. Bought quite a few cables from them and all work just fine. All I can say is stay away from the Monster-ously over-priced and over-hyped cables at BB & CC. That is one case where, IMO, you don't get what you pay for.

[jessrice]

I will "third" monocable. I just bought about 12 various cables from them, all of them thier premium line, for a pioneer plasma we have at work. The are great cables for a great price. All mine were 6' long, and would have cost well over 80.00 each at bestbuy, more for the monster brand, and i paid about 160.00 for all of them.

Unfortunaltey, monoprice has been getting slammed for orders this time of year, and there selection of short cables is limited in the HDMI and DVI areas, and they are even limiting the number of longer cables to two for some items. So you may not find any 3',6', or 12' readily available.

But if you can wait, they cables and prices are worth it!

Jesse

[messmaker]

[QUOTE=LCHIEN;228420]As an EE, I'll take issue with the "digital is so simple" statement. The digital data rates are in the 200 MHz range sometimes depending upon the no. of vertical and horz lines. A good transmission line cable is necessary or you will get misshapen digital pulses with ringing and reflections (OK, so really ringing is just reflections manifested).

It is would be easy to make a bad cable for super cheap with improper transmission line charateristics and then sell it as a premium cable with premium cable prices if you were out to screw someone.

Perhaps I misspoke or mistyped in this case. I think what they were trying to get across was that the law of diminishing returns kicks in and almost comes to a stop. They claimed that you could take most quality cables and switch them with the super-premium(monster)cables and you can tell no difference.

[LYU370]

They claimed that you could take most quality cables and switch them with the super-premium(monster)cables and you can tell no difference.

Yep, I can attest to that. A buddy of mine spent hundreds of $$$ replacing all of his cabling with the monsterously over hyped cables and was convinced that it sounded better. Was over at his house and he asks what do I think of the new sound?? Told him I thought it sounded the same as the old sound. He was flabberghasted (love that word), how can that be... I just put in the monsterously over-priced cables, can't you tell the difference?

[25]

Monster Cable = Snake Oil

[nicobie]

Thanks for the tip!

We are getting two HDTVs for X-mas and I had just bought two cables from Walmart @ over $30 each. I haven't opened them up yet. You can bet I'll be bringing them back.

I just ordered 2 3ft cables for a total of less than $15 with tax and 2 day delivery.

Thank you again!

nic

[GrandPoobah]

...That said, good transmission cables are not super expensive or super high tech and I have bought cables from Ebay suppliers are very good prices. The key is to stick with vendors that have 1000's of sales.

As an EE and happy monoprice customer for the last year and a half or so, I can concur with everything that's been said so far on this thread. There *is* such a thing as a cable that is bad enough for you to want something better, but in my experience monoprice doesn't sell them.

[sacherjj]

I can be another EE recommending monoprice.com. I also have had good results with their IDE non-flat cables, VGA, HDMI to DVI, HDMI to HDMI, and others.

[Woodokie]

Here is another affordable and reliable source:

Cables

I agree with the previous comments.

Frank

[fiasco]

One problem you may run into is sending a HD signal to a remote television location.

In my house w/ no kids we don't need two different signals for the telvisions so I just wanted to send the HD signal from my source (HDMI switching Denon receiver) throughout the house.

I have not tried these yet but my house is already wired with Cat5e.

[fiasco]

Doh... link

http://www.svideo.com/1080i.html

[sacherjj]

Doh... link

http://www.svideo.com/1080i.html

I don't remember if it was on monoprice or another site, but I did see a repeater for HDMI that would do 100-150 ft runs. It was around $80. However, when you add in a 150 ft HDMI cable, this sis a much cheaper solution. Also, you can reuse the Cat5 for other devices, but HDMI is pretty specific.

[jameslee]

Odd... I've never seen so many EEs (I'm one too!) at an woodworking forum before.