HDMI Cables - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Mayer · 09-02-2008, 11:09 PM

I've seen some previous posts about monoprice.com and how you can get cheap, but good, cables from them. I was disgusted when I was at Bestbuy today and saw that a 2 meter cable was $184. It's ridiculous. I did see that there was cables that were 60Hz and some that were 120Hz. The new TV I bought is 120, so does that mean I need to buy corresponding cables? And if so, how do I know if the cables on monoprice.com are in fact 120? If it doesn't say is it most likely 60?

MaxPower · 09-02-2008, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mayer

I've seen some previous posts about monoprice.com and how you can get cheap, but good, cables from them. I was disgusted when I was at Bestbuy today and saw that a 2 meter cable was $184. It's ridiculous. I did see that there was cables that were 60Hz and some that were 120Hz. The new TV I bought is 120, so does that mean I need to buy corresponding cables? And if so, how do I know if the cables on monoprice.com are in fact 120? If it doesn't say is it most likely 60?

They have different cables for 120Hz and 60Hz?!?!? Criminals taking advantage of the misinformed. Here's the deal: for the average person, buy expensive cables if the rest of your media system is absolutely top notch and your cables are the weakest link.... and that's only for analog cable (like speaker cables).

Do not waste your money on expensive digital cables, HDMI included, there is no difference in signal quality, you either have signal or you don't. The only difference may be in the quality of the physical construction of the cable, I guess.... still a stretch for a cable that sits behind your TV.

Thor · 09-02-2008, 11:28 PM

Its amazing what retailers try to rape people for in Cables and other accessories.

Example: Bandwidth: up to 340 Mhz

For HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified CL2 Rated (In-Wall Installation) Cable (22AWG) - 20ft (Gold Plated Connectors)

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...#specification

photon · 09-02-2008, 11:35 PM

Wow, they actually have different cables for 60Hz and 120Hz??? Some cables are a big scam, but they usually aren't THAT blatant about it.

The panel in the TV is what goes at 60Hz or 120Hz, the source material doesn't change one iota!! On a 120Hz TV the TV itself takes the input and displays frames multiple times. If the input is a 60Hz NTSC signal it'll display each frame twice. If it's a 24 frames per second signal from a blu-ray then it'll display each frame 5 times. (That's the appeal of 120Hz panels btw, it's evenly divisible by 24 so there's no 3:2 or 2:3 pulldown required, no jumpyness, movie displayed as it was intended).

I'm stunned. Unless there's a source that's actually capable of outputting a 120Hz signal I guess, but I wonder if the TV would even accept it.

Anyway, anything that's HDMI 1.3a from monoprice will be fine at that length.

As Max said it's digital, either it works or you'll get significant display artifacts (in HDMI you'll get "sparklies" all over the screen or a blank screen).

Mayer · 09-02-2008, 11:46 PM

Awesome. Thanks guys, just what I had hoped to hear.

photon · 09-02-2008, 11:46 PM

The more I think about this the angrier I get, it's one thing to claim better sound from a cable or better signal quality, but to actually claim that a different cable is required because the DISPLAY is 120Hz...

If Shaw told me that I had to buy faster Internet because I had a 24" monitor, wouldn't that be illegal?

TVs accept 24Hz or 60Hz signals. No consumer TV accept 120Hz video signals, I'm sure of that. And no video source comes in at 120Hz, unless you hook your computer up directly and set the refresh rate that high, but it won't work because the TV doesn't support it anyway.

Which Best Buy was this, Sunridge or Deerfoot Meadows?

photon · 09-02-2008, 11:48 PM

I wish I had the space on my credit card, I'd go buy all the HDMI cables, keep them for 29 days, and then return them, and keep doing it until the media got involved and the scam got some press time or something.

DoC attack.

(Denial of Cables)

Mayer · 09-02-2008, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photon

The more I think about this the angrier I get, it's one thing to claim better sound from a cable or better signal quality, but to actually claim that a different cable is required because the DISPLAY is 120Hz...

If Shaw told me that I had to buy faster Internet because I had a 24" monitor, wouldn't that be illegal?

TVs accept 24Hz or 60Hz signals. No consumer TV accept 120Hz video signals, I'm sure of that. And no video source comes in at 120Hz, unless you hook your computer up directly and set the refresh rate that high, but it won't work because the TV doesn't support it anyway.

Which Best Buy was this, Sunridge or Deerfoot Meadows?

Whoa, didn't mean to set you off photon

This was Deerfoot Meadows. I should clarify that this is what it said on the Cable packaging, not what was passed on to me by an employee.

photon · 09-03-2008, 12:03 AM

I wonder if they would arrest me if I handed out monoprice flyers in front of the store

Glad a sales person didn't tell you that. I guess it depends on how it's worded on the packaging, I'm sure they do it knowing exactly how close they can get without crossing the line of legality.

But saying a cable supports 120Hz is like saying it supports drama as well as action films...

I'm not going to be able to sleep now

Mayer · 09-03-2008, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photon

I wonder if they would arrest me if I handed out monoprice flyers in front of the store

Glad a sales person didn't tell you that. I guess it depends on how it's worded on the packaging, I'm sure they do it knowing exactly how close they can get without crossing the line of legality.

But saying a cable supports 120Hz is like saying it supports drama as well as action films...

I'm not going to be able to sleep now

It's not very discreet. Right on the front it, in a little bubble it says it. There's no real explanation. I'd never heard of it before so I figured I'd check.

redflamesfan08 · 09-03-2008, 08:02 AM

Perfect thread for this:

My girlfriend is one of those people who has bought the hype, and won't accept that monoprice, at a small fraction of the cost could possibly be a reputable retailer. Can anyone point me in the direction of some real, unbiased comparisons between name brand (ie. monster cables) and unnamed (ie monoprice, etc....) cables?

I_H8_Crawford · 09-03-2008, 08:36 AM

Just explain the difference of analogue and digital to her.

Ask he if she really thinks a $200 dollar cable will be better at off and on than a $6 cable.
Does the $200 cable make better quality 0s and 1s? LOL

http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2309p111id121777.htm

Quote:

Whether you hook up your TV via digital connections, analog connections, or both, you are unlikely to detect any difference in picture quality between a cable with a moderate price and a luxury brand. The only difference you're likely to notice is how the cable looks behind your TV.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/field-not...ble-266616.php
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/feature/t...lly-268788.php
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/top/the-t...iii-282725.php

Hope that helps.

If you need more just google "monster cable myth" or "monoprice vs monster cables"

redflamesfan08 · 09-03-2008, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Just explain the difference of analogue and digital to her.

Ask he if she really thinks a $200 dollar cable will be better at off and on than a $6 cable.
Does the $200 cable make better quality 0s and 1s? LOL

http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2309p111id121777.htm

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/field-not...ble-266616.php
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/feature/t...lly-268788.php
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/top/the-t...iii-282725.php

Hope that helps.

If you need more just google "monster cable myth" or "monoprice vs monster cables"

Thanks, I'm convinced, I've bought a few things from there, only problem is when I'm getting her to google "monster cable myth" she's got good reason to believe that the hits will be somewhat biased, possibly people with an axe to grind.

I'm hoping this helps, not looking forward to her shelling out gobs of money for snake oil.

ken0042 · 09-03-2008, 09:29 AM

Just an FYI for anybody else looking for HDMI cables- I recently saw a PS3 package at Superstore for $7 that included a 6' HDMI and a 6' optical cable. No indication if it was 1.3 or not- but for a satellite/Shaw setup you don't need 1.3 yet; and with it being for a PS3 I would assume it supports 1080p.

Anyways, the Superstore on 130th was sold out as of last week. (I have no idea how that could have happened.

)

Flaming Choy · 09-03-2008, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photon

No consumer TV accept 120Hz video signals, I'm sure of that.

Not exactly true. I think you can buy 120Hz tv's likes this one:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/t...es-of-love-fo/

200 Hz and 240 Hz on the way too:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/02/s...-200hz-lcd-tv/
http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/28/s...s-november-10/

but back on topic, like everyone said, cables aren't frequency specific. As long as the cable has proper shielding, your signal will be fine.

photon · 09-03-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flaming Choy

Not exactly true. I think you can buy 120Hz tv's likes this one:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/20/t...es-of-love-fo/

Take a look at the specs of that tv right from the text of what you posted:

"Each offers a 120Hz / 10-bit IPS panel with 3x HDMI (1080/60p and 24p)"

That means the TV accepts 60Hz and 24Hz inputs, not 120Hz inputs.

As I said, the refresh rate of the actual panel itself is totally disconnected from the input. Nothing outputs 120Hz signals.

psicodude · 09-03-2008, 10:54 AM

I have a brother that works for a fairly well known, high-end electronic retailer here in Calgary. (I won't post the name to protect the innocent). They sell systems that START at $25,000. Anyway, when they install a home theatre system, they sell speaker cable that goes for over $10 a foot, but they use the $15 HDMI cable. Why? Because they have documentation that can prove the expensive speaker wire actually makes a difference over the cheap stuff. They do not, however, have documentation that can justify an expensive HDMI cable.

As a few posters have already said, digital is digital. Either the 0 and 1's get there, or they don't. Period.

OilKiller · 09-03-2008, 11:03 AM

Yep, HDMI cables are the biggest ripoff and those big box stores should be ashamed of themselves. In fact, some people I know have avoided buying HD equipment due to the fact that sales people at Best Buy or FS for example have told them they need $200 HDMI cables as well.

I bought a $18 HDMI cable and it works just fine with my Blu-ray and LCD HDTV thank you very much.

Flaming Choy · 09-03-2008, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photon

Take a look at the specs of that tv right from the text of what you posted:

"Each offers a 120Hz / 10-bit IPS panel with 3x HDMI (1080/60p and 24p)"

That means the TV accepts 60Hz and 24Hz inputs, not 120Hz inputs.

As I said, the refresh rate of the actual panel itself is totally disconnected from the input. Nothing outputs 120Hz signals.

oops, my bad

automaton 3 · 09-03-2008, 11:25 AM

Edit: Photon beat me to it!

A bit OT but I just finished a prolonged shopping experience for a new LCD TV and I really didn't think that 120 Hz is all its cracked up to be, at this stage anyhow.

Slightly smoother when it works, weird artifacts on the screen when it doesn't. Maybe the technology isn't quite mature yet...?