Hdmi????

[june]

hello all,

anyone compared the $30 cable to the $300 cable?
i only use the $30 cables for bluray & comcast hdtv.

hopefully this doesn't become the speaker wire vs. speaker wire fight

[Hammie]

hello all,

anyone compared the $30 cable to the $300 cable?
i only use the $30 cables for bluray & comcast hdtv.

hopefully this doesn't become the speaker wire vs. speaker wire fight

Unfortunately, it can easily become that.

I have used a $200 HDMI cable as well as a $10 HDMI cable. For the distance I am going, it really did not make any visual or audible difference.

As long as the cable you are using is a Category 2, you will be fine. That Category 2 specification is for 1080p (actually rated to 1600p) and will support the 340MHz spec in version 1.3 and above.

Do not confuse Category 2 with CL2. CL2 is an IEC specification for residential in-wall capabilities. This is an electrical code and has nothing to do with the HDMI specifications.

If you are going for long runs (over 10 feet) you will want to make sure you use a cable with a large wire gauge, usually 22AWG or larger (wire guage number get smaller as the wire gets larger so 20AWG is larger than 22AWG).

Also, sometimes, but not always, the more expensive cables may have better shielding and may perform better along or in the same vicinity as power cords. Although HDMI is digital, it is still being fed over an electrical current and is still susceptible to EMI.

I hope this answers your questions. Oh, BTW, all my current HDMI cables are from Blue Jeans Cables and vary in length between 3 feet and 5 feet, although I do have one 10 foot cable connecting my plasma to my receiver.

[Alaric]

hopefully this doesn't become the speaker wire vs. speaker wire fight

It won't. The owner of the forum is a cable manufacturer , and it helps support HTGuide. If it gets brand-specific or ugly , a mod will step in and lock the thread.

[Dmantis]

Basically as long as the HDMI cable meets the required spec , a better cable ( build quality , materials , etc) will not improve anything.

Nothing wrong with wanting nice cables but Digital type cables don't improve like analog and speaker cable can. Even there is a fine line. It all goes back to using the correct cable for the job. Making sure the cable is correctly designed and terminated makes more of a difference then who made it.

So to sum this up , what ever cable you use in your system , make sure it's designed correctly. Once you achieve this goal, there is nothing more can be done.

[Azeke]

As previously stated:

1) Distance (~10 meter is the length limitation for Cat2, unless you utilize extenders, i.e. optical)

2) Shielding (i.e. triple anti-EMI shielding)

3) Certified Cat2 (speeds of 340 MHz, supporting bandwidth of about 10.2 Gbps, and are capable of handling the the latest 1440p and WQXGA resolutions)

4) Pricing

These would be my main considerations.

Peace and blessings,

Azeke