Cost vs Quality of HDMI cable?

[psikey]

Hello

When I've wanted reasonable quality cables with analogue video I've used IXOS for componet/VGA etc.

With HDMI cables being for digital signals is it really necessary to spend £30-£85+ or will ones of ebay costing less than £10 do for 1-2m lengths?

Apart from physical things such as build quality won't the signal be just as good.?

I have read a fair few opinions but there can be a lot of snobbery in cables sometimes and recently bought a cheap £3 1m TOS optical cable for SKY+ to surround sound system and can't imagine how paying 10x more could be any better.

[loz]

Take a look at this comparative review in PC World magazine of HDMI cables at a range of prices.

Their conclusion?

Once you get a good HDMI connection, our tests indicate, you can expect flawless performance from any 4-meter cable, regardless of price.

[Nic Rhodes]

The Molex cables are fine.

[psikey]

Thanks for replies.

[Dom996]

Flawless suggests no problems or issues, as there can be with HDMI. If you have a high quality source and high quality display, then you can see an improvement when spending £50-£100 on a quality 1-2m HDMI cable.

[njp]

Originally Posted by Dom996

Flawless suggests no problems or issues, as there can be with HDMI. If you have a high quality source and high quality display, then you can see an improvement when spending £50-£100 on a quality 1-2m HDMI cable.

And your evidence for that claim is what?

Have your measured the error rate on these fancy cables? Have you conducted blind ABX testing on them?

[Joe Fernand]

Hello psikey

On short runs (sub 5m) a Molex HDMI cable will do everything you require of an HDMI cable if your looking to 'transport' any signal up to 720p or 1080i.

On short runs (sub 5m) a Molex HDMI cable 'may' do everything you require of an HDMI cable if your looking to 'transport' a 1080p signal; though Molex don't certify the cable with 1080p.

On short runs (sub 5m) a BetterCables Silver Serpent Reference 1080p HDMI cable will do everything you require of an HDMI cable if your looking to 'transport' any signal up to and including 1080p.

The key factor with the low cost cables is finding a manufacturer who produces consistent quality from batch to batch - Molex do.

Best regards

Joe

[pjclark1]

If it works then the PQ will be as good as you can get.
If it doesn't work the picture will be very blocky, or no picture.

Digital ........ it works ....... or it doesn't

[psikey]

Originally Posted by Joe Fernand

Hello psikey

On short runs (sub 5m) a Molex HDMI cable will do everything you require of an HDMI cable if your looking to 'transport' any signal up to 720p or 1080i.

On short runs (sub 5m) a Molex HDMI cable 'may' do everything you require of an HDMI cable if your looking to 'transport' a 1080p signal; though Molex don't certify the cable with 1080p.

On short runs (sub 5m) a BetterCables Silver Serpent Reference 1080p HDMI cable will do everything you require of an HDMI cable if your looking to 'transport' any signal up to and including 1080p.

The key factor with the low cost cables is finding a manufacturer who produces consistent quality from batch to batch - Molex do.

Best regards

Joe

Do you sell the Molex 1m. If so, how much inc. p&p.

All I need it for is to connect my Sony Bravia 32V2000 (1080i max) to my Sony HTSS1000 surround amp pass through output which takes two HDMI inputs.

[Joe Fernand]

Hello psikey

The Molex HDMI cables I'd recommend are 2m, 3m and 5m - they do have a 1m cable though its a thinner cable and not as good.

Best regards

Joe

[loz]

Originally Posted by Dom996

Flawless suggests no problems or issues as there can be with HDMI. If you have a high quality source and high quality display, then you can see an improvement when spending £50-£100 on a quality 1-2m HDMI cable.

If something is flawless, as in entirely without flaw or imperfection, then how can a cable improve it....

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by psikey

Do you sell the Molex 1m. If so, how much inc. p&p.

Joe is one of too few retailers that respects the forum rules so I would suggest that you contact him directly for a quote, either by PM, email or telephone.

[Mark Grant]

Originally Posted by psikey

Hello

With HDMI cables being for digital signals is it really necessary to spend £30-£85+ or will ones of ebay costing less than £10 do for 1-2m lengths?

Hello Psikey,

The ebay cable might work just fine, although check the ebay prices as many ebay sellers will sell you a cable for 1 pence and then charge £7 to £10 delivery charge for something that costs about £1 to post

The reason is simple, many really cheap HDMI cables made in China etc are untested, the first person that tests the cable is the customer.

if you return faulty stuff to ebay sellers they wont refund the post, just the 1 pence for the cable etc. (extreme example I know...)

Also really cheap cables sometimes have poorly fitting HDMI connectors not exactly built to HDMI spec, so are a little bit loose in the sockets and fall out easily etc.

At least one brand of HDMI cables has had problems with failure rates as high as 25% , thats a lot of people wanting refunds.

I suggest as others have that molex are great for the price for short lengths.

Never had a faulty Molex HDMI returned here yet

Mark.

[Mark Grant]

Originally Posted by loz

Take a look at this comparative review in PC World magazine of HDMI cables at a range of prices.

Their conclusion? Once you get a good HDMI connection

The key words there are Good connection

not all cables have the same connector quality, digital connections are not all the same if the connector falls out


Thats a good article, although they have only tested short cables at 720P with a signal generator to just one projector.

signal generators (good ones) have a much 'cleaner' output than budget HDMI players, as I have seen myself with my own HDMI test gear, a cable that works with a signal generator does not always work when you try it with a DVD player in a real installation. (usually at long lengths though)


Would be nice to see some unbiased tests of long cables, with various DVD players and plasmas etc, with a few kinks and bends/ corners in the cables as would happen when installed in ceilings etc.


Mark.

I think that many people underestimate the psychological effect of buying expensive vs cheap HDMI cables. If you have spent many thousands on an AV system, there is a large part of you that says 'I should spend a little more on the cable'.

This is certainly the case with myself. I accept the fact that a digital signal either works or it does not, but I have still bought only premium HDMI cables -the reason: I can't live with the nagging doubt that I could have done better than a freebie or £20 cable - i.e. the 'what if?' factor. Unfortunately this is the reason why the expensive cables exist.

Therefore I don't think we should vilify people who would rather buy a QED, Ixos, Chord etc. cable.

Unfortunatley after buying one of Mark's mains cables, my previously staunch stance of the uselessness ofthese has been shaken a little