HDMI Event Part 3

[Phil Hinton]

We talk to Brent McCall of Ethereal Home Theater who explains why he became a cable manufacturer and why his cables are tested by DPL. Part three of three.

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[namuk]

Everyone will be on a HDMI buying frenzy this year

This is the site Ethereal

[IAN P]

Not at those prices

[namuk]

Originally Posted by IAN P

Not at those prices

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by namuk

Everyone will be on a HDMI buying frenzy this year

This is the site Ethereal

To be fair to Brent, that wasn't the point of his interview, he wasn't selling you a cable and I thought as someone who does produce for the custom market, he was very honest in his answers and has a genuine attitude of education and information spreading. They do produce some very expensive HDMI cables, but they are not sold as a video enhancement in terms of picture, but in terms of reliability and materials used. That's a completely different approach to the 'other' cable manufacturers who avoid the DPL or other testing programs and promise you deeper blacks and whiter whites......... It's refreshing to hear some honesty from the cable camp for a change I think.

[IAN P]

I appreciate the high cost cables involve some serious manufacturing,but he said he can't afford to sell his $1000 cable for $100.

So is he not taking the same amount of care when making the cheaper cable?

I'd need to see one in action first before i'd consider paying anywhere near that amount.

But then we come back to the guy in the first 2 vid's,stating there won't be a discernable difference in picture quality.So in reality you're basically paying for excellent build quality.

[namuk]

Originally Posted by Phil Hinton

To be fair to Brent, that wasn't the point of his interview, he wasn't selling you a cable and I thought as someone who does produce for the custom market, he was very honest in his answers and has a genuine attitude of education and information spreading. They do produce some very expensive HDMI cables, but they are not sold as a video enhancement in terms of picture, but in terms of reliability and materials used. That's a completely different approach to the 'other' cable manufacturers who avoid the DPL or other testing programs and promise you deeper blacks and whiter whites......... It's refreshing to hear some honesty from the cable camp for a change I think.

I think you took the post the wrong way , i just posted the link to site thats all, and i no it is good to hear from the other side for a change, and the idea brent building a "job done" cable i.e exactly what it says on the tin also no returning to job

[Andris L]

Originally Posted by IAN P

I appreciate the high cost cables involve some serious manufacturing,but he said he can't afford to sell his $1000 cable for $100.

So is he not taking the same amount of care when making the cheaper cable?

He mentioned that they are trying to manufacture each cable as best they can to compete in that price range and the price difference comes down to quality of materials used for manufacturing each cable. At least that how I understood it .

Originally Posted by IAN P

I'd need to see one in action first before i'd consider paying anywhere near that amount.

But then we come back to the guy in the first 2 vid's,stating there won't be a discernable difference in picture quality.So in reality you're basically paying for excellent build quality.

It was mentioned that there could be a problem with actual video as well but my understanding is that video, most of the times, will be there and as you pointed out it all comes down to build quality to ensure video stays there and rest of processes work correctly along with video.


As Phil pointed out it is appreciated that someone from cable industry actually speaks truth and gives us an overview and explains what is what. I definitely will have a different point of view next time I buy HDMI cable after seeing these videos.

[namuk]

Originally Posted by Andris L

I definitely will have a different point of view next time I buy HDMI cable after seeing these videos.

Exactly my view indeed i just hope this standard gets sorted the way brent thinks is the RIGHT way, one less problem to question

[Andris L]

Originally Posted by namuk

Exactly my view indeed i just hope this standard gets sorted the way brent thinks is the RIGHT way, one less problem to question

Aye, and hopefully, as it was mentioned in other thread, we will see more manufactures get involved in this sort of testing so we can get our hands on some real world test results and make a right decision once it comes down to buying a cable.

[loz]

Originally Posted by IAN P

So in reality you're basically paying for excellent build quality.

But there's no real evidence there is a HDMI cable build problem in the first place.

Millions must have been sold or included with equipment in the last year. Yet you will only find a handful of people complaining that a cable failed.

OK, at the highest bandwidths and the longest cable lengths it could become an issue - its going to be a PITA re-running a 15mtr cable through conduit and such if it fails.

But convince me I need to spend $1197 on 'excellent build quality' for a 2mtr cable...

[Jules]

I think the video's were pretty clear that the problems with HDMI are faced by the custom install market.
At short lengths, you really don't need to spend more than a few quid on an HDMI lead.

Even if shorter cables are subject to consistency problems at manufacture, how many £5 cables would you need to test before that £200 cable made sense? alot I suspect.

Anyway.. there's no harm in trying a £5 cable from Tesco first is there?
I might even suggest you'd be mad not to try a £5 cable first.

I used to spend a fortune on analogue interconnects, but my last HDMI cables were from Tesco at £5 each. They connect my most expensive pieces of equipment together (£3800 Denon A1HD amplifier & £900 DVD2500BT), and they work perfectly.

I do use a better 10m cable to feed my projector, but for patching up components in the same rack... the first 2 videos make it clear that performance will often come without the price tag!

[IAN P]

=loz;8496681]
But convince me I need to spend $1197 on 'excellent build quality' for a 2mtr cable...

If people feel the need to spend £1000 on a cable,then it's their choice,nobody's forcing them.

There will always be people who want the best of everything no matter that they won't see a difference.

[loz]

Originally Posted by IAN P

If people feel the need to spend £1000 on a cable,then it's their choice,nobody's forcing them.

I don't doubt that. But it wasn't the question I asked.

[IAN P]

How you going to be convinced,no idea.Hyperbole by a cable manufactuer,there will be buyer's,no doubt about that.

Like i said,i would want a lengthy demo of said cable.