Cheap 1.4 hdmi cables. Where to buy cheap in the UK

[multibreed]

Finally on the last few legs of getting set up with the arrival of my onkyo 609......

However all my hdmi cables are all 1.3 versions. I require to get x4 v1.4 cables at 1m lengths. But which places are recommended to buy cheap cables. I am happy to spend upto £5 per cable.

Also as I need the sky box and Xbox to output their dd5.1 should I use co ax or optical cables? And again where to buy these cables for the same price as above.

And finally I will need at least a 5m cable for the sub. Any recommendations here within a £30 budget. Am connecting it via the line in socket on the sub

Cheers for all help and advice

Regards

Cliff

 

[Joe Fernand]

1.4 Spec HDMI cables are a figment of many a marketing Dept imaginations - cables are either High Speed or Standard and other than the universally ignored 'with Ethernet' feature none of the New hardware Features outlined in the HDMI 1.4 Hardware revision would require you to replace your cables.

SKY+ HD does require an Optical or Coaxial cable to your AVR for DD 5.1.

If you have an AVR with HDMI Inputs that support multi channel audio you won't require an Optical or Coaxial cable for your Xbox.

Joe

 

[Trollslayer]

Joe is correct, I use tvcables.co.uk but there are other advertisers on AV Forums who use the correct "High Speed" and "Standard Speed" marking for cables.

 

[Member 373730]

We use the correct marketing

 

[multibreed]

Just to get a grip. Hdmi cables, as stipulated by hdmi governing bodies, should have high speed or standard written on the casing of the cable?

 

[multibreed]

Joe is correct, I use tvcables.co.uk but there are other advertisers on AV Forums who use the correct "High Speed" and "Standard Speed" marking for cables.

What can you offer me for x4 high speed hdmi cables at 1m lengths?

Regards

Cliff

 

[Trollslayer]

Just to get a grip. Hdmi cables, as stipulated by hdmi governing bodies, should have high speed or standard written on the casing of the cable?

Correct.

 

[mattrees]

While I agree with the point that you may not need HDMI 1.4 cables, that particular type will support 3D, HD multi-channel audio (and of course the much maligned Ethernet) without any signal dropout. Irrespective of that, a fiver isn't going to get you a lot of cable at any level. I recently purchased some Audioquest Pearl HDMI's and they are brilliant. A 1m length will cost you £25 but with most things in life you only get out what you put in! You have a good amplifier, it deserves good cable.

 

[Joe Fernand]

So let's just ignore all the facts and link price with performance

Is it even worth re-posting the links to HDMI.org where they outline cable types and what you require to support a particular hardware feature!

Joe !

 

[mattrees]

I'm not merely linking price with performance. I have noticed an improvement in both picture and audio (through TV speakers) with my new cables over my old ones so I feel the extra expense was worth it in my opinion. If the guy only wants to spend a fiver per cable, that is his prerogative.

I was only making the case that sometimes it is worth spending a little more and I am aware that the original post was only asking for places to get the cheap cables so if the moderators feel that my posting is off-topic, they have the option to remove it.

 

[KUBBY]

I think that you have to concede that this,being a very subjective experience,is open to "Financially influenced improvement"

I'm not saying that you are imagining the improvements,but I am saying that you expected them for the price that you paid,therefore............

I believe that a well known publication was investigated for such statements.The accusers claiming that they were in effect lying to their readers by claiming such extraordinary improvements with expensive cables,when such improvements are impossible.

The "Prosecution"went no further when it was decreed that all that the magazine published was the Opinion of the reviewers and,as the subject was so subjective,they could not be contradicted.

So, I'm pleased that you have noticed an improvement. We are saying to the OP that more spent doesn't equal better performance in an HDMI cable and,in fact,that such improvements are impossible.

Your posts remain valid for this thread as they present the opposing point of view.

Oh,and thanks for reminding me of my options



K.

 

[Joe Fernand]

Cables are not 'Version' compliant and any that are advertised as such (especially if they mention 1.4) are being mislabelled!

It is not possible for your new cable to improve on the image or sound quality you achieved with your old cable.

Remember that for most of the content you are viewing the digital video/audio stream is encrypted (HDCP) at the Source and decrypted at the Sink (Display or AVR) - now try and explain how a copper conductor within your cable could target a specific portion of an encrypted (scrambled) signal to manipulate it!

On long cable runs a cable has the ability to drop the voltage across the cable to the point where you get glaring errors or no picture - whilst a heavier gauge cable may not cause a problem!

Joe

 

[mattrees]

You have your opinion, I have mine. I'll agree to disagree on the improvement. I do understand the principle that all data passed through a HDMI is just binary data (1's and 0's) and in theory all cables should be the same. But you can say that about any digital device, be it Blu-Ray players, televisions, anything. But in practice, each one is different.

But, you know, at the end of it, we are all consumers and we pay our money and take our choice.

 

[Joe Fernand]

When you view a DVD, BD or pretty much any Broadcast signal the one and only reason for HDMI is to enable the Content owners to ‘protect’ the High Value content by encrypting it.

The method used is HDCP – HDCP requires that the content is Encrypted (Scrambled) at the Source and Decrypted at the Sink (Display or AVR) – you are saying that your HDMI cable (a passive assembly – no active electronics, no HDCP chip set) can somehow decrypt, manipulate then re-encrypt the signal flowing through it!!!

If that could happen then the whole encryption process is a complete waste of time or your cable manufacturer is somehow flouting HDCP Licensing rules/laws!!!

Digital Content Protection - HDCP Technologies

It’s not a matter of ‘opinion’ it simply can’t happen!

Joe

 

[andy1249]

I'm not merely linking price with performance. I have noticed an improvement in both picture and audio (through TV speakers) with my new cables over my old ones so I feel the extra expense was worth it in my opinion. If the guy only wants to spend a fiver per cable, that is his prerogative.

I was only making the case that sometimes it is worth spending a little more and I am aware that the original post was only asking for places to get the cheap cables so if the moderators feel that my posting is off-topic, they have the option to remove it.

Picture and sound improvements due to a HDMI cable are impossible.
I'm an Electronics Enginneer working specifically in HDMI chipset design , I dont think this , I know it.
Some things are not a matter of opinion , this is one of them. Regardless of what you think you see , no HDMI cable can be the source of an improvement in sound or picture.

Have someone you know swap out the cables and without you knowing which is which see if you can pick out the more expensive cable. I'm absolutely 100% positive you wont be able to do it.

There is a shocking amount of fraud going on with High priced HDMI cables, "opinions" such as these cost a lot of people a lot of money , an my "opinion" is that such dangerously incorrect information needs to be corrected asap!

 

[PC57]

I could be wrong, but (with luck and a following wind!) some of the better cables for any given standard just might have better connectors and be less prone to the 'wiggle' factor causing dropouts.
HDMI connectors do seem to be of a design that is open to losing connection if not perfectly plugged in.

BTW, reading about HDMI and using some links from this forum, it seems that the cheap 2m cables that I got from Aldi should be OK. They claim 3D so should be '1.4'; I don't yet know if they support Ethernet and ARC.
I need some more and, following a link, found that TVCables (am I allowed to mention them) do say that '1.4' is meaningless, so it seems as if some suppliers are honest!

 

[addyb]

I remember having this debate with my work mate ages ago. He called me one day to tell me he had just spent close to £100 on 2x hdmi cables even though I told him not to spend that much. Anyway he claimed these cables made the picture quality far better and I was dubious to say the least but as I was no expert I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Anyway a short time after I went round with one of my £5 cables and asked him to swap them round and wouldnt you know it there was no difference whatsoever in pic quality. Lol lesson learned for him.

 

[PC57]

Emperor's clothes methinks! If the cable looks as if it's well constructed and it meets the specs., then one for a fiver (or even less) will be essentially the same as the one for a ton.