Why all HDMI cables are the same.. Very useful article!

Found this article and thought I would share.

It was an eye opener for me!

Why all HDMI cables are the same | Crave - CNET

Detailing why all HDMI cables are the same...

interesting article also this....

5FWD - HDMI Cable Test video from The Gadget Show

Actual technical proof here: Digital Foundry vs. HDMI video Article • Page • Articles • Eurogamer.net

(summary: data received is identical on the £1.50 cable and the £100+ cable. Paying silly money for digital cables is silly, especially for SATA cables that claim to improve audio)

£5 Ross cables from Sainsburys are good.

For more fun,
Audiophile Deathmatch: Monster Cables vs. a Coat Hanger

Being a skinflint, I always try the cheapy option first anyway. The HDMI we use all cost less than a fiver including postage from eBay! :)

I never understood ever, why a friend of mine used to waste the cash when he bought stuff in currys/comet buying the "gold plated" cables they used to offer for stupid money, its always the same stuff as the ones I bought from a £1 shop, picture differences are never better or different on the end results.

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Originally Posted by rich_tech

I never understood ever, why a friend of mine used to waste the cash when he bought stuff in currys/comet buying the "gold plated" cables they used to offer for stupid money, its always the same stuff as the ones I bought from a £1 shop, picture differences are never better or different on the end results.

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Don't get me started on the prices charged by PC World for USB cables... I can't believe how much people will shell out for them!

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Originally Posted by rich_tech

I never understood ever, why a friend of mine used to waste the cash when he bought stuff in currys/comet buying the "gold plated" cables they used to offer for stupid money, its always the same stuff as the ones I bought from a £1 shop, picture differences are never better or different on the end results.

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Digital cables yes its no different but analogue is better with high quality cables. Also I believe longer run HDMI needs better shielding (>15m) to ensure it has no loss but thats it.

The funniest thing I saw in Currys was a gold plated optical cable, it just had gold around the end lol.

Thanks! I knew I was right buying the ASDA Smartprice HDMI cables :D
And don't get me started on the prices of network cables in PC World >:-o

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Originally Posted by ZeroHour

Digital cables yes its no different but analogue is better with high quality cables.

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The fact that manufacturers of expensive cables refuse time after time to step up and do proper double blind testing, suggests they may not be as confident about that as you are.

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Originally Posted by rich_tech

I never understood ever, why a friend of mine used to waste the cash when he bought stuff in currys/comet buying the "gold plated" cables they used to offer for stupid money, its always the same stuff as the ones I bought from a £1 shop, picture differences are never better or different on the end results.

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Gold has a higher resistance than silver or copper (but resists corrosion), so unless you're installing your cables in a sauna I'd go for the plain ones. ;)

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Originally Posted by elsiegee40

Don't get me started on the prices charged by PC World for USB cables... I can't believe how much people will shell out for them!

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Ebay is king for anything like that usually, failing the pound shop lol, had my hdmi and ethernet cables for the house from them, 5 meters cat5e for a £1, cant go wrong and theres nothing wrong with being a skinflint ! :D

Went into Richer Sounds to buy a Freeview HD PVR, the guy tried to sell me an expensive HDMI cable and told me to throw the included one away(!). I explained to the guy that HDMI is digital and as long as the cables meet the HDMI 1.4 spec the picture quality will be the same. He was having none of it and thrusted a Cambridge Audio flyer under my nose explaining why I was wrong.

TL;DR - Richer Sounds told me to buy an expensive cable. I didn't.

Cambridge Audio

an analogue cable (or a long digital cable) there is probably some merrit in better cables but a digital cable should either work or not surely i know all my hdmis are cheapo ones from ccl/amazon never seen a need to buy a monster cable at £90 lol

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Originally Posted by sted

an analogue cable (or a long digital cable) there is probably some merrit in better cables

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Beyond completely unsuitable cables (incapable of carrying current or with impedance or capacitance issues), ABX and double blind tests continually show that if there is some merit, no one can actually tell the difference.

Here's an interesting summary of some testing.