timmyd24601 wrote:Most people don't know what HDMI actually stands for...

Haphazardly Developed Mostly Intermittent

Another Sony product being shoved down our throats, HDMI can not beat a nice set of component video cables...

This is a joke, I assume, because component cables are analog, and HDMI is digital. Digital is way superior, since it's not subject to interference.

Woot! you had me at HDMI Cable!, in 4 3, or really 6.... 2 fer Tuesday ! waiting on the Wednesday is Sunday at Carvel! yeah I know that was an old slogan, feeling my age.............

breakmedown wrote:The one thing I will not replace with an HDMI cable is my optical sound cable. It's a must, as Hi Def sound is a priority to me, even more so than Hi Def pictures.

Considering that they're both sending a digital signal you are unlikely to notice any discernible difference.

If you claim that you CAN tell the difference then you're probably the type that swears by the Wattgate 381 sockets too.

cmader wrote:...The one thing I will not replace with an HDMI cable is my optical sound cable...

Actually, optical is inferior to HDMI. For one thing, optical cannot carry any of the new HD lossless codecs. It simply doesn't have the bandwidth. Even coax is considered superior to optical, though it too cannot carry the new lossless codecs (probably due to DRM).

I would be genuinely interested to hear why you think optical is superior.

Low quality HDMI cables could possibly cause a discernible drop in sound & picture quality(but usually of a different nature than analog noise), but only if they're not manufactured to spec. I couldn't say whether this brand is good or not, but as long as you get properly made cables, they should give you just as good of signal quality vs. the severely overpriced MonsterCables.

Similar to Cat6 vs Cat3 cabling. Sure, it's a digital signal, but the cable you use still has to be rated, and built properly, to handle the signal being passed.

These would go great as backups for my Monsters! In for 1!

Contrary to what you may have read or been told, you don't need special "HDMI 1.4 cables," and frankly you shouldn't be able to buy one, because cable manufacturers are prohibited from marketing cables as such. Instead, cable marketers must label their cables using one of five new logos: HDMI Standard, HDMI High Speed, HDMI Standard with Ethernet, HDMI High Speed with Ethernet, and HDMI Standard Automotive.

If you want to connect a new 3D Blu-ray player to a new 3D TV, you'll just need a high-speed HDMI cable, which is already recommended for connecting 1080p TVs and Blu-ray players. (HDMI Standard cables are generally sufficient for handling video with up to 720p or 1080i resolutions.) And you don't have to pay a lot to get a good high-speed HDMI cable: You can buy a 6-foot cable for less than $10 from an online retailer such as Woot.com, Monoprice.com or Blue Jeans Cable.

daemonfly wrote:Low quality HDMI cables could possibly cause a discernible drop in sound & picture quality...

I've bought several HDMI cables over the Internet in various lengths because I'm always helping friends and family set up their home theaters. I've never paid more than about $5 per cable. You can tell from the construction that they are of lower quality. Mostly it shows in the lack of flexibility which can make routing more difficult. However, I've never had one of these cables cause a problem. With digital, there is no such thing as a loss in video or sound quality. The signal is either there or it isn't. The only thing that could occur is the video or sound could drop out if the signal is lost. It's a simple fact that with digital you can get away with less quality due to the lack of susceptibility to interference. This is the dirty little secret the clerks at stores will never tell you.

In my own home theater I'm using four of these cables. Three of them input into my amp (cable, Xbox and Blu-Ray) and one is an output from the amp to the TV. If there were an issues with a cable, a $5 replacement is sitting waiting in my drawer. There is absolutely no reason to pay the outrageous prices that the big box stores charge. None. For the price of a single $40 cable, you could by eight cheap cables and have plenty of spares. So far after three years of using my current setup this has never occurred. Additionally, none of the installs I've done for other people have had HDMI issues as well.

By the way, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the efficacy of high-end speaker wire as well. The debunker "The Amazing Randy" has put up a cash prize to anyone that can prove in a double-blind test that high-end speaker cable is better than ordinary 16-gauge lamp cord. Yes, not even dedicated speaker wire but the cord that connects lamps and other electric appliances to AC wall current. So far, nobody has won the prize. Let the buyer beware, hopefully armed with the right information.

"Like" the post above me, hehe. wish there was a Like button similar to facebook

I was looking for a cheap 12 foot one just a couple days ago and the cheapest one they had at best buy near me was $99.99. This is a fantastic buy if you're wanting to condense audio and hi def video into one cable. However if your hooking up a 10 grand entertainment system, cough up the money and get some higher end cables... you'll be glad you did.

THESE WILL NEVER BEAT MY RF SWITCH DUMMIES.

People believing that you get what you pay for, when it comes to cables, are the people keeping cable high priced in store.

Strongest as the weakest link, right? Gold connectors dont mean anything when you have copper/nickel wire (ie. monster).

Make your own cable if you care for price. Way cheaper. And most of the time you can find a video on how to on you tube..

DDorrell86 wrote:However if your hooking up a 10 grand entertainment system, cough up the money and get some higher end cables... you'll be glad you did.

That's irresponsible advice. Are you saying that if a person puts money into the parts of their system that actually counts, the components and speakers, they should waste money on cables that will do nothing to improve the quality of their home entertainment experience? That's like saying that a person who buys a Mercedes should buy premium gas just for the heck of it. That said I don't get me started on the whole high octane rip-off. Of course, compared to premium cables, the amount of money gained through premium gas is a drop in the bucket.

The HDMI 1.0 spec released in December 2002.
The HDMI 1.1 spec released in May 2004.
The HDMI 1.2 spec released in August 2005.
The HDMI 1.2a specreleased in December 2005.
The HDMI 1.3 spec in June 2006.
The HDMI 1.3a spec in November 2006.
The HDMI 1.3b spec in March 2007.
The HDMI 1.3b1 spec in November 2007.
The HDMI 1.3c spec in August 2008.
The HDMI 1.4 spec in May 2009.

HDTV uses less than 1/2 of HDMI's available 10 Gbps bandwidth. With capacity to spare, HDMI can incorporate new technology advancements and capabilities long into the foreseeable future.

This is a good deal, thanks woot.

timmyd24601 wrote:
Another Sony product being shoved down our throats, HDMI can not beat a nice set of component video cables...

Component video only sends up to 720p/1080i, so HDMI/DVI is necessary if you want to get up to 1080p resolution. So HDMI by definition beats component video.

Also HDMI is the only way to transmit 6.1 and 7.1 sound; the best you'll get from the RCA cables accompanying your component video cables is stereo, or 5.1 from a SPDIF Optical or Coaxial audio cable.

tehooper wrote:Also HDMI is the only way to transmit 6.1 and 7.1 sound; the best you'll get from the RCA cables accompanying your component video cables is stereo, or 5.1 from a SPDIF Optical or Coaxial audio cable.

Actually, this is not true. You can get 6.1 or 7.1 over coax or optical (Dolby Digital EX etc). With these codecs the extra channels are encoded in the existing 5.1 stream as matrixed audio. What you can't get with optical and coax is lossless HD streams which are provided on Blu-Ray.

pyro7272 wrote:actually manufacturers are no longer allowed to use version numbers since to many consumers didnt know what they meant and got confused.
http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/trademark_logo_pub.aspx

so YES this is technically 1.4 which shouldnt mean much because majority of consumers wont even use features built in 1.3

Thank you for this information. I would dub this a quality post.

"Another Sony product being shoved down our throats, HDMI can not beat a nice set of component video cables..."

Yeah, everyone knows that going from digital to analog and then back to digital is FAR better than staying as a digital signal...

tehooper wrote:Component video only sends up to 720p/1080i, so HDMI/DVI is necessary if you want to get up to 1080p resolution. So HDMI by definition beats component video.

Also HDMI is the only way to transmit 6.1 and 7.1 sound; the best you'll get from the RCA cables accompanying your component video cables is stereo, or 5.1 from a SPDIF Optical or Coaxial audio cable.

Component cables are capable of 1080p, but the MPAA and others frown on playback devices capable of transmitting higher than 1080i over component due to it's lack of DRM capability, so very few devices have a component driver with that much bandwidth.

HDMI is just single-link DVI in a much smaller connector with some additional protocol options. The audio and control signals are folded in with the video over the same TMDS channels - there is no separate 'wire' for these. Additionally, the digital audio signals are based on the same standards as the old optical and coaxial, just with more bandwidth available (for lossless multichannel).

But at this price I'll just get the next batch of cables i need from monoprice.

greyfox656 wrote:No...Just no...

**Edit**

That is to say, they both work the same in my experience, but I choose HDMI because it doesn't involve five plugs and a super fat wire.

correction: RGB----BGR, component cables have six plugs and six FAT wires plus whatever cable(s) one uses for audio... hdmi or displayport FTW!

(in for three btw, got to start winter solstice shopping you know?)

(Mod edit: Trimmed quoted post for trolling.)


What an annoying post. We can't even tell what it is you are asserting, except that other posters are less intelligent. Are we supposed to find all the posts you are objecting to, and from piecing them together intuit what your "professional" opinion is?

Are you saying there is no difference between HDMI and component? Between expensive and cheap cables? Some other highly sophisticated "professional" point? Are you in fact asserting anything? ("I have nothing to declare but my genius" - Oscar Wilde) Should anyone care?

My own experience is that reasonably priced HDMI cables seem to deliver a much better picture than my component system did and I can't see any differnece with the more expensive ones, but I don't claim any "professional" credentials for that opinion, just my own eyes and experience.

Also, in my experience many "professional" opinions tend to favor whatever the "pro" happens to be selling.

So to sum up: Nyaah!

timmyd24601 wrote:Most people don't know what HDMI actually stands for...

Haphazardly Developed Mostly Intermittent

Another Sony product being shoved down our throats, HDMI can not beat a nice set of component video cables...

-While component cables are technically capable of sending 1080p, most devices will only send a maximum of 1080i over them.

-Component cables are analog, this requires a conversion from any digital source. If you're going to an old analog TV that's not a big deal, but if you're going to a modern digital TV the signal has to get converted back to digital by the TV. Data loss is a given any time you're converting from digital to analog and back again.

-Component cables cannot carry a 3D signal.

-The digital signal from HDMI contains error correction packets, it requires much less shielding over long runs than component cables.

-HDMI carries full digital audio on the cable. Same quality as the old fiber optic cables.

-And, as someone mentioned, HDMI requires only one small cable for everything, rather than the 4-5 cables required for audio+video through component cables.

Just used the last two HDMI cables I bought from woot. Nice to have spares.

Found the same cable on ebay: 1 for $15
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Memorex-12-Feet-HDMI-Cable-w-Labels-and-Ties-/140512690760?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b7358248

NintendoGal wrote:What specification are these? I didn't see any mention of HDMI 1.4b, so I assume they're not.

it says v1.4 IN the specs!......!!!

Hmm my 4-pack of HDMI cables ran out not too long ago, so I'm in. Thanks woot.

damn you guys..I got the 25 footer last week. now i have an extra one.

breakmedown wrote:I can personally tell you that there is a quality difference in component cables and cheap HDMI cables when on the Xbox 360. The HDMI cable (which I paid $30 for an 8ft section over a year ago) was noticeably better. That's the only thing I've personally tried and noted a difference on, though.

The one thing I will not replace with an HDMI cable is my optical sound cable. It's a must, as Hi Def sound is a priority to me, even more so than Hi Def pictures.

And as for "you get what you pay for" technology increases so fast that most users who care about spending more money won't get any better of a product because it's "in the long run" that cheaper products don't last. So for now, these are just as good as $75 cables and in 3 years when they aren't, technology will have changed and you'll have new cables anyway.

I'm in for a pair, woot! Thanks :-)

It's more than just HDMI vs Component... A couple things to consider are length of cable and the shielding on the cable; which will have direct impacts to latency in signal and interference of the signal, respectively. All things equal, you'll likely not be able to notice a difference (other than the fact that the component cable will be much larger and have way more connections).

Personally, I use HDMI for the ease of setting up and wire management.

In for two! Don't know why! But In for two!

HDMI 1.4 carrys 3D and is the latest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Version_comparison

I love it when Woot has HDMI cables. ALL of the HDMI cable experts come out of the wood-work to try and flex their knowledge of digital signals and cables. Sometimes it's better than the Sunday funnies in the morning.

Yet another crackin' deal from w00t. Damn you!

greatwhite35 wrote:Contrary to what you may have read or been told, you don't need special "HDMI 1.4 cables," and frankly you shouldn't be able to buy one, because cable manufacturers are prohibited from marketing cables as such. Instead, cable marketers must label their cables using one of five new logos: HDMI Standard, HDMI High Speed, HDMI Standard with Ethernet, HDMI High Speed with Ethernet, and HDMI Standard Automotive.

If you want to connect a new 3D Blu-ray player to a new 3D TV, you'll just need a high-speed HDMI cable, which is already recommended for connecting 1080p TVs and Blu-ray players. (HDMI Standard cables are generally sufficient for handling video with up to 720p or 1080i resolutions.) And you don't have to pay a lot to get a good high-speed HDMI cable: You can buy a 6-foot cable for less than $10 from an online retailer such as Woot.com, Monoprice.com or Blue Jeans Cable.

Right on the Spot all you need is the "Highspeed" for 1080p, 4K, 3D and Deep Color.

bondiablo wrote:There is no such thing as a 1.4 or 1.4b cable, those designations are for devices. Cables are just standard or high speed and with or without ethernet. Though HDMI 1.3 and up are supposed to require high speed cables, at shorter lengths pretty much any cable will do.

Excellent info! Thanks!

In your first sentence, you missed a wonderful opportunity to avoid the dreaded comma splice by using a semicolon. Now we're even

Anybody else notice that the writeups the last two days sound a lot like the Seinfeld episode when Elaine promoted the guy in the mail room to copywriter for the Peterman Catalogue?

"It's a hot night. The mind races. You think about your knife; the only friend who hasn't betrayed you, the only friend who won't be dead by sun up. Sleep tight, mates, in your quilted Chambray nightshirts."

I think you folks in Texas have been inside a bit too much because of the snow...

Well, dang, woot! I was just spending time trying to devise how to get my existing 8' HDMI cable back from my father-in-law, which I loaned him to help him set up his HDTV and HD satellite receiver. For the price of today's offering, I don't even have to sneak into his house and swap the 8' one with one of my spare 4' cords from one woot-off or other. Family harmony intact, AND I get a longer cord.

Cuz', y'know, size matters.

timmyd24601 wrote:Because you get superior service... As somebody who works in a locally owned "brick and mortar" store, if you buy a cable from us and it doesn't work, we replace it...

And also you get what you pay for, yes even with digital cables... By buying a quality product for more (not saying Monster is quality, because they aren't, Monster sucks...) you get a much more consistent performance for much longer...

That being said, for this price, you can replace them every month and it would still be worth it...

Ah, the old argument that service is worth paying a LOT more for. Not for me tho. I'm all for supporting local stores, but it's my wallet, and I have to be sure that my money goes as far as possible.

Shiftlock wrote:This is a joke, I assume, because component cables are analog, and HDMI is digital. Digital is way superior, since it's not subject to interference.

Analog isn't always a bad thing! I'd much rather have the analog option for phones still. You can hear through analog static, but not through digital dropout... Besides, properly shielded analog's fine. And, I've NEVER had any interference in mine.

Anywho, I'm with the faction of component is prettier, but HDMI is more convenient. Especially for the parents and colorblind.

breakmedown wrote:
The one thing I will not replace with an HDMI cable is my optical sound cable. It's a must, as Hi Def sound is a priority to me, even more so than Hi Def pictures.

Actually, HDMI can carry uncompressed HD sound - your optical cable cannot. It's time to upgrade.

Love it, in for 1 (I mean 2).

Watcher95 wrote:Wow..gotta love the internet

Really, component cables carry higher quaity signals? Wow, and your authority for that statement (which is contrary to everything I have read) is what?