HDMI cables, expensive vs cheap

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:lee789:
Ok, a bit of a report this.... sorry! But I've been frustrated by the lack of science behind Stuff magazine's preaching on the topic of HDMI cables. They recently did offer up some welcome science, hence this report.

<SNIP>

Stuff, remember that science is beautiful but the magnitude of forces and the context in which they're exerting has to be rigourously verified: think Coriolis effect and the water-swirl myth.

I'm spent!

Wouldn't this be better posted on the Stuff forums...?

i wonder if he owns a "flatscreen"

 

[Andrew Everard]

daveh75:He already has, Andrew.

Oh right - I was just mystified as to why a posting about Stuff's content was posted here...

 

[Andrew Everard]

maxflinn:i wonder if he owns a "flatscreen"

This is becoming something of an obsession, maxflinn...

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:
maxflinn:i wonder if he owns a "flatscreen"

This is becoming something of an obsession, maxflinn...

im thinking about becoming a private detective , its good practice

 

[Alec]

i own a flatscreen. which only looks vaguely watchable with my £500 Vivanco HDMI caale.

Ooh, look, a snowman...

 

[Andrew Everard]

al7478:Ooh, look, a snowman...

 

[Alec]

You've got a terabyte hdd full of this stuff from sleepless nights on Google havent you?

 

[Anonymous]

back on topic I suggest ....

not sure why whenever cables are mentionned certain people on this forum seem very keen to go way off topic

if people are spending serious amounts of money on cables they are entitled to know that they are getting a genuine improvement - whilst this was definately the case for analogue cables, for digital cables its a whole different game.

if the signal was adversely affected your TV or amp would not be able to decode it at all

if its not affected in anyway your TV or amp will be able to decode it

I'll lead you to the obvious conclusions.

If you wish to believe that a digital signal can be degraded along a cable (but still being able to be decoded) - I would like someone on here to reply to how a well reviewed cable that produces a good picture, can be not so good with audio, and vice versa, as thats what I've read in reviews.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Buckshar:back on topic I suggest ....
not sure why whenever cables are mentionned certain people on this forum seem very keen to go way off topic

Not guilty as charged.

This argument has been going as long as there have been hi-fi and home cinema forums, and will continue as long as there are forums.

The solution is very simple: if you are so firm in your belief that cables can't make a difference, save your money, feel smug and laugh at those of us who have experience to the contrary.

No-one is forcing anyone to buy anything with a gun pointed at their head, let alone a hairdryer aimed at their chest: as with every other review you'll read here, our views on cables are opinions, which you can choose to take on board or ignore.

 

[Alec]

Buckshar:back on topic I suggest ....

suggest away

Buckshar:not sure why whenever cables are mentionned certain people on this forum seem very keen to go way off topic

i am guilty as charged, and its because they do no one any good, to say the least.

Buckshar: if people are spending serious amounts of money on cables they are entitled to know that they are getting a genuine improvement - whilst this was definately the case for analogue cables, for digital cables its a whole different game.

no, with analogue cales you should judge with your eyes and ears, just like with digital cables. it may seem radical, but it would probably work.

Buckshar: I'll lead you to the obvious conclusions.

dont, thanks, let my senses lead me there, or let me ignore the whole infuriating thing.

TIDIED BY MODS for sake of clarity

 

[Alec]

Thankyou "mods". Takes me ages to do that for some reason and sometimes i get it wrong and have to start all over again when it doesnt like where ive put the quote thingies.

 

[Anonymous]

al7478:Buckshar: if people are spending serious amounts of money on cables they are entitled to know that they are getting a genuine improvement - whilst this was definately the case for analogue cables, for digital cables its a whole different game.
no, with analogue cales you should judge with your eyes and ears, just like with digital cables. it may seem radical, but it would probably work.thats exactly what the majority of posters on this thread have done and theyre not finding a difference between hdmi cables

 

[Anonymous]

I suggest al7478 should take a short break from the forum

your post is completely off topic - please move along to another thread

whats the point of replying if you don't like the thread

I can only conclude that you must have a vested interest - perhaps you are a cable seller yourself ?

 

[Anonymous]

buckshar i suggest you retract your uncalled for and unfair comments

al 7478 has been a valuable member of this forum for a while and has a keen sense of humour long may he continue to distract

its only cables were talking about after all not solutions to the imminent destruction of the amazon rain forest

 

[Alec]

Yes, you're right, i must be a cable seller. Because, instead of singing the praises of cables i have been abstaining from discussing them. Yes indeed. Your logic is truly flawless.

Do not tell me to move on. We have mods for that sort of thing, and, much as this might hurt, you are not one of them.

 

[bigboss]

one off:

buckshar i suggest you retract your uncalled for and unfair comments

al 7478 has been a valuable member of this forum for a while and has a keen sense of humour long may he continue to distract

its only cables were talking about after all not solutions to the imminent destruction of the amazon rain forest

I second that.

 

[Anonymous]

I retract my comment I made on al7478 if he is a genuine long time poster

and in the process also leave the forum to somewhere that wants to discuss technical issues

 

[Alec]

one off:

buckshar i suggest you retract your uncalled for and unfair comments

al 7478 has been a valuable member of this forum for a while and has a keen sense of humour long may he continue to distract

its only cables were talking about after all not solutions to the imminent destruction of the amazon rain forest

You'll do for me, sir!

 

[Alec]

one off:al7478:Buckshar: if people are spending serious amounts of money on cables they are entitled to know that they are getting a genuine improvement - whilst this was definately the case for analogue cables, for digital cables its a whole different game.

no, with analogue cales you should judge with your eyes and ears, just like with digital cables. it may seem radical, but it would probably work.thats exactly what the majority of posters on this thread have done and theyre not finding a difference between hdmi cables

I couldnt possibly coment.

 

[bigboss]

As Andrew said, you can choose to accept or ignore WHF's opinions. The HDMI cable debate is something that will never die & there will always be people who swear by expensive cables performing better than the cheap ones, & people who won't find any difference. You've seen WHF reviews, & member opinions.......decide for yourself which cable is right for you.

 

[Highway]

one off:
buckshar i suggest you retract your uncalled for and unfair comments

al 7478 has been a valuable member of this forum for a while and has a keen sense of humour long may he continue to distract

its only cables were talking about after all not solutions to the imminent destruction of the amazon rain forest

So, given what you have said above, if everyone took that approach to the forum threads, taking them off topic and treating all subjects as unimportant to the original posters or contributors, then there would be absolutely no point to keeping the forums open. In which case they can close them now and save the mods a whole load of time to do other things which interest them.

I enjoy reading proper debate and members opinions, but dislike individuals who come on just to detract from the original topic.

Cables and their cost/performance are clearly important to forum members. Getting back on topic, I too have had the opportunity to test cheaper and more expensive cables and have not really noticed any difference. I trust my eyes and ears. My choice has been to buy a quality made cable which will not fall to pieces after some use, but not one which costs me a small fortune.

I am quite open to improvements in technology, especially when the proof is there, which is why I try to read a lot and experience technology first hand.

 

[Alec]

bigboss:As Andrew said, you can choose to accept or ignore WHF's opinions. The HDMI cable debate is something that will never die & there will always be people who swear by expensive cables performing better than the cheap ones, & people who won't find any difference. You've seen WHF reviews, & member opinions.......decide for yourself which cable is right for you.

You perfectly outline the reasons why it should die. These threads are journeys down a cul de sac and are therefore pointless.

I'm not arguing, you understand, just saying.

 

[Anonymous]

If you ask me, and I know you didnt.

If I spend £100.00 on a wicked HDMI I would WANT/NEED to see a better picture, and I think it would be in my head.

I trust the gadget show test that they did, I know some dont like them, but jason has some sort of masters from MIT and or something else like that, apparantly he is a genius, and they had nothing to gain, same TV same Movie, same blu-ray player, and they seen no difference.

So thats good enough for me, I will stick with my £5.00 ones thanks, and even if you could see a difference it probably would be so so small... Would it be worth all that extra cash? I would not think so.

 

[Alec]

Highway:So, given what you have said above, if everyone took that approach to the forum threads, taking them off topic and treating all subjects as unimportant to the original posters or contributors, then there would be absolutely no point to keeping the forums open. In which case they can close them now and save the mods a whole load of time to do other things which interest them.

You make an interesting and valid point. However, (and i dont mean to patronise and i have no idea how long you have been posting or reading here), but, if you are not already aware of the way these threads go here, do a search for them and you will be in no doubt.

I too would be frustrated if a thread was driven off topic if it were a worthwhile thread (tho i would encourage people always to use the search function). Mind, you could argue that after a certain time, searching forums would help most people - as answers to many queries would be in the forum by then. And that would remove the social interaction side of things. But what you get in cable threads is not wholesome well meaning interaction, by and large.

 

[Anonymous]

what i dont get is , if , as i understand it , data transported via a hdmi cable , is like a puzzle , and only if every piece of that puzzle is transported correctly , do you see a picture/sound ..

how then can cables vary ?? isnt it a contradiction in terms to suggest that they do ???

and before anyone replies with , oh theres more to it than that , can they elaborate what" more" exactly is ??