Will cheap HDMI cables work the same as expensive ones?

Question

Hi, I'm about to get a ps3 and was looking for HDMI cables on amazon. i stumbled upon cables that were 1 or 5 cents. And a another one for $10. So i called my friend and he says expensive ones are better and the good ones cost around $50 and i dn't want to spend that much.if u wanna check out the cable i'm planning to buy follow this link and tell me if i shud get the one in the link or the really expensive ones. http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-Ultra-Version-Category-Certified/dp/B0019EHU8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1256532452&sr=1-1

Answer 1

Unless it has some manufacturing defect, a cheap cable will give exactly the same results as an expensive one. HDMI is digital, either the bits get there, or they don't. You get either a perfect picture or none at all.



A more expensive cable may hold up better if mistreated, and may have a more attractive jacket, but the video results will be the same.



There's absolutely no reason to buy a $50 HDMI cable, they're simply a ripoff. The link you gave is an excellent cable at a good price.



Monoprice also has excellent HDMI cables at very low prices, I've bought many from them and never had a problem:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240

Answer 2

There is no reason to pay a lot for HDMI cables. Stores make huge profits on expensive cables because people think that the more they spend the better the cable. But in reality HDMI is an all digital signal so all cables will work the same.



I recommend buying this cable at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002L5R78/?tag=patricksnet-20 . It is only $3 including shipping. Try it out, if it doesn't work well then you can always try the $50 cable. But considering that this cable has over 2000 positive reviews on Amazon I don't think you'll need the $50 cable.

Answer 3

If you need a longer cable then quality starts to matter, but the specifications for that length do remain the same regardless of who makes it. But the quality of materials will make a difference with longer lengths, which is why the cost goes up dramatically for them. Go for the quality for over 25ft or the receiver may not last as long - the internal components work harder cleaning up the signal. You want one cable that handles the length - not anything else. Connecting two 25 ft HDMIs is a big mistake, for example. That would result in a poor signal quality and/or other problems. Whether you need Monster vs some other comparable brand is debatable.

Answer 4

The higher quality cables will definitely give you better results in SOME cases. It really depends on what you're comparing it to.



With all cables a lot of the things that make them expensive is the "gold plating" and other such things to make sure they last longer, when in reality it's just something they tacked on to drive up the price which you'll never use.



Comparing an HDMI $10 cable to a $50 cable, though, the $50 would likely be better, but not necessarily or at least not necessarily noticeably. If you can find someone who really knows what the differences are and isn't just trying to sell you them, or someone who has used the cheap one, you could get a much better idea.

Answer 5

The mediabridge cable you linked will work just fine, prices are so high for commercial brand cables because of how much they put into advertising. 2 other good online retailers that sell cheap HDMI is monoprice.com and bluejeancable.com. I'd make sure to get category 2, though in most cases it doesn't matter, category 1 vs category 2 is usually only relevant if you're running a very long wire, and even then it may not be a problem.



The super expensive cables you see in stores might be more durable, that's it.

Answer 6

Don't waste your money. SAME PICTURE QUALITY.Don't believe the BS. Its all hype. This question has been asked by many and test shows there is no difference. In some cases if the length of the cable is longer than 30 feet, you may start to notice a difference in some cables, but the expensive ones were sometimes not as good as the cheap ones. Take the $40 you save and get yourself a new game.

Answer 7

The longer the run the more critical the quality of the cable is, under 30 feet you are not going to see much difference between the more expensive and less expensive cables over 30 feet you want to look at cables that have category 2 certification and also are double shielded and have a thicker gauge wire. Those cables you have listed look like they are more than adequate.

Answer 8

when you are just looking at it from a picture quality standpoint in a complex cable like HDMI it makes somewhat of a difference in picture quality, usually worth the money. BUT something you have to consider that most people dont is rigidity. cables like that you usually have for a long time and they fall apart fairly easily, expensive cables like monster and such will last literally forever and come with a lifetime warranty. deals.