Quality of HDMI Cables...Real or Hyped?

E

EIREHotspur

Well-known member
I read so many differing opinions about HDMI regarding gold plated etc.

Some say you get what you pay for while others say standard cables are just as good.

What is your experiences guys??
 
We just had a huge installation (at least 200 HDMI cables.) The designer originally ordered HDMIs from Amazon (Cable Matters, $10 for a pack of 3.) They were universally crap. They wouldn't carry 1080, only 720. We got Monoprice cables to replace everything. We had 3 failures out of 200, so that's not bad.

HDMI "quality" is really just build quality. There will either be signal or no signal, the image quality won't change.
 
Additionally, lower quality cables won't carry UHD or 4K. Just likeedinc90 said about 1080/720, I have used cables that will carry 1080 but won't carry UHD.

That said, there's plenty of overpriced nonsense in the cable world. Buy a decent quality cable that is rated to handle the signal you're going to be sending down it. You might find that a $5 MonoPrice cable might be just as good as an $80 Monster cable from Best Buy. But that doesn't mean all cheap cables are good!
 
The problem is that there is no way to evaluate the quality of a cable by looking at it or reading the description. The most important things are the dielectric (insulation), the twist of the pairs, and the shielding. These three dramatically affect the quality of an HDMI cable. So yes, there is definitely a difference. Unfortunately, you can't evaluate them.

Forget gold plating. It means nothing. Gold plating is a marketing gimmick. The plating on the connector is way down the list of things that affect the quality of the cable. A good nickle plate is just as good.

If you want reliable HDMI cables, buy reputable brands. As said, at the same time, don't be a sucker for the marketing hype of super duoer cable either.
 
Last edited:
Quality cables can be found at affordable prices. Don't believe the monster hype, unless it just makes you feel good inside spending $100 on a 3ft cable ; )

With that said, I hate hdmi cables. Their failure rate because of the overly complicated crap connector has to be orders of magnitude higher than even the cheapest BNC's.
 
Run&Gun said:
Quality cables can be found at affordable prices. Don't believe the monster hype, unless it just makes you feel good inside spending $100 on a 3ft cable ; )

With that said, I hate hdmi cables. Their failure rate because of the overly complicated crap connector has to be orders of magnitude higher than even the cheapest BNC's.
Click to expand...

I suspect they also fail because they were designed for installation - they're intended for consumer media hardware, plug your TV into your DVR and leave it alone.

But I've found failure doesn't equate to cost - eventually the damn things fail.

I've had good luck with the braided-jacket stuff (amazon), it is pretty tough (but not the best thing for camera rigs where flexibility is key). Awesome for cable runs on set and cranes and rigs. I've had them get pinched to hell in a crane move and survive.
 
Michael Carter said:
I suspect they also fail because they were designed for installation - they're intended for consumer media hardware, plug your TV into your DVR and leave it alone.

But I've found failure doesn't equate to cost - eventually the damn things fail.

I've had good luck with the braided-jacket stuff (amazon), it is pretty tough (but not the best thing for camera rigs where flexibility is key). Awesome for cable runs on set and cranes and rigs. I've had them get pinched to hell in a crane move and survive.
Click to expand...

I feel they have NO place in a professional production environment, but I was talking about in a home setting. I've had cables that were never touched just fail. It's a delicate connector that even with no movement still receives a lot of stress just by the weight of the cable itself and the size/weight of the connector housing.
 
I have desided no more HDMI cables for me.. I'm sick of walking past the camera cart and seeing a plastic bag filled with hdmi cords with a piece of tape that says NFG.. SDI for me from now on gents
 
Interesting the comments on plating - thin layers of gold or platinum certainly are gimmicks, but in the RF world, connectors that are nickel, or chrome plated are often frowned on. In fact, on communal radio towers and broadcast masts, nickel plating is often banned in the contract terms! The reason often cited is that they are ferrous metals (which according to my admittedly old A Level Physics memory is wrong - I was taught they are non-ferrous!) - and can cause intermod interference on busy sites. So even commercial, professional knowledge seems full of folklore too. What seems certain is that some cables have poorer HF performance than others, causing these problems, but as said, selecting them at random is always a gamble - and even worse, buying the same cable from the same supplier a year later guarantees nothing.
 
Nerd alert - too much (mis)information ahead.

Yes, indeed, there are applications where gold makes sense. Communications systems demand it; often because they need the equipment to work in harsh environments and/or they need it to last 20 years or more. They use gold alloy plating 'hard gold' and also treat the connections with a lubricant to reduce wear of the plating (on the order of 2 - 10 millionths of an inch). The plating is specified by standards so you know what you are getting. With an HDMI connector, who knows what you are getting. Maybe its just gold flash which is just enough gold to make it look gold and wears off quickly.

Under that gold plating is nickle (typical plating is copper conductor, nickle plate, then gold over the nickle). So I wonder what those tower guys are talking about. Interesting. I'll have to look into that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top