I am planning on purchasing a PS3 to go with my new TV that I plan on getting very soon. Can anyone comment on the difference in hdmi cables. The prices range from ~$10 to over $100. I only need to run the cable for 3 to 5 feet. What price is reasonable for a good hdmi cable?

- Nick

I would get some Belkin HDMI cable from Wal-Mart.

I think it's around $25 for a 2 meter cable.

I have some $200 4 meter Monster HDMI cable and I don't see a difference when compared to this Belkin cable.
The Monster cable looks nicer and the build quality may be better but I don't believe the image is any different.

Zak

Nick, there's no good reason to pay more than what MonoPrice charges.

I've bought a couple of HDMI cables from MonoPrice and have been very satisfied with the quality.

I actually found some cables at my local computer store cheaper than Monoprice had them for, they work great. It pays, or is it, it saves to shop around. Look at the specs of the Monoprice cables and then look around at what you can find locally, then buy the ones that have the best specs(ie. 24 gauge wiring or 28 gauge wiring) for the least money.

digitial is digital. it either passes or doesnt. go with monoprice and save some cash. later.

If a $3 cable from Monoprice works just as well as any other cable (except for possibly length runs) then why don't hdmi cables come prepackaged with TV's and high def players?

Oppo are shipping one (not even a cheap one!) with their players and my Panasonic Plasma TV was also coming with one (that one WAS cheap). After a few jittery scenes and some desynchronization, I replaced the one coming with the TV and never had any problems since. I am still using the one from Oppo.

my A2 which i bought for $98 came with an HDMI cable.

The xbox 360 comes with one as well.

My 720P player I bought 4 years ago came with a 6' DVI cable. It is as good or better than any DVI I have seen sold in stores. That was back when DVI cables were hard to come by.

I think the manufacturers leave out the cables as that would then add to the price and they are always looking for ways to cut prices. That, and some people just like to spend big bucks on their cables, so why should the manufacturers include one at their own expense.

I hear this often, but I don't think it's accurate. As far as I know, there is no forward error correction built in to HDMI specs. So noise or marginal cable could affect picture quality.

For example, running FastEthernet over CAT3 can cause severe drop in throughput due to all the errored Ethernet frames. I can't imagine HDMI being any different.

I do agree with Monoprice though. No need to buy a $80 Monster cables.

Your assessment is essentially correct and typically underestimated. Rare transmission errors are not "no error" and are comparable to amp clipping: most people hear them, but ignore them. In pictures, that mean a small square could retain the previous' refresh image while the rest of the screen get the new image. It is not a YUK WHAT A MISTAKE problem, but it is a diminishing image.

They IS a difference between crappy cables and adequate cables. Not believing in 150$ cables does not mean 30$ cables are as crap! But it does mean that 1$ cables may actualy induce subtle failures that are harder to miss.

I am also planning on getting an optical cable and component video cable. Would monoprice versions of these cables also be good ones to buy as well?

- Nick

I think they'd be a good choice. I shelled out the extra $2 for the red, blue, and green connectors (I mean, the component cables) to use as multichannel cables, and they seem to be pretty good. Nice 'n' thick, good connectors.

Still don't know why changing blue and green connectors for white and yellow raised the price, though.

Very well put!!

Thats why a decent cable from Monoprice or Tigerdirect,etc. may be better than the cheap one often included with components, but of similar quality to something 5 times the price from Monster, etc.

Blue Jeans Cable has a fairly informative section on HDMI cables that is worth reading. Guys who work there, especially Kurt, also have very informative posts at the AVS forum. Basically, any 24-28AWG cable rated for category 2 HDMI 1.3a application that is less than 15 feet is expected to work just fine and Monoprice has them at great prices. Reasonable price for anything is meaningless, of course, if the item does not work. It is well-recognized that Monoprice cables are cheap and work well, at least for most people. If you want to be the odd ball and get a unique cable made only for Blue Jeans Cable in the USA by Belden, then you may want to look at their Series-1 bonded cable. I have these and they are very well made but they are nearly as stiff as a tree branch of the same thickness. I bought HDMI port savers from Monoprice so as not to strain the ports behind the pre-pro. I agree with Eric, from what I read, that there are indeed differences between crappy and adequate HDMI cables. However, I see no reason to pay a monstrous price for Monster or similar cables as you would find at CC or RS. Since OP is looking at a 3-5 foot run, I would consider the 6-foot cable (Product ID# 3661) at Monoprice for $12.52.

John

I've purchased pretty much all my cables from monoprice, you won't be disapointed.

another vote for monoprice here...although i just ordered a 50ft hdmi cable from them...will see if i still vote for them once i get it

I have seen a lot of positive votes for Monoprice from people I would consider discerning
I know that I can vouch for BlueJeans as well
Both I tend to think both are a superior solution (cost/performance)to the included cables or anything from the "M" co

my 30ft HDMI and Component cables from Mono were top notch and much thicker than the crap you get at best buy for triple the money.

Thanks for the suggestion everyone. I just purchased an HDMI, component,and optical cable from Monoprice. I hope they work great.

- Nick

I'm a little late to the party here (what's new...), but FWIW, and for those reading this thread later on, I bought a 6' HDMI from Blue Jeans Cables last year, and it was great. Good thick cable and Axiom level customer service with clear email communication. Ordered (and shipped) on Monday and arrived (across the border no less) on Thursday.

At about 10% of the price of a comparable item available at the local shops. At the time, of course.

Monoprice cables are amazing. I have continued to buy cables from them, and have since recommended many of my friends to buy from them. Very thick, good quality connectors for a price that simply cannot be beat.

Yep, I bought from them a 30ft hdmi/DVI cable for less than $30 and it works perfectly fine!