Different type of HDMI Cables?

[Seraph]

I'd suggest better performance cables if you are running the cable long distances. High quality cables have better shielding and are generally made with better materials which helps protect from interference and keep the signal intact. I actually recommend Audioquest cables instead of monster if you want to purchase the better performing cables. The monster HDMI ends are way to large. They are so long they actually cause the cable to sag which makes for a loose connection, and can ruin both the port of your device and/or the cable itself! Other low quality brands like choice select or bluejean cables have too large of an end in my experience as well.

I'm really curious who it is that lives inside a microwave so that interference on a digital signal is that bad...

[Boyiee]

"maybe 2+ years ago or more"

People suggest monoprice because it used to be cheaper, it was even mentioned in a sticky years ago.

[Kryssan]

Spoiler: show

I will note that there is one thing you'll probably desire to check your HDMI cable for - HDCP compatibility. I got burned on this with my iTunes library, having an HDMI cable that doesn't support HDCP. Bought another one and placed that one on my PS3, since I only use it for games.

The only other things to investigate really on an HDMI cable besides price / length is what features it offers that you care about. For example, most people don't require HDMI that supports ethernet, but it does exist.

[Mellema]

I will note that there is one thing you'll probably desire to check your HDMI cable for - HDCP compatibility. I got burned on this with my iTunes library, having an HDMI cable that doesn't support HDCP. Bought another one and placed that one on my PS3, since I only use it for games.

The only other things to investigate really on an HDMI cable besides price / length is what features it offers that you care about. For example, most people don't require HDMI that supports ethernet, but it does exist.

All HDMI cables can transmit HDCP. The source and the receiver are what need to be HDCP compliant. Or if you have a switch, splitter, repeater in line, that will need to be HDCP compliant in order to retransmit the proper authorization.

[Kryssan]

All HDMI cables can transmit HDCP. The source and the receiver are what need to be HDCP compliant. Or if you have a switch, splitter, repeater in line, that will need to be HDCP compliant in order to retransmit the proper authorization.

This has not been accurate in my experience. HDMI.org royalty notes also annotate that you don't have to implement HDCP, but being compliant means that you pay less on royalties. This was my situation:

I was using an HDMI cable between my computer and TV and it worked fine. When I changed the layout of the room and needed a longer cable I purchased a new one without even thinking about it. Plugged it in, got error messages saying I couldn't play the HD content. Regular was okay, HD was not.

Given that the computer and TV obviously hadn't changed, it couldn't be a problem with those two. Sure enough, using the original shorter cable fixed the problem. I looked into it and made sure to buy another new one at a longer length that stated it was HDCP compliant, and problem solved.

The cable that doesn't play HD works fine otherwise, hence why I use it on my PS3. Given that HDCP is just an encryption scheme, I don't see how any damage to the cable ( not that there was any I could see ) could cause the problem. It is HDMI-A male on both ends ( ie no conversions going on ). Also, the original cable was 3', and the longer size I was using was 6', so I'm sincerely doubting it was a range issue.

So while you might make the argument that 'most' have HDCP, I wouldn't say 'all'.

[dejet]

maybe you just got a crap wire?

the ones from monoprice I bought last year all worked just fine(well the one I used for my PC anyways cant really say for the ones I gave away) and the price was like 2.50 each...

[Mellema]

So while you might make the argument that 'most' have HDCP, I wouldn't say 'all'.

Well, since there is no pin or wiring difference between the cables, I would actually still say "all". And considering your ps3 is a HDCP compliant device, then that cable is working and passing authorization.

Did you have any other component cables attached to the TV when you first tried the longer cable? Some TV will register that as a non-compliant device attached to your TV at the same time and not authorize the handshake. Or you maybe you had a dirty or lose pin on the cable.

Either way, HDCP is completely a data exchange handled by firmware, and all HDMI cables are capable of transmitting the HDCP handshake.

[Kryssan]

Well, since there is no pin or wiring difference between the cables, I would actually still say "all". And considering your ps3 is a HDCP compliant device, then that cable is working and passing authorization.

No, the PS3 only requires an HDCP handshake on certain activities. Like with my TV / Computer setup, display works but I'm unable to play any media that is protected ( with this particular cable ).

Did you have any other component cables attached to the TV when you first tried the longer cable? Some TV will register that as a non-compliant device attached to your TV at the same time and not authorize the handshake. Or you maybe you had a dirty or lose pin on the cable.

No, the only item attached to the TV is the HDMI cable from the PC. Said TV and PC I've posted in the Desktop picture thread on occasion, though I don't have any current pictures available. The TV has no other purpose than to be a computer monitor, and at times I utilise the PC's speakers rather than my headphones when it gets hot so minimising the number of cables was always a boon.

This TV has 3 HDMI inputs, a miscellaneous spread of other inputs, but no 'PC' ( VGA or DVI ) inputs - to get past the TV's 'features' when using the PC you have to manipulate the TV's indexing / labeling and advanced settings, as well as some playing around with screen resolution / format in graphics card settings because of overscan. It does work though ( tested on both ATI and nV cards / software now ), and thankfully AVS Forums has a huge extensive guide / topic for setup of this TV series. I've had this TV for 5 years now, IIRC.

Either way, HDCP is completely a data exchange handled by firmware, and all HDMI cables are capable of transmitting the HDCP handshake.

Given my issue with this and your insistence, I decided to do a bit more looking into it. Based on what I can find you'd be correct in that all the cables produced under HDMI specifications should be compliant with HDCP. Yet, I've also found several others complaining about HDCP issues that came down to Network Troubleshooting 101 ( ie, it's always the cable ). Length of cable / cable quality and other devices in the line seem to be the largest culprits of it not working, so I don't know why a 6' cable that goes from source to destination directly would have the issue, outside of quality. AFAIK from using the cable, I can't tell any degradation of quality in the picture, but I still don't really know exactly how the handshake occurs and what components in the cable are involved in the transmission of the handshake.

[hey]

AFAIK from using the cable, I can't tell any degradation of quality in the picture

It's a digital signal: either it works or it doesn't. There's not really anything in between.

[Krandor]

The components of the cable is wire and pins, as long the shit ain't broke it's not having anything to do with HDCP other then letting the systems talk to each other.

[Kryssan]

It's a digital signal: either it works or it doesn't. There's not really anything in between.

Except, there is an inbetween. If you mean 'it doesn't work' as in won't display picture, then no - though it is unlikely, as the design mentality was to default to showing nothing rather than allowing play of bad data ( particularly true in the audio component ). For the most part, picture wise, HDMI is either 'there or not there', a digital logic - but sparkle can still occur ( apparently at the point just before you get to 'it doesn't display' and occurs usually on longer cable runs of lower quality / without signal boosting ).

I did not have a sparkle issue, or a picture issue, or an audio issue. I had a 'can't play HDCP content' issue, and since the source and display were not changed in any way, and replacing the cable fixed the problem, it followed pretty much that 'the cable was the problem'.

I assumed up till now this was simply because the cable didn't support it, since it didn't say that it could support it and I didn't have reason to look that hard into it at the time. It's certainly not the first time I've bought something that didn't work because it was missing some necessary 'feature' that I overlooked. Picture / audio works with the cable, and I don't play movies on my PS3. I don't really play anything on it except for a couple games every now and again. The replacement cable was a Monoprice one, I forget where I got the HDCP issue / broken cable from but I know it was a brick and mortar store since I didn't want to wait / pay shipping on a single item.

Given the further looking into it, I've found that it is possible for HDCP to fail, but apparently it's more likely that TMDS will fail. I'm still not sure how the failures occur, but I'm not interested enough to devote further time to determining it either. So I was just (un)lucky, I guess.

[hey]

Except, there is an inbetween.

Sure, in theory. Realistically you're highly unlikely to get anything at all in between, and if you do, it's not likely to ever be noticeable at all. It almost always either works (seemingly) perfectly, or not at all.

[Avelain]

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Dia...s=hdmi+diamond

I would definitely recommend this HDMI cable. I bought it and it changed my life. If you don't believe me, just check out the reviews on amazon. You can't go wrong.

When I opened my eyes, I was stunned speechless by the breathtaking clarity; 1080P had transformed into what seemed to be a gateway into something never before imaginable; infinite black, infinite color, and infinite picture. As I watched my own life pass before my eyes, I felt that the cable itself was judging me. I lost track of where the TV began and I ended.

After I bought this cable, I lost 30 pounds! This incredible cable gave me more length and girth, and I'm more attractive to women!

I used to think that the cable was too expensive, but I then realized how wrong I was when my house burnt down to nothingness. The diamond luckily saved the HDMI cable. Since my house burns down on a regular basis, buying this HDMI cable was quite a worthwhile investment. It also stimulates the economy in Africa, so +1, would buy again, and again, and again, and again....

[Serra]

Speaking of cheap cables.. Newegg has 3 6' cables for free (15 dollar rebate), but you have to pay shipping. They're not standard black, but maybe that's good for organizing cables or something..?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2189034&cm_sp=

Some of the reviews sound like you could get duds though, so fair warning on that..

[kmexe]

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Dia...s=hdmi+diamond

I would definitely recommend this HDMI cable. I bought it and it changed my life. If you don't believe me, just check out the reviews on amazon. You can't go wrong.

Thanks for the laughs.

[octopus]

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Dia...s=hdmi+diamond

I would definitely recommend this HDMI cable. I bought it and it changed my life. If you don't believe me, just check out the reviews on amazon. You can't go wrong.

Amazing lol

[The Stig]

http://www.amazon.com/electronics/dp/B000I1X6PM

The minute I plugged this cable in, I knew something was amiss. The first evidence? The small wormhole that appeared in our living room, right next to our holstein cowhide recliner. Peering into it I could discern the snarling face of a Ferengi, likely somewhere out in the Gamma quadrant.

Then things got really hairy. Brad shouted from the kitchen that he was detecting elevated tachyon levels from our Vita-Mix, so we immediately diverted power to our forward Romco Rotisserie array. Set it and forget it, indeed.

Still no go. The wormhole continued to grow. So I did what anyone in this rather awkward situation would. I recalibrated our George Foreman Grill (about 10 picometers), ejected the warp core from our Dyson Ball Vac, and unplugged all the Magic Jacks in the house. Bingo. No more worm hole.

I guess what I'm saying is that you can use this cable, but only if you have substantial Star Fleet training.

[Uzor]

Who the fuck would buy those overpriced cables? Lol.

[dejet]

No one lol

[hey]

No one lol

4 used from $400.00