Do HDMI cables for your HDTV make a big difference?

Question

and worth the extra money you pay for them?

Thanks! Great answer..

Answer 1

HDMI is a digital video and audio standard that allows an HDTV to be fed by a AV device (e.g. DVD or SAT receiver) over a single cable. By the way, DVI -- which has a larger physical connection -- is a standard for digital video only (no sound).

Your question is somewhat imprecise since you don't ask what you would be comparing HDMI to. That said, HDMI and DVI are equally capable of giving the cleanest video picture from a suitably enabled external device relative to all other current video connectors (in decreasing quality the most common are Component > S-Video > Composite). The difference between HDMI and composite will be obvious, but on the other hand HDMI (or DVI) often gives only subtle improvements over Component. In some circumstances HDMI can offer no improvement and even inferior results to Component. The big advantage of HDMI is the use of a single cable, instead of up to 5 (3 component video, 2 anolog audio), and this can be a big simplification if you have a complex setup with an AV receiver and multiple signal sources.

The big box store (e.g. Best Buy, Circuit City) sell some very expensive HDMI cables (>$100) which I consider to be totally unnecessary since cables can be obtained for less than $20 that work just as well. Unlike analog signals which can be degraded by poor connections, length of cable, etc., HDMI is digital, so it either works or doesn't. As long as the HDMI cable is of reasonable physical quality it will work. One reasonable source is suggested below (prices starting at $13.50).

So, bottom line -- HDMI will simplify setup and probably improve picture somewhat, but may only be worthwhile if a) your existing equipment can handle it ... e.g., you don't need to buy a new DVD player), and b) you buy something other than the premium (i.e. expensive) HDMI cables many will suggest you need.

Answer 2

Sure they do but it can be difficult to do an AB comparison. We used a DVD player that sent out its signal from both the component and HDMI Think it was an LG. Plugged each into a plasma tv can't remeber the brand and put in the polar express.
Now we checked to make sure that the inputs were set up the same for color brightness etc since most good tvs you can adjust each input. Now when i paused the dvd and switched from each input the difference was very noticable. colors became much deeper with the HDMI Sharpness was up too. also the component looked like it had too high of a setting for brightneess they were the same and when we turned it down the colors had no details.
As for expensive cables vs cheap cables. I'm torn. I did have an audioquest X cable which is a good cable but is one of audioquests cheapest. I would get a stutter evernow and then or the picture would black out for a second. I thought it might be Dtv box but a friend recommened I swap the HDMI to component I did and the problem went away or atleast it never happened when i was watching, But I felt i had a better picture with HDMI. I went out a bought a very expensinve HDMI that had a silver lining over the copper( audioquest 3) The 5 was just a rediculous price. 3 had like 6% i think. Anyway the problem went away permently and the picture does seem a bit better. Again tough to AB test it. I Don't know why this occured and I usually don't spend alot on cabling. For just about everything else I go to Monoprice and I work in the business Part time now since I teach but I still get the deep discount for the wires.

Research tells me they most HDMIs are the same. and if your picture is pristine with a cheap HDMI then an expensive one will do nothing. But if you have a connection problem the cable might be the culpret. OH I used the hdmi X cable for my DVD player and it works beautifully.

Answer 3

NO...There are only a handful of companies that actually make HDMI cables.They also have the EXACT SAME manufacturing requirements...I'll post a c|Net article on this. Some c|Net quotes,

"One of the joys of digital transmission is that the cables have less of an effect on video quality than they do with analog signals."

"In almost all usage situations, less-expensive HDMI and DVI cables should offer nearly identical performance compared to expensive name brands."

I hope this helps!