The Straight Dope on HDMI

After a disastrous visit to Best Buy tonight to pick up some accessories for my new media center, I’ve had enough with this mis-information being passed around, mostly by sales reps. Rather than BBQ Best Buy (although they deserve it), I am going to set the record straight:

First of all, if you are paying more than $20 for an HDMI cable, you are BEING FUCKED IN THE ASS by whoever is selling it to you. Newegg has 6 foot HDMI cables for $4. Amazon has 9 ft cables for $8. Even Radio Shack has them starting around $19, which is fine for brick&mortar. Best Buy’s START at $49 for a 4 ft cable.

This $49 cable will perform EXACTLY the same as that $4 cable. If the sales rep is telling you that the gold plating or thicker cable will provide higher quality video and sound, he is LYING TO YOUR FACE. Digital cables, which include HDMI, DVI, optical TOSlink, SATA and audio coax transmit a stream of 1’s and 0’s. A gold plated 1 is the same thing to the receiver as an aluminum 1. This is the same reason why HD antennas will either give a clear picture, or no picture, with none of that static medium that the analog antennas had.

HDMI = DVI for video quality. HDMI is NOT a better picture than DVI. The only differences between DVI and HDMI are that HDMI also carry audio, and can give/receive instructions from other devices. A common misconception is that HDMI is a step up in video quality from DVI, which is 1000 times false. If your TV has 3 HDMI’s and one DVI input, go ahead and use the DVI input for your 4th device. The only drawback will be that you’ll have to use a separate audio cable if your device doesn’t have built in speakers.

HDMI & DVI is the ONLY way to carry 1080p video. Component cables (the red, blue and green) can carry up to 1080i. This isn’t because of cable limitations, but because of encryption. HDMI/DVI also carry a security protocol called HDCP, which makes a handshake between the two devices, to make sure that nothing in the middle is “pirating” the signal. This is only done with 1080p, for some reason…this is also why if you have a non-HDCP compatible TV/monitor (yes, my Dell 2405 monitor will reject my Bluray player because of this), you are out of luck…

When you hear terms like “high speed cable” and “category 1 and 2”, this has nothing to do with the core quality of the cable. It has to due with the ability to transmit over further distances. The only reason you need to buy a category 2 cable is if you need a cable longer than 10 feet. Again, if the sales rep is trying to get you to spend $90 on a 5 foot cat2 cable so that your picture will look better, he is RIPPING YOUR OFF AND LYING TO YOUR FACE.
So yes, use HDMI if possible. But don’t get ripped off upgrading.

Moved Cafe Society --> the Pit.

I hear you. Still, you did go to Best Buy. Nobody should do that, ever.

That cable is TOO THIN, and Not Gold-Iridium plasteed.
Signal degrasdateen has., alreedy OxCurrR<at<ed!!.)&…

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/16/confirmed-intel-says-hdcp-master-key-crack-is-rear

OP is blocked from watching movies OP paid for on his/her monitor, meanwhile anyone with ill-intent can freely break the encryption.

Why is the OP’s device blocked again? Seems to only stop honest people doing honest things with media they’ve paid for.

Good rant, but some misinformation.

“HD antenna” is almost as bad as “$50 HDMI cable”. I have rabbit ears from 1973 that work just fine connected to my HD set-top box that receives HD OTA broadcasts. I also made an antenna from wire hangers that works just as well on both NTSC and ATSC signals.

False. Component cable can carry 1080p just fine for non-encrypted data. The Xbox 360 is a perfect example.

The XBOX 360 doesn’t encrypt its data? Wow…well I guess it can’t play Bluray discs anyway…

Again, that limitation is due to HDCP, not due to any limitation from the cables itself (although component is still analog, so you better go buy a set of $100 gold plated Monster cables if you want the best video quality! And a set of $900 Blows speakers for the best audio!)

Sorry, I meant analog antenna SIGNAL. You know, what everybody used before a couple years ago, which usually resulted in a snowy picture.

The 360 doesn’t encrypt gameplay, 'cause there is no reason to. It does encrypt videos though, such as the Netflicks stuff. Dunno why Munch called you out on that, since you were clear about it (and right).

It wasn’t a call out, just a correction. And I clearly said it was only for non-encrypted video.

I knew what you meant. But in a (very useful) thread about specific information, isn’t it good to have *correct *specific information?

I read once that you can’t really appreciate 1080 dpi HD on a screen smaller than 32 inches. Does anybody know if this is true?

My baby brother (and he’ll always be the baby of the family, you know) used to go to Best Buy just to correct the sales people. He never bought anything there, he just went in and assisted customers in finding what they actually needed…which was usually for sale cheaper, somewhere else.

I’m sure the BB sales people just LOVED him to pieces.

Depends on your distance from the screen. For example, 1920 x 1080 looks far better on a 22" monitor than 1280 x 720 on a 22" monitor. That’s 'cause you’re two feet away from it. If you’re ten feet away, everything is probably going to blur together enough that it won’t matter.

Hell, I found 6-foot HDMI cables at Five Below for $5! Even The Shack is a rip off…

Next you’ll be telling us that these speaker cables aren’t really “danceable” at all. (Note the price)

Well, this is where I’ve been confused. I’ve been debating blowing away my cable subscription, but haven’t been able to figure out what I’ll need for an antenna. Any old-fashioned TV antenna will work for HD?

I’ll feel a lot more comfortable getting one to test reception in my apartment if I don’t have to shell out a metric shitload of money on it.

False, I have a 1080p 24" screen, and I can DEFINITELY tell the difference between 720 and 1080. Then again, I’m usually sitting about 3 feet away from it.

Here’s the thing - you are going to get what you pay for with an antenna, especially if you live in a tough reception area. HD broadcasts don’t fluxuate very much, but there’s a pretty strong drop off, so there’s some room to improve. There’s also concern over “ghosting”, which happens when the signal bounces off something nearby (trees, a hill, a big building, etc.). A well-made antenna will be able to boost the signal, and will have been made to maximize reception. I’m able to get a picture with a cheap antenna because I get a good signal. There’s a broadcasting tower that’s a mile further from the main cluster that I can’t get for shit.

If your TV has a tuner in it, just plug any old antenna into the coax input and see what you get. Work your way up from there.

Ain’t this the truth.

$49 for an HDMI cable is absolute robbery.

But… but… for MY programs, I need golden contacts! How else am I gonna attract the women?

I’m in the market for diamond cables too.

The brick and mortar stores are all participating in this scam. Even WalMart, where I figured you could go to get a generic cable cheap… nope, they start at $25. What I just found out now is that you can go their website, find a cable for $5 and have it shipped to your local store for free. If you’re not online, you get soaked.

I wish some “local news” anti scam guys take a look at this and get the word out that you don’t have to pay $50 for a $5 cable. That would be a nice one to run during the holidays, so folks who get a great deal on a $100 Blu Ray player don’t blow all those savings on a way to connect it to their TV.