HDMI Cables!

tigerfish
tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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edited November 2016 in General Chat #1

Bought a new UHD TV on Black friday.

Not set it up yet, but very confused about HDMI cables. There are many different grades and the best grades are frighteningly expensive,  But then I read an article on the internet which said that cheap cables are as good as expensive
ones. There is a huge variation in price between say B&Q/maplins and John Lewis/Curry.

Any experts on here?

TF

Comments

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #2

    Not an expert, but I used a "standard" HDMI cable on my 4K TV ,and then changed it for a "high speed" or 4K cable and it did make a difference to the picture 

    if the cable has "high speed" then it will support 4K , also check which HDMI port on the TV supports the 4K output , this is usually HDMI 1 

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,427 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #3

    I got a new tv last Friday as well. Got a £6 sainburys one and a £9 Bang & something one. I tried swopping them round but I can't see any difference. A chap at work who is in into these things says if your a standard viewer who just watches tv and DVD/blue ray in your living room then a cheap one will do as good. He did say he saw one for £2500

     

    However if your like HD with 4K get an expensive one

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited November 2016 #4

    My understanding is that they are all the same......based on a number of technical reviews.

    Just get an Amazon Basics one (about £3.50) and it will do the job.

  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
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    edited November 2016 #5

    Supermarkets like Asda are a good source of cheap cables. The thing about digital is that it either works, or it doesn't. If it's working, then a cable made from gold bars sheathed in diamonds won't improve things. There's a small argument for using a better
    cable to connect a 4K disk player, think about your network cables when connecting to 4K Netflix, they are skinny telephone size  wires not premium price HDMI connections.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #6

    Was the advice any use to you,TF ??

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited December 2016 #7

    Yes I think so HD, reason for not saying so yet is that my new TV has not been delivered yet so I'm still using the old one. I also invested in a new DVD player which not only plays Blue ray but allegedly "upscales' my ordinary ones! I cannot get over not
    only the small size of the new products but the small prices too!  Less than a quarter of what i paid for my last DVD player. Pontious was flying then though!

    Best wishes

    TF

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #8

    Add a good surround sound system to the setup and your be in heavenCool

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited December 2016 #9

    Yes, have been wondering about 'Soundbars" etc.  Not sure whether it is a gimic or really an enhancement. Didnt really want speakers all over the place but there seems to have been big improvements there too!

    TF

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,668 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #10

    Our daughter is an IT professional, also studied electronics at Uni, she buys her cables at the pound store and is scandalised that they should cost more!! 

  • ChemicalJasper
    ChemicalJasper Forum Participant Posts: 437
    edited December 2016 #11

    Another area of Woo for the modern consumer!

    Cables and interconnects - in a double blind randomised trail a panel of 'audio experts' were tested with a range of cables and ultimately could not tell the difference between a a £1200 set of monster interconnects and a wire coat hanger!

    Even more so with a digital signal, the cost of that cable is not relative to quality - it either works or it doesn't!

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