What is the difference between a cheap HDMI cable and an expensive one?

What is the difference between a cheap HDMI cable and an expensive one?.

What is the difference between a cable HDMI a cheap and expensive? For example, what do you think is the difference between a cable that Amazon sells  for USD$ 3.68 and one of USD$ 150 sold ?

Short answer: no difference. If you need an HDMI cable, buy the cheapest, not what you or ask you questions and more. For 99% of cases (connect the game console, home theater, the DVR or Blu-Ray player to the TV and other uses "home"), is more than enough.

Long answer: not only is there no difference, but the variation in costs rather than relying on the build quality of the cable is related to the profit margin that a brand is ready to take advantage of the general lack of customer facing a technology that has little time since adopting a general level.

 

 

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a standard digital video and audio without compression encryption supported by the industry to replace the scart. When digital data, the cord simply charge of transmitting the 1's and 0's between two devices that understand the standard and are interpreted to show an image and / or play a sound. It is simply a means of data transmission.

In the decade of the 80s and 90s popularized the practice of setting prices too high a supposedly premium cable to connect speakers especially stereos and VHS or DVD player to TV. The signal to be analogous, presumably improved when the cable was superior material, the technique was a success not only by the desire to see the video and audio look and sound better, but because companies like Monster Cable represented (and still represent) very high margins for the stores of electronics / audio / video, to the point that you can earn more money by selling players selling cables. Consequently, sellers of these establishments are trained to give customers exactly these cables.

 

But the reality is that even with analog signals are not perceived real differences using the method of double-blind study to determine if a $ 300 cable works better than a $ 15. Whereas only a digital signal transmitted electrical impulses that represent 1 and 0 means no difference.

And no, a gold connector or does not improve the signal quality.

A new technique used by cable marks is to use versions of the HDMI standard, putting a higher price for HDMI 1.4 cable to a HDMI 1.3 cable. The reality is that (at least in the U.S.) manufacturers are prohibited from using versions of HDMI and marketing feature for your cables because it is also misleading.

Real differences between HDMI cables

So there were two HDMI 1.3 standard cable types based on the certification under which they are constructed.

• Category 1: Tested to 74.5 MHz (maximum resolution of 1080i/60 and 720p/60)
• Category 2: Tested at 340 MHz (resolutions up to 1080p/60 and 2160p/30)

In the boxes, Category 2 cables are often described as high speed.

Here things get a little bit: If the size of the cable is 2 meters or less, even Category 1 can operate under the rates certified to Category 2 as explained in the Knowledge Centre HDMI association . Whereas the vast majority of people use these sizes, this should not be a problem.

With the advent of HDMI 1.4 standard was necessary to create different cables for different applications. This has nothing to do with the brand or the type of materials used to "improve the quality of audio or video" to accommodate more channels, but data based on certain needs of new devices:

1. HDMI cable standard: what everyone buys and uses, 99% of cases no longer need.
2. HDMI Cable with Ethernet channel: some new high-performance devices need additional data channel functions as network cables. Only necessary if the two devices you connect require this functionality.
3. Automotive HDMI Cable: Probably not what you see in stores but consumer technology is used within the wiring of a car are much larger reinforcement cables and isolation that make the signal is lost when there is lot of vibration and electrical noise confined spaces.
4. High Speed ​​HDMI Cable with or without Ethernet explained above, Category 2, it will be really useful / necessary if the cable exceeds two meters. 

 

In summary, although there are real differences between an HDMI cable and another, the vast majority of consumers simply need to opt for the cheaper cable possible. Whenever this is built with the minimum quality requirements will be more than enough.