Are Monster Cable just overpriced?

I'm in the market for a new TV. I've set on a Samsung UN46C6300. That's settled.

I currently have a (1) Monster Cable M Series HDMI cable from my Comcast HD-DVR set-top box. I go thru Monster Cable THX (1000) Series component cables from my Sony Blu-Ray player to the TV. (Current TV only has 1 HDMI input, new one has 4.) This HDMI cable cost more than the BD Player last year!

When I set up my Home Theater System in the summer of 2005, I spent over $800.00 on all the cables to hook everything up, but have since streamlined my equipment (i.e. no more VCR, cassette player, or phono.). I bought Monster Cables THX series (1000?) cables whenever available: component, optical, & digital coax.

Now, my new TV only has 1 component input, no composite, and I have to hook up my Wii. It'll go into the component ports, which mean I need another HDMI cable, to go from Blu-Ray Player to TV. I watch BD movies alot, NetFlix.

Do I really need to dropped $120-150.00 on a 6' HDMI cable? I think I'll need 3-6' of cable, haven't measured yet. New TV = new placement of cables, so shorter than 6', fed thru my entertainment center.

I don't know the bandwidth of any of my equipement, so how can I find it? Haven't seen anything like that on manufactures websites.

BTW: One salesman told me all I need is gold contacts.

And, I'll be buying more HDMI cables, for moving the TV into the office (HDTV to HD Set top Box), and maybe a LCD TV in the masterbedroom (HD Set-top box to TV). These one will be shorter (3'), and no Blu-Ray, but HD!

Any advise? Best Buy? Model names/numbers?

 
Solution
yea, hdmi cable is an hdmi cable, hell even when they used to do "high quality coax" for tv you have to go over 50 feet before it made a difference that was measurable. monster made thier buisness off of sellign overpriced cables that are just thicker, the reason they sell is often they have a high profit margin for companies like best buy who in turn offer insentives for thier employees to push them on consumers
Well, I may have answered my own question.

I found this website, an article CNET Quick Guide: HDMI and HDMI cables

Let's cut to the chase:

CNET strongly recommends cheap HDMI cables widely available from online retailers instead of the expensive counterparts sold in your local electronics store.

Here's why:

Expensive cables aren't worth itIf you walk into your typical electronics store to buy an HDMI cable, you're likely to see prices upward of $50 with promises of better performance and faster speeds. Do you really need to spend that much money on a single HDMI cable?

Absolutely not--those cables are a rip-off. You should never pay more than $10 for a standard six-foot HDMI cable.

Well, I follow that advise, and buy cheaper cables, probably from MicroCenter, and see if I have picture quality problems.
 
It's not even quite the the same old ripoff that makers try with hifi cables. With interconnects or speaker cable you may hear a difference -- due to electrical properties of different cables -- but of course, whether it's better or not, well!

But quite recently I saw posts about someone selling an expensive "audio quality" ethernet cable. Hello, planet earth speaking -- what possible difference could that make ?

Doubtless, much the same for HDMI.


 
yea, hdmi cable is an hdmi cable, hell even when they used to do "high quality coax" for tv you have to go over 50 feet before it made a difference that was measurable. monster made thier buisness off of sellign overpriced cables that are just thicker, the reason they sell is often they have a high profit margin for companies like best buy who in turn offer insentives for thier employees to push them on consumers
 
Solution
very much so; in fact gold is more prone to corrosion than stainless steel so over time you may hinder signal when it gets some tarnish . now when clean gold is a better conductor but with most cables its splitting hairs in real world difference, and i'd take a bet on if anybody in this world can tell the diffrence between an hdmi cable with gold ends vs a stainless steel one better than chance
 
Well, when I went to Comcast to pick up 2 HD cable boxes, for the 2 new HDTVs, they included a HDMI cable.

So I didn't even need to buy any! I'm using the Monster 1000 M-Series HDMI cable for what I bought it for, Blu-Ray to TV.

Still, highly overpriced. Those Comcast cables seem to be alright! Pictures on the new TV are awesome!