Are Monster Cable just overpriced?

[foscooter]

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?

 

[foscooter]

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.

 

[casemods]

buy cheapest, buy monster.

if you cant tell the difference, go with cheapest

 

[Guest]

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.

 

[g00fysmiley]

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

 

[foscooter]

Okay, now what about "Gold Contacts" or the plug conections?

Again, is gold overrated?

 

[g00fysmiley]

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

 

[foscooter]

Thanks Goofy!

Anyone want to buy some used Monster THX Certified component cables? :lol:

 

[foscooter]

Best answer selected by foscooter.

 

[g00fysmiley]

ebay em, you might actually get some schmuck to buy em for alot more than your replacment cables will cost

 

[foscooter]

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!