HUGE SALE on Gold HDMI cables

[retro asian]

In case anyone here wants to take advantage of this, we are having a sale at work on HDMI, DVI, USB cables...

They are a quality brand (Molex) but are at a super cheap price until all the stock is gone.

e.g a 1m HDMI cable is only $9.66+GST!! :woohoo:

link here (http://www.activecomponents.com/manufacturers.aspx?id=339)


Note that delivery takes about a week. Minimum order is $15.00. GST not included.

[Swoop]

Eh?

HDMI cables?? We were looking at some recently and they were around $200- for a 1 metre cable. LCD tv to DVD connection.

What grade are these?

[retro asian]

Eh?

HDMI cables?? We were looking at some recently and they were around $200- for a 1 metre cable.

What grade are these?

They are Gold (so good conductivity and long lasting), and since data being transferred is digital you either have a signal or you don't.

I'm not sure why people really need the fancy $200 ones from retail shops??
If you're using them at home, I don't see there would be any difference in signal quality.

[Swoop]

If you're using them at home, I don't see there would be any difference in signal quality.
The picture quality coming through, on the cables purchased, is unbelievably good! Just the pricetag is substantially greater than yours. I am probably keen on getting some if they do the same job!

[Headbanger]

Its digital, as long as the data gets from one end of the cable to the other the quality is as perfect as the source. Expensive cables are a rip.


But then....so are ultra cheap ones, But that has more to do with build quality.....

[retro asian]

Its digital, as long as the date gets from one end of the cable to the other the quality is as perfect as the source.

Exactly, you're either gonna get a perfect signal or a totally broken up signal (huge squares on the screen).

So unless a rat or child gnaws through the cable, I doubt you'll have any problems with a less "blinged out" cable.

[The Wop]

Yeah, I could never figure out how Sony PS3 3M HDMI was $40 when some other brand was over a hundy. I bought the Sony ones and they are perfect.

Wish I had known about these!

[psycho22]

Dammit I bought an optical and HDMI cable just over a week ago. Cost me about $100 all up. Could have saved myself some much needed money.:argh:

[AllanB]

Consumer did a report recently on HDMI cables - the fancy $200 ones the guy insists you need when you buy your new discounted TV test the same as a cheaper $40 one.

It appears to be marketing bullshit and I suspect driven by the sales companies who you screwed down on your LCD TV - they make the money on the cables and $40 bottles of screen cleaner.

[DidJit]

Over short lengths of HDMI cable (1–3m), quality of cable components and construction is not quite so important (as evidenced by those consumer report tests). However, once you get to longer lengths in excess of 5–10m, the quality of cable becomes more and more important.

People get very confused when it comes to HDMI — the common misconception is that because HDMI is a digital format, i.e. 1s & 0s, that those 1s & 0s aren't affected by conductor, insulation type, RFI & EMI in the same way that analogue signals are as they travel through the cable. Truth is that the further those 1s & 0s have to travel, the more likely they are to suffer from degradation in an electrical sense and are unable to be reconstituted accurately by the receiving device.

There's a pretty comprehensive article (for those that are interested) here (http://www.easternhifi.co.nz/default,1025,degradation.sm).

In saying all that, retro asian's work has some real bona fide bargains in their sale! :2thumbsup

[Lias]

Eh?

HDMI cables?? We were looking at some recently and they were around $200- for a 1 metre cable. LCD tv to DVD connection.

What grade are these?

Those $200 cables are a $5 cable with a $195 markup and places like noel leemings, bond and bond etc now consider them one of their best ways of making markup which is why they push them so hard.

[p.dath]

I had a friend who sold comsumer electronic devices. He told me that they sold the TV's at cost price, and made the money selling cables and extended warranties.

That's because when your looking at prices you only tend to look at the one expensive item (such as the TV), and once your in the store upselling is much easier.

[sunhuntin]

what are the advantages of having an HDMI cable between an lcd tv and a ps3? currently ive got the white/red/yellow cables and get a great picture from the ps3.

[Blackshear]

A digital signal is a digital signal, but make sure you get the cord around the right way or your video will be backwards!

[p.dath]

what are the advantages of having an HDMI cable between an lcd tv and a ps3? currently ive got the white/red/yellow cables and get a great picture from the ps3.

For $20 you can find out. Go and buy an HDMI cable. Generally it will deliver the best quality picture that your system is capable of.

[tommygun]

Get an HDMI and you will see the diff' if your LCD is Full HD

[retro asian]

what are the advantages of having an HDMI cable between an lcd tv and a ps3? currently ive got the white/red/yellow cables and get a great picture from the ps3.

Another advantage is that your three RCA (red yellow white) cables are now combined in one cable! Makes things much neater!

[Blackshear]

Another advantage is that your three RCA (red yellow white) cables are now combined in one cable! Makes things much neater!

RCA is limited to PAL/NTSC of 720x576 sommat, isn't it?
What about component, isn't that limited to 720i?

HDMI supports more than we need, these days.
Currently at 1920x1200 and without HDMI I would not have it.

[Owl]

I read about the Harvey Norman HDMI cable scam before I purchased a TV.

I told the salesperson to not even try selling me a $500 HDMI cable. So what did he do? He wanted to show me a comparison and showed me a split screen and the difference with their $500 cable. Very impressive, however a quick look at the back revealed the HDMI vs RCA.

I asked if I could see the comparison between the $500 HDMI cable and a $20 HDMI cable. Apparently not possible as they didn't sell $20 HDMI cables.

Thieving pricks!:angry2:

[steve_t]

When I got my receiver from Hardly Normal, the guy wanted me to buy a $400 Monster Cable HDMI cable. I said no, he said $300. I said no, he said $200. I said no.... He got down to $75. It made me wonder how much they get them in for!!
One of my ex's used to work at Dick Smith and thru her I got a $70 optical cable for $4, and about 30m of OFC high quality speaker cable for < $1 a metre :2thumbsup
These places really do mint it selling cables!

[DidJit]

What about component, isn't that limited to 720i?

Component cables can carry 1080p video signals.

[onearmedbandit]

No they don't, component cables can do 1080i (and therefore 720p), only HDMI cables can carry 1080p. RCA is crap on any HD TV and only supports up to 576 or thereabouts.

[Blackshear]

Component cables can carry 1080p video signals.

Well I'll be damned.
Is the only difference sound and sound/audio carried by HDMI?

[DidJit]

No they don't, component cables can do 1080i (and therefore 720p), only HDMI cables can carry 1080p. RCA is crap on any HD TV and only supports up to 576 or thereabouts.

Component cables can carry 1080p. HDCP-encoded signals will only allow 1080i down Component, but the Component cable itself is actually quite capable of carrying 1080p. A non-HDCP signal will output 1080p down Component. The other hindrance to 1080p down Component is the hardware (or software processing) waiting at the other end of the cable — some TVs can't display 1080p from Component. But it is possible. And in some instances, it can look "better" than HDMI (although that is highly subjective — horses for courses, different strokes etc.)


Well I'll be damned.
Is the only difference sound and sound/audio carried by HDMI?

Yep, HDMI cables will carry the audio as well as the video whereas Component is video only.

[onearmedbandit]

Well you learn something everyday. Would I be right however that in most peoples situations, ie HD output (such as Blu-ray, etc) to HD TV via component would be only getting 1080i?

[DidJit]

Well you learn something everyday. Would I be right however that in most peoples situations, ie HD output (such as Blu-ray, etc) to HD TV via component would be only getting 1080i?

All good, bro. And yes, you would be right.

[Devil]

Didjit has the right info.

You can throw that consumer articule out the window, plus the one that was in the herald recently. They were biased, poorly researched and poorly reported.

What it effectively says is if you're Joe Bloggs random who wouldn't know quality when they see it, particularly if running into a cheap lcd/plasma then you're going to feel ripped off with the expensive cable because you wont see the difference.

If, on the other hand, you have quality components (DVD/Blueray, quality screens) you are going to get the benefit out of the expensive cables.

The difference is more apparent the larger the screen and the higher the resolution. A 1080p native LCD projector is a prime example. The difference between cheap HDMI vs expensive HDMI is glaringly obvious.

If you dont care, then you'll be going for the cheap one...

[retro asian]

The difference between cheap HDMI vs expensive HDMI is glaringly obvious.


From my info, even the oldest version of HDMI cable can support 1080p and a bit higher @ 60Hz and 24 bits per pixel.

If you're getting really fancy with high tech audio, deep colour, or 3D cinema etc I suggest you go for a more expensive HDMI version 1.4 cable as it has twice the bandwidth of our cables.

[Devil]

From my info, even the oldest version of HDMI cable can support 1080p and a bit higher @ 60Hz and 24 bits per pixel.

yep and it'll do average Joe just fine!
Not trying to stuff your sales, I think the prices are great, it's just the argument that I hate!

[pete376403]

ok, can experts advise where S-video fits in the cable wars?

[DidJit]

In order (good–best): composite (yellow RCA), S-Video, Component, HDMI.

[imdying]

The difference is more apparent the larger the screen and the higher the resolution. A 1080p native LCD projector is a prime example. The difference between cheap HDMI vs expensive HDMI is glaringly obvious.Only because the source and the projector are generally setup quite a distance from each other (compared to say a player/tv combination). A 10M run isn't unusual in the projector scenario.

[Devil]

Only because the source and the projector are generally setup quite a distance from each other (compared to say a player/tv combination). A 10M run isn't unusual in the projector scenario.

Yeah of course that's a scenario, but it's also apparent on the top of the range plasmas/lcd's with a 2m length.

But yes, that's exactly what i'm talking about. For Joe Bloggs it doesn't matter. If you're an anal prick like me who picks up imperfections it sticks out like a sore thumb!