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What to look for in HDMI Cable??

#1
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9/17/09 at 5:54am
  • Joined: September 2009
  • Post Count: 2

I have a Samsung 40" HDTV 1080p/120Hz. At Best Buy, they told me I need a $60 Rocketfish cable to run from my blue ray to my TV or I won't be getting full performance from my TV/blue ray. The reasoning offered was that the cheaper HDMI cable was not 120Hz. I read online that the $60 Rocketfish cable was a ripoff, and that I can get a better deal online, so I returned the Rocketfish.  Now I'm trying to figure out what I need to look for in a cable when shopping online to ensure I get maximum performance. Do I need to look for 1080/120? Are there any other important attributes to look for?

The Rocketfish (RF-G1160) had the following attributes:

 Video:  1080 res/120Hz refresh rate/Deep x.v. coler
Speed:  10.26 bps/in-wall certified
Audio:  192 KHz 24 bit reso

26 AWG back-twisted pair cables

30 micro-inch min. gold-plated conacts

Triple layer shielding

Multi-layer PCB

Pre-loaded contacts

 

I'm a novice and not sure which of these are important.

 

Any help is appreciated.
 

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#2
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9/17/09 at 6:38am
  • Joined: May 2002
  • Post Count: 294
I'm surprised Best Buy didn't shove a $200 Monster cable in your face, actually.  You were right to return the $60 cable.  When it comes to HDMI cables, there's a lot of bad information out there all of it marketing B.S.

About the only important thing to consider when getting an HDMI cable is that it be 1.3 (or later) compatible.  ANY HDMI cable that meets that requirement has all the bandwidth it needs for 1080p, deep color, etc.

Go to Monoprice.com and get a cable from there.  Their "Premium" series are 24 AWG (thicker than the Rocketfish), have the gold-plated connectors, are CL2 rated for in-wall application if need be, and even come with a spiffy mesh jacket that looks cool.  All for less than $10.
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#3
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9/24/09 at 5:14pm
  • Joined: September 2009
  • Post Count: 2

Thank you.  Good info. 

I was told this will be my basic set up:

1. Coaxial cable from wall to cable box
2. HDMI cable from cable box to TV
3. HDMI cable from Blue-ray to TV

So another question:  Do I use the exact same type of cable to go from my cable box to my tv as I use to go from my Blue-Ray to my TV?  They're both male-male, right?

 

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#4
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9/25/09 at 6:32am
  • Joined: May 2002
  • Post Count: 294
Yes, the cables will be the same.

Your hookup is correct, since you don't currently have an A/V receiver in the mix.

FYI - if you do add surround sound in the future, you'll likely alter the setup to have all the sources run HDMI into the receiver, and then have only a single HDMI run from the receiver to the TV.  This allows you to leave the TV set to a single input source, and do all the switching at the receiver.

Good luck!
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#5
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9/26/09 at 7:13pm
  • Joined: December 2008
  • Location: Washington State
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I love my Cables from Monoprice.com, the quality is awesome, and the price is unbeatable. I bought 3 of a their 3 foot hdmi cables which go from my bluray player, my directv hd dvr,and my PS3 to my reciever and one of their 30ft CL2 in wall rated gold plated connector cables that connects to my tv!
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#6
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9/27/09 at 6:14am
  • Joined: October 2002
  • Post Count: 71
I also bought one of the Rocketfish cables from Best Buy for $60. I also returned it after buying one of the Monoprice cables. If you have any questions, you can also call Monoprice and they will advise you. The 24 guage (which I bought is very stiff. You do need a couple of inches in the back to plug it in, especially if wall mounting--I don't know if if can be bent sharply). Also, I had my cable shipped overnight and it was still one third the cost of the Rocketfish.
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#7
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9/27/09 at 10:17pm
  • Joined: May 2003
  • Location: Eastern NC
  • Post Count: 1,760
You never mentioned if you have a surround system? I see Jason mentioned you don't, but I figured he said that because you didn't mention it. If so, does your receiver decode the HD audio formats? If so, you'll need a third HDMI cable. If no surround system, you're good to go....
Good luck!
Samsung HL61A750 (LED DLP)            Onkyo TX-SR805
Oppo BDP-83 Blu ray                                  Polk Audio LSi9
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JBL PSW1200 (Sub)                        ...
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