Monster's quailty is still good right? (1 Viewer)

[Scott_AH]

Where I work, I get 50%-60% off of Monster's products. I've seen the Monster bashing happening constantly but wouldn't it be true that, price aside, Monster Video 3 is a pretty darn good component connection? Now maybe $80 or $90 is too much to pay for this but what about $36. Would that be an alright deal?

Scott

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Monster quality is quite good. (The problem with Monster is the mark-up and marketing tactics they use).

The Video 3 cables for under $40 would be an outstanding value. I'd go for it if I did not already have to tools to build my own.

 

[Scott_AH]

Thanks Bob, I just picked them up this morning and the cables really do make a noticeable difference over the basic Best Buy AR component cables I was using before.

Scott

 

[Bob McElfresh]

the cables really do make a noticeable difference over the basic Best Buy AR component cables I was using before

Could you tell me what size TV you have and are you pushing regular Component video, Progressive or HD video?

I often recommend the basic AR Pro cables from Best Buy for people with modest systems, then push the higher-end cables if their display goes beyond component video on a 40" screen.

If you have a smaller display, yet notice a difference with the Monster cables, I may have to revise my opinions.

 

[Jay_E]

I often recommend the basic AR Pro cables from Best Buy for people with modest systems, then push the higher-end cables if their display goes beyond component video on a 40" screen.

The "basic" AR cable that Best Buy sells is the Performance series not the Pro series. The AR Performance series is their lowest cost line, probably comparable to the Monster Video 1. The AR Pro series cables are compareable to the Monster Video 3. I often see people refer to AR cables without specifing which line, as if there were only one. They don't have as many lines as Monster, but they do have 3 (Performace, Professional, and Master).

Jay

 

[Scott_AH]

I've just non a non-HiDef 36AF41 Toshiba--not a bad TV by any stretch but I now have better cable now than the TV needs I know. I do plan on purchasing a Hi-Def 50" projo Toshiba in the next few weeks. The place where I really noticed an improvement with the cable though was in Shrek. I watched a scene with the old cables (low end AR's) in which you see a lot of close-ups of Shrek's big green face and then watched the same scene with the new cables. I can't explain how, but it just looked better. The real noticeable difference showed on my next test though. I then paused the movie on one of the close-ups while I switched the cables. With the Monster 3s, Shrek never looked so green. Now, that's not to say that the cables made everything more green but the color all around seems much more pronounced now. Even my completely non-home theater girlfriend could see the difference (although she didn't see the need to spend $36, some people!).

Scott

 

[Brian Ruth]

Scott... I bought the 2's to connect my HTR-5590 with my TV, and they work fine. They seem to support 480p just fine.

I also got Monsters (with said discount) a while ago to connect my cable box, and I actually noticed a HUGE difference between standard and monster. While they ARE marked up a lot, I think they were absolutely worth the price I bought them at.

I think if Monster shaved 10-20% off their prices, they'd be much better off.

 

[DaleBesh]

In my experience with video cables I have found Bettercables Serpent series to make the biggest difference.
Monsters are ok...I do like their sub cable for it's small profile, neutral color, and flexibility.
I went 'all out' with Kimber 4TC for my main stereo speakers.
All my other interconnects are either Bettercables or Outlaws.

 

[CarmineP]

my entire system is wired with monster video 3. my picture quality is great. i just couldn't afford to wire up with bettercables.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

my entire system is wired with monster video 3. my picture quality is great. i just couldn't afford to wire up with bettercables

I hate to sound like a shill for BetterCables, but putting these cables in cost-order:
Monster Video 3 Component Cables - 1 M : $70
Better Cables Silver Component - 1 M: $99
Monster Z300CV Component Cables - 1 M: $120
Monster Video 3 SVideo - 1 M: $40
Better Cables Silver SVideo - 1 M: $60
Monster Z300SV SVideo 1 M: $80
Note: Monster prices come from the GoodGuys web site.
For a bit more than the Video 3 price you get a silver-coated cable that rivals/beats the higher end Monster offering. (Yes, the "Silver" is more than just a name. The center conductors are silver-coated.)
So for a high-quality source (like a STB or PS DVD player), I feel it's worth it to have one really good video cable. It's quite all right to have a mix of brands.

 

[GeorgeTW]

I plan to take a green marker, color the Monster 3s and introduce them at twice the price as Monster 4.

 

[Scott_AH]

And trust me George, half the salesman I am could sell them!
Scott