I bought my first HDTV (I’m up to 3 now) at one of the big retailers. I probably didn’t get the best price but they did offer a lot of extras like installation, no-interest financing, etc. I suspected that I needed to buy cables separately but the sales person never mentioned it and in the whirlwind of purchasing an HD DVR, a wall mount, and maybe something else, I promptly forgot.
It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The store price for an HDMI cable was around $150 bucks! A component cable was $125 (at least those have come down in price at the stores to a mere $70)!
When the installer showed up and asked me if I had cables I could only shrug and ask me if he could provide them. Of course he happily sold them to me for the aforementioned outrageous prices and then ran them through the wall.
I stewed about the cable prices for a few days…especially the component one since I already knew that component cable is little more than an RCA cable with different colored sheathing. I figured that since the signal is digital, this extra expense was not worth it!
Finally, and with steadfast determination, I yanked all the cables from the wall, cleaned the drywall off of them and took them back to the store for a full refund which I happily received. I then went onto eBay and bought similar cables for about $30 each.
The big chains are counting on people being stupid. It seems logical that if you just bought an expensive HDTV it requires a likewise expensive cable. “I just paid 2 grand for my television of course I want the best cable there is…” It’s all baloney!
Since the narrowly-averted gouging, I have been sharing my story of inexpensive cable purchasing with anyone who will listen. Anytime someone mentions they are going to buy a flat screen I can’t help but burst out with my story.
So, to help people out, I decided to make a website which sorts through eBay and finds the best priced HDMI, Component, and DV cables them lists them automatically. You can check it out at http://cheapvidcables.com
Now I can just point people at my site and I don’t have to bore them with my long-winded story…though it’s much more animated and expletive-filled in-person.
It’s been scientifically/electrically proven that monster cables are better than normal cables. I know mentally that’s hard to swallow, but it’s the truth.
Now, a 6′ apple cable (or generic), let’s say that’s $20, versus the $150 monster cable, over such a short distance the generic cable is still easily in spec at 1080p, when you get to 12′, or 50′, that’s when the monster cable’s quality comes in, the apple cable (or generic) in this case will not be able to pass a 1080p signal, (there are some that do, but most won’t).
What’s very crucial is that the 6′ and 12′ monster cables will also pass a 1440p signal within spec. What you’re protecting against when you buy super expensive cables is future HD and HDMI specs. Additionally, obviously you can get a longer cable run (if you need it) let’s say for a wall or ceiling mount projector.
The average consumer connecting their amplifier or PS3 or 360 to the TV only needs a $20 6′ cable, this is absolutely true.
I believe that there may be technical superiority in signal and transmission capabilities across various cable brands. However, since I (like most consumers) watch television without scoping the signal, I shall never know (nor care) if an expensive cable could squeeze a few extra bits of electricity across the divide. Videophiles and purists certainly want the best of the best and more power to them!