HDMI Cable

[JazzBones]

According to my Topfield PVR handbook I am supposed to get better results by using an HDMI connection from PVR to TV input (A Panasonic flat screen) instead of using the SCART connection. My scarts are of good quality and have served me well for a number of years. Anyway, whilst in ScrewFix getting DIY bits and pieces I noticed that they stocked a High Performance Flat HDMI Cable, brand name 'Labgear' www.labgear.co.uk for circa UK£12.00. Bought one (my first ever) and made the swap from Scart to HDMI. Must confess that picture quality was no better or worse so I'm assuming there is a bedding in or burn in period like that of audio interconnects? My question is whether more expensive HDMI cables are worth the money and if so what are the recommendations?

The print on the packaging informs the buyer that these are diecast steel connectors HDMI Ver. 1.3b Certified. Supports 1080p resolution.

Not looking forward to retuning everything thing around the house that is TV related before 30 March 2011. Taking FM out of existence will be an expensive nightmare for me :(:steam:

Thanks for your advice and experience

Ron :)

[Rare Bird]

I've removed all my HDMI's & fitted back my old QED P2110 SQART

[JazzBones]

I've removed all my HDMI's & fitted back my old QED P2110 SQART

G'day Andre, thanks for the reply. This is an interesting one mate and I must say, purely from a visual aspect, the Scarts do look better and more substantial than HDMIs. What made you got back to Scarts?

I have noticed that the prices for both Scart and HDMIs can take you into big money territory, are they really worth it :scratch: I think possibly not!

Cheers
Ron

[Dingdong]

According to my Topfield PVR handbook I am supposed to get better results by using an HDMI connection from PVR to TV input (A Panasonic flat screen) instead of using the SCART connection. My scarts are of good quality and have served me well for a number of years. Anyway, whilst in ScrewFix getting DIY bits and pieces I noticed that they stocked a High Performance Flat HDMI Cable, brand name 'Labgear' www.labgear.co.uk for circa UK£12.00. Bought one (my first ever) and made the swap from Scart to HDMI. Must confess that picture quality was no better or worse so I'm assuming there is a bedding in or burn in period like that of audio interconnects? My question is whether more expensive HDMI cables are worth the money and if so what are the recommendations?

The print on the packaging informs the buyer that these are diecast steel connectors HDMI Ver. 1.3b Certified. Supports 1080p resolution.

Not looking forward to retuning everything thing around the house that is TV related before 30 March 2011. Taking FM out of existence will be an expensive nightmare for me :(:steam:

Thanks for your advice and experience

Ron :)

Over short runs of say 1m it is not that easy to tell the difference between different hdmi cables as the signal degradation from the cable is very small. Once you get into longer runs it is probably better to invest in as good a quality cable as you can.I would say that you'd probably notic the picture quality changes more as the telly or projected image gets larger.
If you are using a connection between 2 digital bits of kit such as a pvr and an lcd telly then it cuts out a bit of conversion by using a hdmi cable.

Have I just started another one of those boring cable wars?

[colinB]

Makes a lot of sense. :)

[Rare Bird]

G'day Andre, thanks for the reply. This is an interesting one mate and I must say, purely from a visual aspect, the Scarts do look better and more substantial than HDMIs. What made you got back to Scarts?

I have noticed that the prices for both Scart and HDMIs can take you into big money territory, are they really worth it :scratch: I think possibly not!



Hi Ron
I just feel the picture has more body to it..cheap tac SCARTs are another matter. :)

[Reid Malenfant]

There is a good bit of information missing here so i guess all replies will simply be a generalisation. For starters is the TV 1080P? If yes then how old is it & is it LCD or Plasma?

Are you getting as good a picture from the PVR as possible? In other words how good is the signal strength from the transmitter :scratch: If your TV is modern you probably find that the de-interlacing & scaling is going to be vastly superior to the very same in the PVR as these tend to be cheap ;)

It's quite possible that the reason you can't really tell the difference is because of the cheap & nasty processing in the PVR itself :rolleyes: Also did you set the PVR to output the correct output to match your TV? Some boxes may well be able to do this automatically, others won't...

As you can see, there is a lot to take into consideration :eyebrows:

[MCRU]

If I had a penny for every time some one on AV Forums posted...which is the best HDMI cable I would have retired years ago, its the same with all cables, if you are in a position to get a few to try (I can loan you 2 different ones no problem) then that is what I would suggest, try them all and see if you can spot any differences, if not go for the cheapest one, simples?

I actually got some off maplin for £2.50 each and they were spot on, I give them away with customer orders who spend over £100, at least I did until I ran out, some even contacted me to buy more!

I use Marky G's cables now as that was some time ago.

[Mike]

I've removed all my HDMI's & fitted back my old QED P2110 SQART

Ludite! :ner:

[Rare Bird]

Ludite! :ner:

Too right :lolsign:

[Ali Tait]

I bought one of MG's 720 cables and I found it substantially better than another I paid more for, wired between the Sky box and telly. Someone on another forum recommended one of these-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250779665097&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1533wt_1139

So I've bought one to try. Looks good spec.

[Ali Tait]

I bought one of MG's 720 cables and I found it substantially better than another I paid more for, wired between the Sky box and telly. Someone on another forum recommended one of these-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250779665097&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1533wt_1139

So I've bought one to try. Looks good spec.

[pwood]

OP check the settings menu for the Topfield and see if you can set the resolution output. At SD quality There won't be much between your scart or HDMI. IF your box will do 1080 or 720 then disconnect the scart as it may not allow upscaling if scart connected...highly unlikely but check just in case.

[JazzBones]

:piano:Thanks folks, I'm sticking with the HDMI lead for now. My question is whether more money spent on a HDMI cable is worth it.... guess its a question of investigate further and try? By the way I'm not trying to start an interconnect war, I'll leave that to Col Gadafi, just checking out VFM and the opinions/experience of those who have already been and done it, worn the T-shirt and all that jazz.

Ron :)

[Reid Malenfant]

If i was to recommend any HDMI cable then i can only recommend one make ;) The reason for this is quite simply that this is the only cable that sucsessfully consistently handshakes between my Panasonic BD player & Philips TV. I have tried other more expensive cables & had problems as well as not so good pictures :eyebrows:

The cable/s?

Mark Grant G720 & G1080...

I'll never buy any other in future :cool:

[Dingdong]

:piano:Thanks folks, I'm sticking with the HDMI lead for now. My question is whether more money spent on a HDMI cable is worth it.... guess its a question of investigate further and try? By the way I'm not trying to start an interconnect war, I'll leave that to Col Gadafi, just checking out VFM and the opinions/experience of those who have already been and done it, worn the T-shirt and all that jazz.

Ron :)


I'd say that if you had a 1080 screen of larger than 40" or had a 3d screen then it might be difficult to see a lot of difference. It's a difficult thing is cables, especially digital ones. Keeping the length as short as possible is always good.

[pwood]

Unless you require long length any quality HDMI will work perfectly. Mark Grant cables are always the defacto choice as you will have to try very hard to find. A negative re his quality. Make sure you avoid the expensive cable that use heavy duty plugs as all they do is strain the tv socket.