Best HDMI Cable

lenny1020

I have a Samsung laptop and I need to connect to a Philips LCD TV for matches ect.
Whats the best HDMI cable to use to get top quality .Argos have loads but not sure I would come home with the right connection ect

Owen

All HDMI cables are the same.

thenightrider

The best one is the cheapsnt one i picked some up before for .79 cent and they work as good as my friends monster hdmi cable that he was fooled in to buying think it cost about 80 euro lol

lenny1020

Thanks a lot for that
Is there anything I can do to improve sound or will it just be the laptop speakers
Not a clue about this stuff

dm09

From as low as €1.00

http://cgi.ebay.ie/LONG-2M-GOLD-HDMI-CABLE-1080p-FULL-HD-19-PIN-MALE-/270758865154?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item3f0a7c6902


or for the more extravagant consumer - €54.95

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9249738/Trail/searchtext%3EHDMI+CABLE.htm


Personally I'd be happy with the €1.00 cable, feck all difference (If any) in picture and sound quality in both cables although the belkin cable is probably far more durable.

coylemj

A HDMI cable can carry video and audio, it's not 100% certain that your laptop model will send audio down the HDMI cable, first check to see if it does and if not, you can buy an audio cable with a 3.5" headphone jack plug at one end (to plug into the headphone socket on the laptop) and two RCA/phono plugs at the other (usually red and black) which will allow you to connect the sound to your amp.

The signal that goes down a HDMI cable is digital i.e. ones and zeros, once you can see the picture and hear the sound, that's as good as it can get so no amount of gold and fancy shielding will improve it hence I agree with the earlier posters that spending large amounts of money on a HDMI cable is stupid.

Scoobydoofus

HDMI carries a digital signal - 1s and 0s. It's all or nothing, it either works or it doesn't. Gold plated shielded cables don't help at all.

Picture and audio quality are dependent on the source and the receiver, not the cable.

Having said that, you obviously don't want one that's gonna fall apart either...

coylemj

It's all explained here, I recommend you go straight to page 3 but read it all if you choose...

http://reviews.cnet.com/hdmi-guide/

lenny1020

HDMI Cable connected to telly and laptop
HDMI channell selected on Telly
Nothing happening Guys

Paulw

Is the laptop set to output via HDMI? You may need to set that in your control panel.


On a separate HDMI cable issue ... any comments about LONG cables?? I am considering a 25m cable, to connect two devices?

theblueeyz

I've got cables that range from €1.00 to €30.00 and they perform exactly the same. I've got personal experience with dozens of different types with absolutely no change in video or audio quality.

All HDMI cables, in order to be called an HDMI cable, require a minimum level of shielding.

Save your money and buy the cheapest you can find.

theblueeyz

Paulw wrote: »

Is the laptop set to output via HDMI? You may need to set that in your control panel.


On a separate HDMI cable issue ... any comments about LONG cables?? I am considering a 25m cable, to connect two devices?

HDMI is a powered interface. I haven't personally done this but mates of mine have wired HDMI at 100+ ft without any signal degradation.

MrVestek

theblueeyz wrote: »

Save your money and buy the cheapest you can find.

+1

I have a cheap tesco own brand HDMI cable that cost about €4 at the time (they're not selling these anymore, I think they copped on as they've rebranded them Technika now and cost €10+) and a HDMI cable that I bought when I was desperate from GAME that cost €20.

No difference in them what so ever, both can support full 1080p and as others have stated there can't be any different in video or picture quality as it's a binary signal. 1 and 0. It either works or it does not, there's no inbetween.

lenny1020

how do I set to output via HDMI guys
I searched the control panel
Thanks again .

MrVestek

lenny1020 wrote: »

how do I set to output via HDMI guys
I searched the control panel
Thanks again .

Read the manual?

LLU

Scoobydoofus wrote: »

HDMI carries a digital signal - 1s and 0s. It's all or nothing, it either works or it doesn't. Gold plated shielded cables don't help at all.

Picture and audio quality are dependent on the source and the receiver, not the cable.

Having said that, you obviously don't want one that's gonna fall apart either...

does a hdmi cable always work at say 100mpbs, or does it vary according to cable length/interference/etc in the same way that your wifi or ethernet link speed does?

lucernarian

Hmmm... awkward question! Basically the data rate through a HDMI cable varies on the application. I.e. a higher speed (and bandwidth I assume) will be used for a 1080p signal as opposed to a 1080i signal.

There are different categories of HDMI cable which will offer different capabilities. E.g. HDMI 1.3 can carry a higher resolution signal than HDMI 1.1. If a given length of cable is certified at 1.3 then it will handle any amount of data up to that. It's more expensive to get the likes of a 10 metre cable that's certified at 1.3 or 1.4 than 1.1. If you exceed what the cable's supposed to do, it *might* work but usually the screen will remain blank or else pictures will become garbled and will have green lines or blotches on it.

seanp_25

lenny1020 wrote: »

how do I set to output via HDMI guys
I searched the control panel
Thanks again .

What laptop are you using?

Have you a button (sometimes one of the F buttons along the top) for selecting different monitors?

MrVestek

The manual can sometimes yield a response to questions of these types much quicker than waiting for a response from randomers on the Internet can.

Calibos

Achilles wrote: »

The manual can sometimes yield a response to questions of these types much quicker than waiting for a response from randomers on the Internet can.

Thats the nicest politest RTFM I've ever seen!!