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RV-Dreams.com Home -> RV-Dreams Community Forum -> Technology On The Road -> Save Some Money
Post Info TOPIC: Save Some Money
TXRVr


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I recently purchased a new high def (HDMI) Plasma tv. If one wishes to get the best picture a HDMI cable connected to the signal source (sat receiver, DVD, etc) is needed. Unfortunately, the manufacturer of the TV did not include cables. I'm not happy with that, but it's another issue.

I was going to buy a couple of HDMI cables at my local Wally World until I found out that they cost in excess of $20 each. That being what I considered a rip off, I went online and bought them for 1/4 that price. In the process, I did some research on the cables and found that the pricey ones are no better than the cheap ones altho it is best to buy one that is shielded.

So if you are in that situation, go to Amazon.com, pick out one of the many listed, and save a bunch of money. While you are waiting on it being shipped you can connect the older coax cables to watch TV. Won't be HD, but it avoids being ripped off.

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sirwinston21


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You can see HD just fine with a coax cable. I have been doing so for 6 years.  Component cables work very well also.

-- Edited by sirwinston21 on Sunday 6th of December 2009 09:23:32 AM


-- Edited by sirwinston21 on Sunday 6th of December 2009 09:25:26 AM

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NorCal Dan


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HDMI cables are the best choice for the best picture and sound. Back when HDMI cables first came out and they weren't as widely available I paid $80 for a 6' cable...yikes! As TxRVR noted they are not that expensive today thank goodness, at least for short lengths of cable.

I can switch my TV from sat (using HDMI) and digital cable (using coax) to the same HD channel and I can easily see the difference. Digital cable has more graininess in the picture. So yes, coax or component (rca connectors red/white/yellow) work, but if you want to get the most from that expensive TV then HDMI is the best choice.

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Racerguy


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Dan is so right on that in my opinion. I can definitely see a difference. Now if you ask my wife she see's no difference between hi-def and standard def. I guess it depends on your perception. It's a tough sell to her to justify the extra $ 10 a month.biggrin.gif




-- Edited by Racerguy on Sunday 6th of December 2009 12:43:03 PM

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4x4given


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HDMI cables can be purchased for as little as $3.56 at Monoprice.com.

I buy all my cables and AV accessories there.

And if you do some serious research, you'll discover that there is no real advantage to spending the $$$$ for the (much overhyped) Monster cables. ;)

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024007&p_id=3871&seq=1&format=2



-- Edited by 4x4given on Monday 7th of December 2009 03:31:16 PM

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DagoRanch


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4x4given wrote:
And if you do some serious research, you'll discover that there is no real advantage to spending the $$$$ for the (much overhyped) Monster cables. ;)


http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024007&p_id=3871&seq=1&format=2

True enough, but you do need to watch for what the cable will support.  Some low-cost HDMI cables won't have the capacity to carry a full 1080i/p HD video and digital audio simultaneously.

I've went through quite a few low-cost HDMI cables, that all failed within a few weeks.

When looking into the specs, I found out the cables that I got would only support 720p video, technically still HD, but not full 1080p.  It did work for awhile, but not for long.

Just make sure whatever you buy is capable of carrying FULL HD video, and you should be golden.

 



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Delaine and Lindy


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Direct-Tv has funished HDMI cables each time they were needed. HDMI do in fact have a better picture. However I have found some 5th wheels when using just the HDMI cable it has a problem with some surround sound equipment. I have encountered some issues, and had to use RCA cables in conjunction with the HDMI cable. When not using a surround sound system you should always use the HDMI cables IMO. GBY.....

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4x4given


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DagoRanch wrote:

4x4given wrote:
And if you do some serious research, you'll discover that there is no real advantage to spending the $$$$ for the (much overhyped) Monster cables. ;)


http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024007&p_id=3871&seq=1&format=2

True enough, but you do need to watch for what the cable will support.  Some low-cost HDMI cables won't have the capacity to carry a full 1080i/p HD video and digital audio simultaneously.

I've went through quite a few low-cost HDMI cables, that all failed within a few weeks.

When looking into the specs, I found out the cables that I got would only support 720p video, technically still HD, but not full 1080p.  It did work for awhile, but not for long.

Just make sure whatever you buy is capable of carrying FULL HD video, and you should be golden.

 


Good point.  Just saying "HDMI", is like saying "Pickup truck".  There are numerous "version" of HDMI and they support a wide range of features and performance.  Unfortunately, very few sales persons in many stores have no idea what the specifications are and all too often the customer has no real grasp on what they need.

And that was why I posted the link to the particular product that I did.  It's HDMI 1.3a certified, which should perform very well at 1080i/p for all but the most demanding and technologically advanced digital home theater application.  I doubt most RV's would ever require more.  We've been using this particular cable with our home A/V setup for over a year now and it has performed without any issues. 

For more information on the specifics of different HDMI versions, and they *do* differ (particularly when it comes to maximum resolution on big screen TVs and with handling sound for surround sound systems), check out this page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Versions

 



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