> Canadian Broadcasting Corp Confirms HDMI Cable Scam!

FYI...

> Canadian Broadcasting Corp confirms HDMI Cable Scam - from Gary Merson's HDGuru website link (reported by CBC TV reporter Erica Johnson) - companies mentioned include Monster Cable, Rocketfish, Future Shop, Best Buy, etc

The HD Guru™ has been warning readers since November 2006 about false claims made regarding the superior HDTV performance of expensive name brand HDMI cables when compared to a cheap ones. Canada’s public television network, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) has extensively tested a brand name, very expensive HDMI cable against less costly ones and confirmed the HD Guru’s advice. It found that a generic $6.00 (plus shipping) HDMI cable obtained from an internet retailer provided exactly the same high definition performance as the name brand cable costing $216!

CONTINUE READING more thru the link above (brief), and then view the actual TV report HERE - about 10 minutes (excellent!)

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-JIMI McLovin (the Voodoo Child)

[Post edited by Love Hendrix! on May 13, 2008]

Well.... that's nothing new.

Damn I could have told you! Monster has been ripping people off for years. Only a fraction of what they sell can make a difference. HDMI and DVI cable were the biggest money grabs of all time. I'm using Belden and I think I paid no more than $6 a cable including tax! Yes they are Belden cables.

I use Belden too, including my 25' length from my receiver to my projector that I got from Blue Jeans for about $80. I'd hate to think how much Monster's top cable would cost for this kind of length. Anyone else find it unusual that Monster does not publish specifications or certification information for the cables they sell?

Monster is like Bose...the marvels of marketing...getting the masses to believe that they are superior to all others

Agreed! Monster and Bose are two of the biggest snow job companies out there! I have been saying that for years. Monsters claim to fame was the MK3 and MM4 inconnects for audio! Level 2 and Level 3 for video. These are products that I can see and hear a difference. Analog distribution of video and audio. Not Digital such as HDMI, DVI, or the killer is those fat, spring loaded Optical Cables they sell for $149 or more! What a crock! Most of my stuff still uses COAX Digital! And I didn't pay more than $20!

I bought a 3 ft HDMI cable (I think Monster) for $50 at BB ...yep, way before I joined this site, if only I had known...

Hendrix, I'm so glad you posted this!

I was just shopping for HDMI cables and I was looking at $28 HDMI cables (made by Phillips) at Sams Club but I was not sure if I should. Looks like I'll be buying those puppies now instead of $100 Monster cables!

You just saved me some serious coin.

[Post edited by Falcon01 on May 13, 2008]

Hey Falcon... you can save even more from internet vendors who offer inexpensive cables etc. One that I've recommended for several years now is MONOPRICE.com - I've ordered 5 times now over the last 2 1/2 years, and they provide very fast service (ships within 24 hours). You can find several HDMI cables of various lengths and colors at great prices. There are other good vendors too, but I've never stopped buying from them.

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-JIMI McLovin (the Voodoo Child)

Falc $28 ???

Falc go on new egg. and grab like 3 or 4 for $28 shipped... depending what lenth.

i have tried most of the cheaper cables from new egg. and compared in the ps3 360 and tosh player. same crap as an expensive one i had purchased in BB last year. which lucky I was able to return.. later on the same week. that was when i would only read on this site, and not post.

[Post edited by kucoloco on May 13, 2008]

Hendrix which HDMI cable are you getting from Monoprice? I noticed this one...

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=3661&seq=1&format=4#feedback

Kuco, which cable are you getting from egg?

That's a good choice^ Falcon - but when I ordered last (several months back - Dec/Jan?), I chose an even cheaper model <but the black color was out/stock, so I picked it up (two of 'em) in green and orange.

Hey, they're all good!

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-JIMI McLovin (the Voodoo Child)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812186013

i have tried the syba cables. link depot and also rosewill I believe. among others.

Wow I just watched the video and I'm blown away. I'm so glad they actually compared the cables to professional equipment to prove it 100%.

I'm buying cables from Monoprice now Great find Hendrix!

I just emailed a whole bunch of people with this article. Start spreading the newsssss...

Well lucky for me i never thought an extra 200 dollars or so would improve my video and audio. I just got a couple of hdmi cables from Buy Extras for cheap. Though i went to the site to get receiver fans for my new onkyo 605 since they run hot, but since they had hdmi cables cheaper than the stores around here i thought i could get some so i could have audio and video all in on cable. But its nice to "officially" know that expensive cables don't make a difference.

Well with some cables you can see/hear a difference if the signal is analog...but usually it's a waste of money...especially for anything carrying a digital signal.

I remember being in a high end A/V store once and laughing at a guy who tried to sell me on $600 speaker cables that were 'oxygen free copper, yada yada blah blah Ginger'. Anyway, they looked cool but no way were they any better than the 12 gauge Costco stuff I ended up buying.

Speaking of the overrated and overhyped BOSE Audio products, I remember visiting their website a few years ago (during 2006), and NONE of their "Lifestyle" systems featured an HDMI output from the DVD player. (they've now changed that - 2007? - as I just visited the BOSE website again, and they either have HDMI, or you can buy a separate adapter box that provides HDMI - all overpriced per the usual Bose marketing. I'm amazed that anyone buys these products (such high MSRP), and you hardly ever see a decent discount from Bose dealers either (maybe $50 to $100 off - big deal).

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-JIMI McLovin (the Voodoo Child)

I have BOSE products and have nothing to complain about. You want overpriced and overhyped, leave that to SONY. Every SONY product I've had is either hit or miss, much like owning a FORD. The BOSE products I've owned, though, have been worth every dime spent.

[Post edited by Tim Raynor on May 13, 2008]

Tim Raynor:

Quote:

I have BOSE products and have nothing to complain about. You want overpriced and overhyped, leave that to SONY. Every SONY product I've had is either hit or miss, much like owning a FORD. The BOSE products I've owned, though, have bee worth every dime spent.

I'd say Sony and Bose are just about on par with overhyped and overpriced crap. The only real difference between the two would be that with Sony, you've got a small chance at getting a good product that's reasonably priced. With Bose, you don't even have the opportunity to take a chance on reasonably priced products.

Don't get me wrong, Bose does make a quality product, it's just that you can get the same quality elsewhere for a lot less. Oh yeah, and most reputable audio companies post the specs of their products.

Bose makes good products but they are WAY overpriced.

Sony is overpriced also but not as bad.

A friend of mine in Round Rock TX (north of Austin) has one of those BOSE Wave Radios (aka Bose Wave Music System), and yes - it is a nice product (I've heard it twice when visiting), but IMO overpriced of course, just like their other products.... $250 for their pair of headphones,? etc. (the Bose TV infomercial is absolutely correct on one thing - their systems are EASY to hook up, but you pay much more than what their products are truly worth, IMO)

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-JIMI McLovin (the Voodoo Child)

Oh, I'll agree they are pricey, but what I'm getting at is for something pricey, at least they are worth it. You can find three of their headphones at BB for under $200. They have an over the ear padded model for $179, then one that covers the ears for for $137, and then the ear-plug style for $99.

I own a Zune, so I have a pair of the ear-plug style and I can tell you they make all the difference in the world. It's like having a massive home stereo in your head! I just love the rich base tones they get! they make the pair that came with my Zune look like some cheap crap from Radioshack! I also have a pair of the $137 ones I use at home, and they are awesome! I will admit though, you can't tell a lot of difference between the $99 ones compared to the $137 set. They are both very well worth the money!

Thanks Tim... I didn't know those^ prices (cheaper) and the various styles. Will have to check out, as I've been thinking about getting a pair of headphones (my older set is not in the best shape), so maybe that $137 model might do it. In the past (1980s-90s) I've bought Koss and Sennheiser, but haven't checked their prices lately (in comparison to Bose). Thanks for the update.

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-JIMI McLovin (the Voodoo Child)