Author Topic: HDMI Cables: $0.60 (Read 15,871 times)

Deozaan · « **on:** June 04, 2010, 03:01 AM »

I just came across these cables on Amazon.com.

6 foot (1.8 meters) HDMI cables for $0.60 + $2.98 shipping (each).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000M51NRM/

MonoPrice is having a Deal of the Day on a 6.5 foot (2 meters) cable for $1.97, but it's hideously ugly (bright orange) and shipping is over $2.50 for one cable or $6.35+ for 2 or more. So definitely go for the cables available (from a 3rd party) on Amazon unless you're ordering 3 or more cables, then it might still be cheaper on MonoPrice.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2010, 08:34 AM »

Would you really buy a 60 cent HDMI cable?

Deozaan · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2010, 08:41 AM »

Quote from: Carol Haynes on June 04, 2010, 08:34 AM

Would you really buy a 60 cent HDMI cable?

Why not? There have been other threads here at DC talking about how the $130 are major ripoffs. Since it's digital it's either all or nothing. Just ones and zeros.

Am I wrong?

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2010, 01:22 PM »

Good HDMI cables are 24 carat gold plated - how much gold are you going to get for 60 cents?

Deozaan · « **Reply #4 on:** June 04, 2010, 04:37 PM »

I didn't know that. Would you mind explaining why the gold plating is better?

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2010, 05:26 PM »

Hi quality connections need to avoid surface corrosion. Gold is highly unreactive and an ideal connection surface.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #6 on:** June 04, 2010, 06:12 PM »

That would make it less likely to get worse ... Which isn't necessarily better ... Assuming both start at roughly the same place.

I'm in the buy 60 cent cable = yes group...

Josh · « **Reply #7 on:** June 04, 2010, 06:13 PM »

Why not buy a 60 cent cable? If the ends start corroding in a year or so, I buy another one. Why waste all of that money on a higher end cable? Digital signals are digital signals.

Deozaan · « **Reply #8 on:** June 04, 2010, 06:28 PM »

Weird. I thought I replied to this again after Carol's response, but I guess I forgot to submit after previewing it or something.

I don't think I'd mind paying a little extra (a matter of a couple of dollars at MonoPrice) for gold plated HDMI cables if it makes them last longer. After all, the best price isn't necessarily the best value. You might spend more replacing the cheap ones than if you had just bought a gold-plated cable for $3 more.

I already bought 2 of the $0.60 cables (which are now being displayed for $0.53 from another 3rd party vendor) so if/when these ones wear out I'll use MonoPrice in the future for the gold-plated but still cheap (less than $5) cables.

It sure beats when I didn't know any better and bought my first HDMI cable for $60.

JavaJones · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2010, 03:39 AM »

Funny, I don't think I've ever seen any of my electronics connections corroding in my house (nor noticed any ill effects from same, at least not before the connectors became loose from over-use, e.g. after years and years). But there was that one amplifier I left out in a shed for a couple years...

- Oshyan

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #10 on:** June 05, 2010, 11:31 AM »

Read some reviews of cheap HDMI cables - they have been known to fail within a few days.

Josh · « **Reply #11 on:** June 05, 2010, 12:33 PM »

Thing to note about reviews are that the ones with problems will always be the most vocal. A good portion of the time, if someone does NOT have a problem with a product, they do NOT come back to review it. The opposite is true for when a problem occurs. When a problem occurs, people often times feel the need to make sure they DO post or inform people about the issue. Reviews are a double edged sword. If I were to rely solely on reviews, I would never buy anything as a good portion of reviews out there, not professionally or commercially backed but done by an individual end-user, are negative as they will always be the most vocal.

Deozaan · « **Reply #12 on:** June 09, 2010, 06:32 PM »

I just received my $0.60 HDMI cables. They are indeed gold plated.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #13 on:** June 09, 2010, 10:03 PM »

Quote from: Deozaan on June 09, 2010, 06:32 PM

I just received my $0.60 HDMI cables. They are indeed gold plated.

Dang! Now I wish I had a use for more HDMI cables!! But I don't want to buy a $30 switch so I can use a $.060 cable.

For what it's worth, electro platers have mastered the art of gold plating using minuscule amounts of AU. So it may be real gold but it's prolly plated a couple of nanometers thick. If the cable itself is fabricated well then you likely won't be able to discern the difference esp. with digital.

I guy I knew got one of these audiophile turntable systems with heavy nickel cables to carry the signal from the cartridge to the preamp. In that case it probably made an actual difference because the quality of all the other components was such that you'd notice anything that didn't seem like life like sound. That stereo sounded fine!!

nite_monkey · « **Reply #14 on:** June 23, 2010, 02:33 PM »

I'm not a cable expert here, and don't claim to be, but this question has been bugging me for a while now. What would cause an hdmi cable to corrode in the first place... and for that matter, why is it that hdmi cables seem to be the only cables that do corrode? (correct me if there are other cables that corrode)

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #15 on:** June 23, 2010, 02:41 PM »

Quality audio cables are also gold plated, best quality SCART cables are gold plated (and I thing the contacts in USB cables are gold plated). Presumably with tiny connection areas and a damp environment (eg. humans and pets breating, eating food etc) can cause minor corrosion and poor contacts. I presume the problem is made worse by the amount of data being transferred and the easy with which digital data can be disrupted. Analogue data isn't so bad because if you miss a tiny bit no one will notice.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #16 on:** June 23, 2010, 06:08 PM »

Quote from: nite_monkey on June 23, 2010, 02:33 PM

I'm not a cable expert here, and don't claim to be, but this question has been bugging me for a while now. What would cause an hdmi cable to corrode in the first place... and for that matter, why is it that hdmi cables seem to be the only cables that do corrode? (correct me if there are other cables that corrode)

Copper is an excellent cheap conductor, but it corrodes easily. If you look at the male end of just about any extension cord unless it's new out of the box it's discolored. The copper wire in the cable is sealed which helps prevent the corrosion. But the connection end is exposed to the air. Something is needed to seal the copper but that's still conductive. Even the RCA stereo cables you buy at online discount houses usually have a bit of gold plating.

With the household extension cord there's enough current going through that it's not going to quit functioning just because there's a bit of oxidation on the connection.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #17 on:** June 23, 2010, 06:32 PM »

Not to mention that HDMI is relatively new Uber sharp/clear A/V technology so people are prepped to get bent over anytime they go to buy something for it. Here's an example of two identical items:

iPhone compatible patch cord $12.00
1/8" stereo patch cable $2.00

...Why? Because one has an Apple Logo on it. e.g. Prices tend to follow what the market will bare

Deozaan · « **Reply #18 on:** June 23, 2010, 06:52 PM »

Kind of funny. I wondered what sort of corrosion would happen on metal. Didn't really think about just plain 'ol rust.

So basically, gold doesn't (easily) rust and copper does. Got it!

MilesAhead · « **Reply #19 on:** June 23, 2010, 11:42 PM »

Quote from: Deozaan on June 23, 2010, 06:52 PM

Kind of funny. I wondered what sort of corrosion would happen on metal. Didn't really think about just plain 'ol rust.

So basically, gold doesn't (easily) rust and copper does. Got it!

Heh heh. They call it "oxidation" just so you know they went to college.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #20 on:** June 23, 2010, 11:45 PM »

Quote from: Stoic Joker on June 23, 2010, 06:32 PM

Not to mention that HDMI is relatively new Uber sharp/clear A/V technology so people are prepped to get bent over anytime they go to buy something for it. Here's an example of two identical items:

iPhone compatible patch cord $12.00
1/8" stereo patch cable $2.00

...Why? Because one has an Apple Logo on it. e.g. Prices tend to follow what the market will bare

Yeah, I try to avoid buying any accessories in brick & mortar stores. You get a good deal on a camera, but you get ripped off on the carrying case. Or you get a good deal on a DVD player but get shafted on the component cable set. If I know for sure I'm shopping around for something that needs a component cable set or an HDMI cable or whatever, I order the cables from an online discount house. Usually by the time they've arrived I've found a good deal on the player or whatever. It's lame to spend $30 for cables to watch a $60 DVD player. But that's what they try to get you to do when you impulse buy.