Home audio and video: Premium vs. generic cables

In addition to my answer above Derek, I'll add issues of psychology.

A man's credentials as a technician, reviewer, installer, or years in the industry do not matter. His REAL experience listening and viewing interconnects DO matter.

If the man is set in his views that either he always will hear or see differences or improvements between cables, than it is his psychology, and not reality, speaking. And if he tells you that there are no differences between audio and video interconnects, it is the same.

A Chevy will get you there. So will a Ferrari. If you can't afford a Ferrari you will, sometimes, actually believe that there is NO reason to spend $200,000 for a Ferrari, or that the improvements you see, feel, or believe regarding the quality of one over the other, does not warrant the higher price. In the case of a car, one can say we are talking values, not value. There is a huge distinction between one's values, and the objective value of the subject matter.

Objectively, as well as subjectively, many people have an huge investment in their belief systems. Objectively and subjectively, in the highest quality systems -- as in a high quality microscope -- one can hear and see dramatic differences between interconnects. But not always...just most of the time.

There are levels of qualitative improvements between cables that can be repeatedly demonstrated to anyone with an open mind.

If a man has never heard, let's say (and I'll choose one lesser known but a very competitive and successful brand) NORDOST video or audio cables, one can actually continue to believe that his Best Buy cables...even by a major well known manufacturer -- is good enough, or the best. For example, a Nordost component video interconnect, if I remember correctly, costs about $500. To many it is insanely priced.

So the way I see it....I mean "see" it....is that is is 10% of the price of your $5000 large screen TV. Or about 15% of your $3500 large screen TV. What if I told you that it can improve your picture quality 30%? Even after calibration!

You'd probably not believe me and believe the gents on this post who -- never having experienced it for themselves -- tell you to just go ahead and buy the $19 cables.

No I say. Order the high priced spread with return privileges...see for yourself...and improve your enjoyment of the hobby.

The fact is, meeting the specs is NOT enough. The impedance terminations of these cables are critical. Close enough is not enough.

The sad truth about quality is that it costs money. There are no free lunches, no free health care, no free drugs. Someone has to pay for all of those. There are consequences to be paid for short cuts to quality (your Ferrari will beat the pants off your Chevy and the girl sitting next to you just may be hotter than the one sitting next to the guy in the Chevy...) All steaks do not taste the same; all suits do not feel the same, nor fit the same; all amplifiers do not sound the same; all hi def TV displays do not have the same quality of video processing.

All cables do not have the same performance because in fact they do not have the same transmission capability...

...because we cannot measure all things. We, well, some of us, just believe that we can. And it is what you have not yet measured that makes the difference...especially if someone has measured and identified what makes the important differences. Ferrari has. But it costs money to give you the F-048's performance. Sorry, but reality does not care what we think...only what is.

It is my understanding that a cheap cable is just that, You may spend up to 100.00 on a good cable but trust me its worth it. Sometimes a cheap cable will pick up interference from anything including the tv you are hooking it up to. An expensive cable is shielded to protect from all types of interference. So if your going to spend the big bucks on hd tv, then go all the way.Tattoo Joe

I have a Sony HD and use a $7 HDMI cable that works just as well as any of the higher priced ones... Don't waste your money... You can pick up some really good info and inexpensive cables at http://www.mycablemart.com/
Shipping is also very reasonable and quick... I ordered on Monday, which was a holiday and so it was not shipped til Tuesday, received on Thursday... not bad...

Derek, This is a good question, and one that all of us who own HD TV's have asked outselves before. I purcased my three HD TV's at three different electronic stores, and each time the sales person tried to stear me to the expensive cables. I have tried both the less expensive and the expensive, and for me, there has been no difference in picture or sound quality performance. I think the real answer lies in the source of the transmission of the viewing (HD box, DVI box, cable) and the HD TV brand itself. As I said, I have three HD TV's with the same cables, and source of transmission and I can tell you that each sets viewing and sound quality is different. I use a HDMI on all three sets, along with my HD DVD player, and I like this cable for a all in one, for viewing and sound quality. Most of the new HD TV's have at least one HDMI input. I also have tried the digital cables (green, blue, red) for hookup but the HDMI is the one I would choose for convience and quality. I hope this has been helpful, and I know that most of the electronic stores try to stear you to the "Monster Cables", but for me, the less inexpensive cables have worked just fine.

DO NOT BUY ANY OF THE CABLES THAT THEY OFFER. I work for Comcast cable and we supply all the cables and HDMI cables. They are all MONSTER manufactured so they are some of the best out there. The only ones we do not supply are the S-Video cables. So keep the money in your wallet for now. You will also note that the HDMI is the best connection. And do not get sucked into 1080P. 1080I is all you need for now. Save your money.
GOOD LUCK
Brian

Okay, to get to the point sometimes the more expensive to go with is the best choice. Sometimes they are made better to handle a larger Joule. I have come to find out though that some of the cables are equal as in $100 to the $15. Some of them are made by the same company but sold underdifferent names because of off branching(same company different division).There are times you really need to do your homework and check and see who the cheaper brands parent company is. They sometimes put out the cables under their own name to get people to pay the higher price($100) but their subsidiary puts out the cheaper price($15). Same cable just different BRAND name. Like I said sometimes it pays to do a little homework.

OK. I read articles and electronic results measurements about HDTV, resolutions, contrast ratios, displays, LCD, plasma, dvd players, dvd upconverting, blue ray, component cables and hdmi cables before I spent my money. What I learned is that there to the normal human eye, there isn't any noticeable difference between 480P and 1080I. Brand and contrast ratio are the two most important things prior to your purchase, even when considering LCD, plasma, rear projection etc. DVD players are mostly all the same, just buy a good brand name with progressive scan because this type of scan does improve the picture to the eye. HDMI isn't all what it is cracked up to be, it came about so that us, the consumers, would have less wires to connect. Scientific results show MINIMAL difference between component cables and the HDMI cable, and LITTLE difference between $15 cables and $100 cables. Gold plated cables are great, but they aren't going to improve the picture noticeably than regular cables. DVD upconverting and blue ray, a waste of time and money. The human eye cannot determine 1080I from 480P when watching the picture from the recommended distance. Further, my Panasonic 42" Professional Plasma 480P outperforms most, if not all, HDTV's with so-called high contrast and 720P or 1080I. Even when I get closer to the screen, I really can't tell the difference between the three resolutions. To actually tell if you have eagle eyes, ask the sales person to "borrow" a blue ray dvd, and move it from one to the other so that you can see it for yourself. I did this and saved a TON of money. There are more resolution lines in a 1080I than a 720 and 480, but for the most part you won't notice any difference unless you want to also use the display for your laptop or PC.

Recommendation: if you want a display to watch movies, tv and high def tv, don't be sold on resolution, look for brand and contrast ratio. If you want the display to act as a monitor, then you need to consider a 1080I, brand and contrast ratio.

I have definatley noticed a difference in the type of cables used. I would always try to connect a DVD or high-def signal via DVI or HDMI. I am sure all of the videophiles will disagree with me but I havent seen much difference in the cable brands but I am sure there is a very small diference. Unless you have the money to burn, I wouldn't go with a $100 cable. I would recommend an inexpensive and as short of a cable that will suffice. As far as high def goes, my cable provider only offers 4 channels of HD I can't get with an antenna, so I have elected to use a good indoor antenna for my HD channels. Since I am in a metro area I get channels 3,5,10,12,15,45,61 and they come in perfect. However you really do need a good antenna, mine is a Terk that was about $50.

Hi,
A little common sense will go a long way when it comes to purchasing cables for your system. I could bore everyone with all the details of cable design but the topic is far more complex than most people realize.
I've been in the cable and harness manufacturing business for the better part of 30 years and quality isn't measured in the size or cost of the cables. Consider the following and you will be able to make a comfortable and cost effective decision with regard to cables.

1) First and foremost - Buy the entire installation including the cabling based upon the equipment manufactuers recommendations. The reasoning is this; Who will they blame if the system doesn't work to your satisfaction? They will blame the cables and the installation. Why risk the time and frustration, pay the extra money for a sound(pun intended) installation and peace of mind knowing you have recourse with the manufacturer exclusively.(Just think of the time and frustration you will save and it's a "no-brainer".)
3)Don't gamble with coax cables. Coax cables adhere to a different set of rules. Buy the cables from the equipment manufacturer only. The same reasoning applies as in #1 above.
If you are a DIY'er and insist on doing the work yourself remember these tips:
a)Larger gauge cable will not get you any increase in performance above the minimum specifications of the equipment.
b)Twisted wires are only needed for high frequency analog signals traveling distances over ten feet.
c) Lower frequencies seen in stereo equipment can be dealt with through the use of good shielding practices. Foil shielding is highly effective for CATV or higher frequencies. Metal braid may look better but it leaks more energy than foil will. Foil and braid shielding are best. (Quad shielded CATV cable for example.)
d)The most important part of the cable from a quality perspective can't be seen by the consumer. The wire terminations contribute 80-90% of the resultant transmission quality. Try the least expensive cable that meets the manufacturers general specifications. If it doesn't work it is due to the quality of the workmanship within the cable and not the cable design. Take it back and get a new cable.

If you really want to understand the in's and out's of basic cable design Belden, one of the largest in the world, has a great web site full of good, easy to understand, information. Go to thier web site and on the cable university tab. It's loaded with broad and very good information

Hi Def TV is 100% digital. Buy the cheapest cables you can find. They will work just fine.

Upselling of cables at large consumer electronics outlets is a big scam, IMO. Esepcially when it comes to digital cables like HDMI. With an analog signal, there could definitely be a slightly discernible difference in cables. Yet, for 90% of the people in the world, it won't make any difference. When it comes to digital signals, like DVI and HDMI, you either have a signal or you don't. Period. Thus, the $120 Monster HDMI cable is really no better than the $5 cable that comes with your DVD player. No matter what any sleazy salesman tells you, with a digital signal, it is black or white, no grey area. Save your money and buy from a number of reputable discount cable outfits online, like monoprice.com. Monster cables are the biggest ripoff in the industry.

Typically, video quality goes up going from Composite to S-Video to Component to HDMI standard. The trick is finding cables which meet the spec of the individual standards. One can find cables in all formats that are junk without looking too hard.

Now, what is the actual difference in the specs and does that difference translate into better video?

I just bought a 50" HD set and had cable installed.
The installer stated that, in his experience, the component connection is as good as the HDMI connection for smaller screen TVs. For larger, especially 50" and up, one can see a difference with HDMI cables. He lauphs at the people who are conned into the "expensive" HDMI cables.
Having done my time as an engineer and TV technician, I can appreciate the difference between good and bad cables. A resonably priced cable can be technically as good as a high priced one. A cheap cable is probably cheap. The problem is meaningful specs are typically not published except for expensive cables so it becomes a trial and error task unless you can find someone else's review of the exact cable you have in mind.

The last variable is you. Will you be able to see the difference yourself. Here is my view.

I just went from a 22 year old 26" Sony CRT set, which btw still works very well thank you Sony, to a 1080p 50" Plasma. Can you say WOW!? Do you really think I am going to be able to see the difference between a Conponent connection and HDMI? I don't think so unless I get another set connected next to this one and study them. Not going to happen.

If I have the opportunity to find a review on a well priced HDMI cable that indicates it will perform better than the component connection the cable guy installed, I may buy one. Till then, I am enjoying an absolutely gorgeous National Geographic and Discovery channels on my new Panny - but that is another review.

Often we relate higher price with higher quality, and indeed the phrase "you get what you pay for" is often true. Retailers who sell higher priced cables for audio and video want you to believe that is true. However in reality, this is a product area where more money does not mean higher quality.

Let's think about what a good connection cable does for a moment. A good cable will pass a signal with no noticeable degredation of the signal. With analog signals, this can be a little tricky as you start dealing with highly refined, high resolution components. With digital cables, contrary to what some would want you to believe, a cable is a cable.

With analog cables, each cable has electrical characteristics which are dictated primarily by how the cable itself is made. Some use a single solid strand core, others use a braided wire. Some use silver, some use copper - you get the idea. The source and destination components also have electrical characteristics of their own. When you assemble the source/cable/destination combination, typically very subtile results happen. I must emphasize that the differences are subtle at best, and cost is not a factor!

How about digital? The true luxury of digital connections is that the electrical characteristics are taken out of the connection. Digital either works or it doesn't. Cables are a non-issue.

When making a purchase, keep in mind that cables are a huge markup item. When the sales person tries to talk you into buying "the best" cable, line filter, etc. to go with your new purchase, they are doing their job. In chain stores, they do so to keep their job.

Back in the old days when analog connections were prone to RFI (Radio Frequency Interference)and other sources for line noise, there was some small justification for the "heavy duty" or premium cables. Most of the time, it was overkill, but in some cases it was not.

Today we are talking about digital signals. They are not subject to the same interference problems. The $100 cable is not going to enhance anything beyond the vendor bank account.

Some things such as dual link DVID vs. single link can make a difference. They are both, however, $35 cables. There is no case of distance degredation of signal strengths for the typical entertainment setup. It's digital. A decent electrical contact on the connectors is all that is needed. Gold contacts are a nice touch, but still tend to be overkill.

Perhaps if one had a situation of a 200+ foot run to make, there could be some consideration for cable quality, but not that much to go to the heavy duty double shielded style cables. It just isn't needed. Save the cable money and spend it on higher quality components, such as a better display.

Derek,
Your question is a very important question to the subject of HDTV. It is also one of the areas where the greatest controversy exists, partly due to education, or lack thereof, and partly due to sales commissions.
For HDTV the "right" cables are of utmost importance, but you don't have to spend a lot to get the "WOW" of HDTV!

First, if you only expect to watch FREE HD from an OTA antenna (your regular old attic antenna or rabbit ears) you won't need any cables except the coaxial cable from the antenna to the TV.

Next, if you want to view HDTV from an external source (Satellite receiver, cable box, HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, gaming system) you MUST use either HDMI (digital) or component (analog) cables. These cables are the ONLY choices to watch HDTV. The difference in picture quality between the two is small and sometimes not noticeable. Some prefer component, some HDMI. (HDMI also digitally transfers audio while components require additional cables to transfer the audio. Red and white RCA cables or digital audio cable - I usually use RCA.)

That being said, the best choice is HDMI. Why? Simply put, the HDMI cable allows for two way communication between your digital TV and your digital HD source. What this does is to allow the two to agree together what is the best way to present the picture (format/resolution) on the screen. Component cables don't allow this communication and require the user to get involved with additional settings or formatting.

Here is where the controversy begins. At the heart of the cable controversy are salesmen who play on the old saying "You get what you pay for...", and while trying to increase the amount of the sale, attempt to get you to buy Monster cables. The truth is that there is an exception to every rule and you don't always get what you pay for.
Monster cables are the very expensive cables pushed by the big box stores. Concerning HDTV, avoid them. They are known to create problems, not solve them. They are known to damage the HDMI input on your devices, and cost several times what others do. (NOTE: If you are using satellite to get HD, use quality surge protection but avoid Monster as they sometimes interfere with the function of satellite receivers as the receivers attempt to "backfeed" differing voltages to the satellite.)

In the video arena, most cables are created "equal". In the audio arena, there seems to be benefit to purchasing better quality, higher priced cables.

I am an independent HDTV consultant and have no stake in your purchase. I didn't buy one cable and have a problem...I have learned this from dealing with 100's of HDTVs. I have replaced or bypassed Monster video/power products many times to resolve issues while performing service calls on HDTV systems.

I hope this will help many to "see the light" in the form of awesome "WOW!" HDTV while reducing cost and confusion. For additional information, self-help, setup, and resources, visit http://www.wowvision.tv

Sincerely,
Hi Def Jeff
WOWVision!

Generally speaking, Derek, there is a difference in quality and performance. However, from my personal experience, I would say the difference for the majority of people will hardly be noticeable. If at all. As far as analog vs digital, I say go with digital. If anything, just for the convenience factor. After spending big $$$ for cables, perhaps you will try very hard to see and/or hear the upgrade the salesperson suggest exists. Also, there quite often seems to be that ego thing. Don't you know someone who's always going on about how they spent this huge sum for(insert well known or esoteric brand name)a this or that. I do.
Perhaps you can see your friends' systems and what they are using to get an idea. Anyways, the best thing you can do, is to buy the correct cables for your application and hook them up properly.
It's your hard earned dollars. Spend wisely and to your comfort level.

First of all, it depends whether you are using an analog connection (ie. composite, "yellow cable", s-video, component, vga, ect.) or digital connection (ie. DVI, HDMI, ect). Since this is an HDTV, I am guessing that you are using a digital HDMI connection. The short answer is... yes. The $15 cable will work just as well as the $100 cable. As long as you are running less than about 6 or 7 meters, there will be very little to no difference between the cheap and expensive cables. If you are running more than 6 or 7 meters, then you should get a decent, moderatly priced cable. The $100-$200 monster cable is unnecessary, however, you should not get the cheapest cable available for this length.

Analog cables are slightly different. With analog cables, a more expensive cable MIGHT give you a more clear picture. At up to about 5 meters, the $15 dollar cable should be fine, however at more than 5 meters, a higher quality cable is recommended. Again, when I say higher quality, I don't mean $150 monster cable. I just mean not the super value cheap cable. The quality of analog cables makes more of a difference than the quality of digital cables, however there is still little difference in short lengths.

Overall, if given the choice between the $15 cable and the $100 cable, I would choose the $15 cable. If you are running the cable over a long distance, I would get something in between. I would NEVER get the $100-$200 monster cable. I hope this explanation clears up any questions you had about cable quality.

A. What kind of box is being plugged in to the TV to give you a HD signal. These boxes range from nothing at all AS REGULAR COAX CABLE LABELED RJ45 WILL CARRY AN HD SIGNAL, you know, the good ole cable-screw in the back of the tv; to the latest video gadgets such as the new HD-DVD players (high definition - digital video disc), HD Satellite and Cable Company Receivers, computer graphics cards with HD outputs, Xboxs, Playstation 3s, etc... Read on.

HD = a broadcast television term used by Congress to define a level of picture quality that new tvs must be able to decode without any additional box or hook up needed besides RABBIT EARS. By law, a tv can only be called HD if it displays ATLEAST 720 horizontal lines to make the tv picture. Ever ready to give you a more expensive choice, the industry one upped Congress and offers 1080 lines of horizontal resolution, which IS useful for large screens (by opinon 42"-50" or bigger) but of course, more $$$. Again, the first way to cable HD is with a good ole antenna with rj45 cable in the wall (or under the house, no big $$$ buy any means) screwed into the back of a new HD TV. Thats it. HD is 720 or 1080. If you see a "p" or "i" beside the number, don't be bothered or steered. Just look at the picture quality before buying, although 1080p will be for the next generation the top standard so probably worth the money and bigger 1080ps are coming down if you wait until this Christmas... Ask your salesman what the "i" and the "p" mean. Then ask another somewhere else... funny...

***Never buy an HD tv because of its bright shiny picture! ALWAYS PREVIEW THE IMAGE IN THE STORE WHILE WATCHING A 10 OR 15 MINUTE SCENE of LOW LIGHT WITH LOTS OF BLACKS AND SHADOWS. Harry Potter movies are great screen testers. Insist the store hook up the tv to an HD source showing one. If they won't, go somewhere that will, as you will see a huge difference in the quality of low light scenes between different tvs. Ask the sales rep to hit the "auto-picture" or "movie" preset on the remote, to avoid any store tinkering in image to sell one tv over another.

Oh, wait, thats right, the "industry" has developed some expensive other ways to display HD. HMM...

DVI Cable: video only, digitaly encoded signal, expensive to run/switch. Supposedly better because digital signal is never broken down then reassembled between box source and tv display. OKAY... but keep in mind the signal isn't telemetry from the Hubble Space Telescope, it is video bits. The industry, though, will convince you that I am an idiot and that the miniscule if any difference in quality is worth the $$$$$. Plus, with digital signals, the industry can encrypt programs in the signal that may let them manipulate you even more...

HDMI: same as DVI, but with surround audio built in, so jack is bigger. And with the same fault as above.

Both HDMI and DVI are expensive in long lengths, very expensive to "switch" (one cable goes from your pc or other box to a switch to say, 3 different rooms - $$$$$$$$$) AND either cable is required for the industry's 1080 upgrade. Hmm...

The "yellow RCA" aka "composite" (one cable "composes" several different picture signals) okay for vcrs, dvd players, or video games for young players. USELESS FOR ANYTHING ELSE. Incapable of passing all the info needed with todays complex signals. It will try, with poor picture as the result.

"S" and "SuperS" cable are a little better than yellow with the old standard, but not HD. Going, going, GONE! Plus, the physical connectors of this cable are very flimsy.

"Component" cable with three diffrent pins hanging off the end, each pin being a component of a standard 720 signal (or dvd, or video game). Some of these cables will also have seperate connections for audio too, be it a fiber optic cable (never bend sharply) or a pair of white and red stereo ends. COMPONENT IS MY FAVORITE. SHOWS STANDARD 720 WONDERFULLY. CHEAP TO SWITCH. NO SECRET ENCRYPTED CODES FROM THE INDUSTRY!

Of course the industry knows this. Look for component video AND standard coax screw connector TO DISAPPEAR FROM TVS, forcing us into the brave new world of digitaly tracking and manipulating everything we watch, listen to, download, etc... using their more expensive cables... to find more ways to bill us. Over the air? Still free, but without a coax screw-on jack on the TV, how will you hook it up???????........ They've got it all figured out.

One more thing!

Do you really think "gold plate" on a pin will help picture quality. Yeah, if you are watching while submerged in a sub or perhaps being launched into space. In your living room? VERY LITTLE. On consumer grade pins, even the "monstrously" priced won't have enough gold to interest a Leprechan. Gold tipped fiber optic cables? The OPTICAL connection ISN'T ELECTRICAL! Don't wast money on over priced gimmicks. Regular connectors are fine, and can be made brand new over and over again by erasing away any dust, grime, or discoloration. Literally. A pencil eraser is the home theater buff's best friend. Won't damage any connectors (unless you are using too much physical foce on sensitive computer type connections) but will pull almost any type of environmental build up off of them. Great for "can't read" memory cards as well as battery terminals in today's handheld gadgets.

B. (thought it wasn't there huh..) LENGTH needed! If you are installing your HD source (whatever type it may be) more than six to eight feet from the TV, paying extra for "braided" cables is generally worth the money. Braided wire is easier to loop around, through, beneath, inside of, the various nooks and crannies of installation.

Wait, you may want to read this:

HDMI and DVI are good ways to transmit digital data, and the industry has a right to protect the media it has spent millions to create from would be pirates and criminals (lord of the rings was a right kindly gift, several hundred million to produce - yea it made alot more, but only AFTER the millions were risked in production.) We just need to make sure in turn that OUR privacy as consumers in a free market isn't PIRATED BY THE INDUSTRY with abusive "user agreements" to have access to HD programming Congressionaly mandated in the first place.

I hope the time you spent reading this was in your opinion "worth it"

The question as to whether cables can make a difference is a resounding yes. Cheap cables are terminated with low grade connectors such as tin plated brass. When brand new you might not be able to see a difference. After a time, however, the cheaper connectors will develop a microscopic layer of oxidation and form low ohm bridges. A premium brand such as Monster cable will be a higher grade of brass and gold plated to prevent oxidation. Your signal is dependent on a solid clean contact between metal to metal. If the connector goes in or pulls out too easily, alarm bells should go off. Remember though, the worlds best connection will still give some loss. Every time you go through a splice, splitter, or switch connection the loss is cumulative. As I said, when brand new you will see little difference, but a year or two from now you will be either cursing your cheap cables or glad you spent a little extra on high grade connectors and cables. One other thing to remember, energy only travels on the surface of a conductor. Stranded center conductor will carry energy more efficiently than solid core, and the more strands the better. My advice spend the money for the better cables and throw away those cheap cables that come with most gadgets.

When dealing with HDTV cables, the markup by top-of-the-line manufactures is incredible, considering the difference between the $20.00 HDMI and the $200.00 HDMI versions. They are made identical except for the outer sleeve and packaging. Larger and more relevant differences are apparent when dealing with audio cabling.
Check out the link: http://www.mycablemart.com/features/hdmi_cables_q_and_a.php
Read up on what the experts say about your actual requirements and ignore what large companies are trying to sell you. I am not affiliated with any of these guys, so I am not promoting them, but the website does present a good arguement.

Derek,

I used to work at RadioShack, and when I worked there I had an extremely generous discount on Monster cables, so I "Monsterized" my albeit modest home theater system. After adding on a few other components, I bought a few RadioShack Gold Series cables (the best they offered until they started dealing Monster), and one of my video inputs on my TV shorted out and the weight of the Monster cable caused my video input to go out and I had to use a cheap out-of-the-box video cable. So I've used the cheapest, the middle-of-the-road, and the best of the best, and here are the results:

The three things that made the most noticeable improvements were my Monster surge protector, subwoofer cable and speaker cables. There was a modest difference in video quality between the el cheapo composite video cable and the Monster one, but since the Monster cable isn't agreeing with my TV, out it goes (or rather, it goes into the junk drawer until it's needed). For standard audio cables and analog video, there was little difference between a set of $15-20 RadioShack Gold Series and the $30-100 Monsters. And in my experience, high-quality analog cables make a bigger difference than high-quality digital cables. Ign.com's Nintendo Wii website compared Monster's $60 component video cable to Nintendo's $20 cable and an off-market $10 component cable, and they found no appreciable difference.

So what's the verdict for you? I would recommend getting a good surge protector, the best speaker cables you can afford that will work with your system (some Monster speaker cables are so well-insulated and wrapped in nylon jackets and such that they are hard to bend around your home entertainment system and other furniture, and you might want to get some thinner ones if you need to run them to the rear of the room for your rear surround, or you may need cables ready for in-wall threading), and a decent subwoofer cable. For other cables, go as cheap as you can for mid-grade quality. I just outfitted my church's video system with 100-ft cables from abccable.com, and I noticed they had HDMI cables that would be $30 or more at Walmart or RadioShack on sale for $8.95. Plus, they threw in a few bags of Skittles in the shipping box. And all that extra double-shielded nitrogen-injected stuff on Monster cables makes very little difference.

So, splurge on the speaker cables, subwoofer cables, and power supply system, and go modest on everything else. With websites like ebay, abccables.com and froogle.com, there is no reason why you should have to drop big bucks on any of your cables.

1) In the case of cables that use a digital signal (HDMI, DVI) the human eye cannot notice the difference between a $200 Monster Cable and a generic cable that can be bought online for a fraction of the cost. Personally, I use a 6 ft. HDMI cable I bought from monoprice.com for $6.00 (Its currently only $4.79!) and works perfectly. My neighbor unfortunately was talked into buying an expensive Monster HDMI Cable when purchasing his HDTV, which is a Sony SXRD KDS-R60XBR2. So we tested out both cables by watching "Tears of the Sun" on Blu-Ray and there was absolutely no difference visuals (his TV is ISF Calibrated by a professional) or audio (7.1 surround, LPCM). Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, because the only way they can be right is if Monster has found a way to defy Physics, which they haven't!

2) In the case of analog cables the extra sheilding etc. that Monster and other cable companies brag about do make legitimate gains in signal performance, but nonetheless if your buying a monster cable from a brick and mortar store (Best Buy, Circuit City etc.) your still paying TOO MUCH!!! I've skimmed CNET on this issue and didn't dig up much info, so in order to explain what I mean we'll take a look at the HDTV Q&A at IGN.com written by Gerry Block, who wrote a little piece on this topic in one his HDTV Q&A features titled "How not to get ripped off buying home theater cabling." In this little rant Gerry recalls how much cables cost once his employee discount kicked in while working at Best Buy and states, "I picked up a 50-foot spool of CAT 5 cabling, originally price at $54.99, for $2.49. $30 S-Video wires fall to $1.50. It's rather impressive." Proving that CABLES ARE OVERPRICED IN GENERAL from brick and mortar stores, regardless of quality gains!

Link to the HDTV Q&A explaining "How not to get ripped off buying home theater cabling" at IGN.com:
http://gear.ign.com/articles/770/770456p1.html

When a saleman ask you if you have a good connection, he/she might be looking for cable or satellite source for your entertainment. The reason being is that you're just wasting your money on a high end receiver with a crappy source of provider. You might also be thinking about your audio system...is it an AC5 or AC3 which basically tells you if you're planning to have a sorround sound for your gaming or movie watching. Most HDTV are now capable of providing you with great sound and realistic pictures these days but your cant really get all that digital potential if your source are nowhere near your expected results. Good hunting!

From experience, it makes little difference from using s-video or high definition on a standard tv. However, if you have a high definition monitor or set, it does payoff to use the best possible connection. You can really hear the difference between an (analog) rca connection and a fiber optic (digital) audio connection. The same holds true for video, but only if you have the equipment capable of hi-def display.

Digital cables will provide superior picture and sound over analog cables. I find this a noticeable upgrade and I think you will too. Do not waste your money on expensive cables. I have found quality digital cables on line for less then $20. I can attest specifically with HDMI cables you will not notice a difference in the picture on your HDTV. If there is a difference you would need highly sensitive test equipment to measure it and state of the art equipment providing the picture. I did an extensive A/B test with a high end Mitsubishi HDTV and could not tell the difference. Save your money. Don't go ultra cheap, but anything moderately priced should work fine.