Customer Reviews

AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters) - Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return [Newest Standard]

5 star:		(898)
4 star:		(109)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

I hooked this braided HDMI cable between my HDTV and my computer to stream video from the internet to my HDTV. The picture is clear and the sound quality is very good. I don't see any difference while using this cable from computer to HDTV than I do when watching TV directly from my satellite box. The only problem I have with this cable is that it is very thick due to the braiding, which makes it hard to turn. I need to plug it into one side of my HDTV, loop it around the back of the TV and bring it out on the other side where I place my computer out of tripping range. The thickness of the cable makes it hard to loop around and it's heavier than the other cables I have. This cable would probably be best for professional use where there might be heavy usage and plugging and unplugging of the cord. It will probably stand the test of time and constant movement easier than the regular smooth vinyl cables. But, for normal home use, the vinyl cables are easier to handle.

For anyone who has not used an HDMI cable and is new to HDTV, this cable can be used to hook up your cable box, DVD or Blu Ray disc player, computer, Wii, sound system and whatever else you have that has an HDMI cable connector. You do not need to use separate audio cables as this beauty steams everything through it. It's super simple to use - just plug it in to your HDTV and plug the other end into the other component and play. I suggest getting HDMI cables for each separate component so you don't have to pull out the DVD cable to plug in your computer.

This is the HDMI cable to get right now: an HDMI 1.4 cable at a good price.

HDMI 1.4

HDMI 1.4 is the latest standard (as of November 2010 at least). It is backward compatible with other HDMI gear (mine all are HDMI 1.3 compliant). And it will be more useful to you if your TV supports HDMI 1.4 networking. I was not able to test the Ethernet networking capability of this cable, but I think the idea behind it is a good one.

For my current home entertainment setup, I had to set up separate Internet connections on my TV, set top box, Blu-Ray player, and WD TV LIVE (HTPC). It would have been a lot easier if I could have just set up my TV's internet connection, and allow all of my components to share it. That's what HDMI 1.4 promises to let you do--as long as all of your hardware, including the cables, supports it. This cable will support that functionality; it's more "future-proof" than the HDMI 1.3 cables I have been using.

Learn more (and see nice diagrams) at [...]

This Cable

This cable is really long, so I don't recommend it if your components are very close together. A 3-foot cable would easily suffice in that case.

Overall Impressions

This cable is a great buy. Definitely order it if your new A/V or PC components don't come with an HDMI cable.

This is an excellent HDMI cable. I was skeptical seeing Amazon come out with their own cables, but these are very good quality. I would equate them to the higher end Belkin Pure AV line, which you can sometimes find at the best prices. These cables are even less than that! And the packaging is nice ... no fussing with scissors and that super-sealed plastic that cables usually come in - just pop 'em out and hook 'em up! Great!

I have tried a number of different HDMI cables ranging from very cheap to extremely expensive. I have not found any difference in signal quality between the high priced name brands and the cheaper versions. Some of the cheaper cables did have issues with meeting the latest HDMI standards and that is where these Amazon cables fit in. These cables provide the latest HDMI standards along with the same performance as name brand cables. I have not tested the Ethernet capability but I know that it is there for future products that may need it. Why would you pay more when these cables provide the same functionality at a fraction of the cost?

*** Positive Points: ***

- Great Build Quality (unlike some cheaper cables that have cheap connectors)
- Work EXACTLY the same as higher priced cables

*** Negative Points: ***

- Absolutely none

Overall: Very few products deserve 5 stars but these cables provide excellent performance, high quality all at a reasonable cost. Nothing less than 5 stars!

I have purchased a lot of HDMI cables over the past couple of years. Typically, I spend about $100 on them. I find it, frankly, ridiculous that the industry is able to take advantage of consumers to this level, but I do it. Why? Because I feel if I spend thousands on a receiver, an HDTV, etc. that I don't want my cabling to be the bottleneck of the system.

I had a chance to get my hands on the Amazon Basics High Speed HDMI cable and I thought I'd give it a go. I am glad I did.

1. The cable is of SUPERB quality. I feels in your hand even better than MonsterCable, Audioquest, etc.
2. The cable is the perfect length. Usually the cable are either 1-meter or 3-meters. Either too short or too long. The 2 meter length is just perfect.
3. It has the technology to work perfectly with 3D, 240MHz, etc. That's important considering you'll want to make sure you are buying cabling that is 'future proof'.
4. The price is much better than you'd get for similar or lesser quality from Monster or Audioquest.
5. It's Amazon backed . . . okay, so everything is Amazon-backed but I just get some added comfort knowing this is Amazon's white-labeled brand. But I'm an Amazon fanboy so . . . :-)

I will definitely buy my future cable needs from AmazonBasics . . . because their cabling is far from 'basic'.

WHO NEEDS IT?

This cable will work well with anything that supports HDMI 1.3x but it's built to comply with the higher HDMI 1.4 standard. You may consider this product if you have TWO devices that support HDMI 1.4 such as TVs and Blu-ray players. For these, the cable will carry through HD images and Ethernet data therefore eliminating the need for one dedicated Ethernet cable and one Ethernet port. You may also consider this cable if you currently need an extra HDMI 1.3 cable but you are planning to to replace your existing equipment with some HDMI 1.4 ready hardware in the near future.

Unless either of the above is true, you will not need this cable and, given that the HDMI 1.4 standards aren't set in stone yet - the HDMI 1.4a was released recently - you may be better off waiting for the dust to settle if you don't need it today. Keep in mind that BOTH connected devices need to support the HDMI 1.4 standard for this cable to make a difference and that it is NOT possible to upgrade any existing equipment (TV, Blu-ray player) to support HDMI 1.4. Also, I would not pay a premium for the 'braided' feature. Other than 'cosmetics', the cable being braided does not add value to it. If the cable is going to spend its lifetime of service at the back of my entertainment center, never to be seen by anyone but me, I would not care about this and I would not pay extra for it.

HOW GOOD IS IT?

On my equipment, this worked as well as any older HDMI 1.3x cable. It replaced an existing 'cheap' wire at the back of my entertainment center and, nothing unexpected happened. The picture on my TV was as beautiful as before. The 3-meter length is a little bit too much for what I need but, since this is a certified 'high speed' wire, I am not worried.

Briefly, this cable:

- Behaves as a HDMI 1.3x 'high speed' or 'category 2' cable.
- As a 'high speed' HDMI 1.4 cable, it supports video resolutions of at least 1080p and can go as high as 4K.
- The 'data channel' (Ethernet support) works only with HDMI 1.4 ready equipment.
- The 'audio return channel' is another feature supported by HDMI 1.4 ready equipment only. It will allow for audio to be sent 'back' from, let's say a TV to the HDMI 1.4 compliant receiver, therefore eliminating the need for a dedicated audio cable.
- It should support all the HDMI 1.4 extra color palettes because those are implemented by the HDMI 1.4 compliant connected equipment.
- It being braided does not improve or degrade the quality of the signal because all certified 'high speed' cables should be able to deliver good picture and sound or they would not be certified.

A 4-star rating should be fair for this cable because, while it is fully HDMI 1.4/1.3x I feel that the braided feature is only a gimmick that that only adds to the price without adding much if any value.

END OF REVIEW

______________________________________________________

What follows is the byproduct of me attempting to clarify 'HDMI 1.4' for myself and understanding this specific product's features. I thought I'd share.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? (understanding this cable's features)

- HDMI 1.4 is a new HDMI standard adopted in 2009, backward compatible with HDMI 1.3. This cable should work with your existing equipment.
- HIGH SPEED indicates that this cable supports resolutions of 1080p or higher and 3D video (unlike the HDMI 1.4 STANDARD cables which, believe it or not, are limited to 720p/1080i - why? nobody knows).
- ETHERNET means that this cable supports a full-duplex 100 Mb/sec Ethernet connection - if you have 2 HDMI 1.4 ready devices and they both need an network connection, this cable will carry through the Ethernet datastream to the second device, therefore saving you the need for one extra Ethernet cable.
- Audio Return Channel would save you the need of a dedicated audio cable between 2 HDMI 1.4 compliant devices.
- This cable supports the full set of 3D features found in the new TVs.

THE HDMI 1.4x DIFFERENCE

HDMI 1.4 allows for the following new features:

- Ethernet Channel - allows for the 2 connected devices to communicate with each other and share one network connection.
- Audio Return Channel - eliminates the need of a second cable if you want to send audio from your TV back to your receiver.
- 3D - It's supported by HDMI 1.3x but HDMI 1.4a specifically supports all the currently agreed-upon industry standards
- 4K resolution - good to have it but there is nothing on today's market that would take advantage of this
- Expanded support for new color spaces - by supporting sYCC601, AdobeRGB, and AdobeYCC601 it better aligns your display with the color spaces supported by digital cameras.
- Type D connector - the 'Micro' connector is to be used by small, portable devices with supported resolutions of up to 1080p.

The HDMI Consortium defines 4 broad types of HDMI 1.4 cables:

* Standard HDMI Cable
* High Speed HDMI Cable
* Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet
* High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet

Of the above, only the 'High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet' makes sense and it's likely to emerge as the common HDMI 1.4 cable.

Standard cables are limited to lower-resolution displays up to (approx. 720p or 1080i). High Speed cables support higher-resolution display (e.g. 1080p). They can deliver all video content currently defined for the HDMI standard (i.e. more than two 1080p/60 video streams, including 3D). HDMI cables with Ethernet are capable of sending 100/mbps over the HDMI Ethernet Channel. Since it is not likely that many HDMI 1.4 'standard' cables will be made or sold, I suspect that the crippled 'standard' type exists only to allow for calling the cables that support 1080p 'high speed' which sounds good and high-end.

--
>> Brush your teeth, it's the law! <<

I bought a brand new 65" TV and already had a set of HDMI cables and they worked with my other TV so, I didn't think anything of it. My new TV came, I set it up and used my regular set of HDMI cables but, I wasn't getting a picture so, I was baffled. Ironically Several days earlier I had ordered a set of AmazonBasics High Definition cables just figuring that it might enhance my picture but, not realizing that I needed a High Definition HDMI cable in order for my new TV to transmit the picture.
Well, needless to say I remembered I had ordered the High Def. cables and decided to give it a try and Voila! A big beautiful picture came up on my brand new TV.
I couldn't believe the price and quality of the product and from now on I'm an "AmazonBasics" fan.

Before I purchased this HDMI cable for my Roku XDS I shopped around first at nearby Walmart and Best Buy, and read some reviews for this product. I'm a retired electrical engineer and do not believe on going overboard, spending more than adequate to get a good result on audio and video component. There are cables in the market that are priced too high to get the money out of those people who are willing to pay the price. Those people always believed that if the price is high, the product must be very good. For digital signal transmission, this HDMI cable is more than adequate. My video and audio were not degraded, and I did not notice any lost of clarity either on video or audio signal.

WHO NEEDS IT?

This wire should work well with anything that supports HDMI 1.3x but it's built to comply with the higher HDMI 1.4 standard. You may consider this product if you have TWO devices that support HDMI 1.4. For these, the cable will carry through HD images and Ethernet data therefore eliminating the need for one dedicated Ethernet cable and one Ethernet port. Again, on a pair of connected HDMI 1.4 devices, it will eliminate the need of a dedicated audio cable if, let's say, your TV needs to send sound back to your receiver - it may have a built-in Blu/DVD player or get its input through an USB port. You may also consider this cable if you currently need an extra HDMI 1.3 cable but you are planning to to replace your existing equipment with some HDMI 1.4 ready hardware in the near future.

As far as HDMI 1.4 stands, this cable is 'it'. It's the complete implementation because it supports ALL HDMI 1.4 features.

HOW GOOD IS IT?

- Behaves as a HDMI 1.3x 'high speed' or 'category 2' cable.
- As a 'high speed' HDMI 1.4 cable, it supports video resolutions of at least 1080p and can go as high as 4K.
- The 'data channel' (Ethernet support) works only with HDMI 1.4 ready equipment.
- The 'audio return channel' is another feature supported by HDMI 1.4 ready equipment only. It will allow for audio to be sent 'back' from, let's say a TV to the HDMI 1.4 compliant receiver, therefore eliminating the need for a dedicated audio cable.
- It should support all the HDMI 1.4 extra color palettes because those are implemented by the HDMI 1.4 compliant connected equipment.

You may want to get this cable even if your equipment is not HDMI 1.4, it doesn't hurt to get a wire that supports a higher standard and, with free shipping the price difference is not that great. And, keep in mind that Amazon stands behind this product so returns should be easy.

END OF REVIEW

______________________________________________________

What follows is the byproduct of me attempting to clarify 'HDMI 1.4' for myself and understanding this specific product's features. I thought I'd share.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? (understanding this cable's features)

- HDMI 1.4 is a new HDMI standard adopted in 2009, backward compatible with HDMI 1.3. This cable should work with your existing equipment.
- HIGH SPEED indicates that this cable supports resolutions of 1080p or higher and 3D video (unlike the HDMI 1.4 STANDARD cables which, believe it or not, are limited to 720p/1080i - why? nobody knows).
- ETHERNET means that this cable supports a full-duplex 100 Mb/sec Ethernet connection - if you have 2 HDMI 1.4 ready devices and they both need an network connection, this cable will carry through the Ethernet datastream to the second device, therefore saving you the need for one extra Ethernet cable.
- Audio Return Channel is a feature that would save you the need of a dedicated audio cable between 2 HDMI 1.4 compliant devices.
- This cable should support the full set of 3D features found in the new TVs.

THE HDMI 1.4x DIFFERENCE

HDMI 1.4 allows for the following new features:

- Ethernet Channel - allows for the 2 connected devices to communicate with each other and share one network connection.
- Audio Return Channel - eliminates the need of a second cable if you want to send audio from your TV back to your receiver.
- 3D - It's supported by HDMI 1.3x but HDMI 1.4a specifically supports all the currently agreed-upon industry standards
- 4K resolution - good to have it but there is nothing on today's market that would take advantage of this
- Expanded support for new color spaces - by supporting sYCC601, AdobeRGB, and AdobeYCC601 it better aligns your display with the color spaces supported by digital cameras.
- Type D connector - the 'Micro' connector is to be used by small, portable devices with supported resolutions of up to 1080p.

The HDMI Consortium defines 4 broad types of HDMI 1.4 cables:

* Standard HDMI Cable
* High Speed HDMI Cable
* Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet
* High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet

Of the above, only the 'High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet' (this one) makes sense and it's likely to emerge as the common HDMI 1.4 cable.

Standard cables are limited to lower-resolution displays up to (approx. 720p or 1080i). High Speed cables support higher-resolution display (e.g. 1080p). They can deliver all video content currently defined for the HDMI standard (i.e. more than two 1080p/60 video streams, including 3D). HDMI cables with Ethernet are capable of sending 100/mbps over the HDMI Ethernet Channel. Since it is not likely that many HDMI 1.4 'standard' cables will be made or sold, I suspect that the crippled 'standard' type exists only to allow for calling the cables that support 1080p 'high speed' which sounds good and high-end.

--
>> Brush your teeth, it's the law! <<

I bought this for connecting a Samsung 6900C LED TV to upscaling Pioneer DVD player and I have to say after comparing it side-by-side with another cable (MediaBridge Ultra, only $4 more expensive elsewhere on Amazon) I'm disappointed with the Amazon product. Using the Amazon cable the picture had intermittent and very short stutters during playback which made me wonder whether it was keeping up with the required data rates. This prompted me to purchase the Mediabridge cable to see if matters improved. The difference in picture quality using the MediaBridge cable is quite dramatic, no stuttering and suprisingly the colors as far more vivid. I'm currently re-watching the Clone Wars with my young son and I'm frankly amazed at the difference. I bought the cable based on the reviews and assumed that all cables are much the same, however based on my experience either that's not the case or I recieved a faulty cable orginally.Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable With Ethernet - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel - (6 Feet)