Customer Reviews

AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters)[Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel][OLD MODEL]

5 star:		(736)
4 star:		(85)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(90)

 

 

It is a relief to find HDMI cables that are inexpensive and deliver high quality video. I paid $40 for a 4ft cable at Circuit City a year ago, and less than half that price for the 10ft cable from Amazon.

As an electrical engineer I can tell you copper is copper. Unless Monster cable has coaxial wire for each signal line, which they don't because then the cable would be 10x larger than it is, then it's just copper wire inside a shield. There's still going to be crosstalk and capacitive coupling and all that stuff. All that "gas filled" stuff doesn't matter either. If you look at the mathematical equasions for the frequency response of an unshielded wire, you'd know none of this stuff makes any major difference.

The biggest thing to avoid, if you can, are ferrite cores on a cable. Ferrite cores are those black blob things that overmold the cable near one or both of the connectors. Ferrite cores act as high frequency filters and may cause signal degradation. They are typically used to comply with FCC laws and other regulatory bodies' radiated emissions laws. They add cost to the cable and typically degrade performance.

Regarding expensive cables, HDMI or otherwise, what no one asks is the most fundamental question - Why? Let's assume Monster cable isn't lying and they can provide 300 GHz bandwidth or whatever they claim. Why do you need a cable that outperforms so much? It's like owning a car that can go 1000 MPH but the speed limit is 55MPH. In my field, that's called "over-engineering" which equates to unnecessary additional cost, which is exactly the problem Amazon has solved by sourcing this simple low cost HDMI cable.

While I'm soapboxing, gold plating isn't necessary either. Silver is the best conductor, followed by Copper, and then Gold (third best). Stainless Steel isn't far behind. The only reason gold plating is "better" is Gold does not corrode (but neither does stainless steel... they actually gold plate the stainless steel, how dumb is that?). If you are using your cables in a house where the humidity & temp is relatively constant, you should never need gold. As far as I can tell, Gold is just a gimmick to charge more for cables.

I got an email from Amazon announcing their new line of AmazonBasics cables. They said that their goal was to make a high quality cable and sell it at a very reasonable price.

They have achieved that goal.

I ordered two of the six foot HDMI cables and on nine foot cable for about eight bucks each.

The cable came in a simple cardboard box with nothing but a twist tie aside from the cable (which is a good thing, I hate the plastic blister packs that cut your hands and unnecessary stuff in the box to go in the landfill).

The cable has a solid, quality feel to it. Nothing feels cheap or chintzy.

Connecting the cable between my TV and several compontents including my brand new Samsung Blu Ray player, the connection just worked every time.

For comparison purposes, I bought a $50 super delux, high end, will solve all the problems in your life (according to the sales guy) HDMI cable at Radio Shack. Connecting the AmazonBasics cable to the same Blu Ray player as the fancy cable I saw **NO DIFFERENCE**!

Looking into it I found out that HDMI is a standard that is run by an organization. In order for anyone to make an HDMI cable and put the HDMI logo on it (which the AmazonBasics cable does), the cable must be made to the HDMI organizations standards. So the group basically tells the companies how the cable must be made in order to be given the HDMI logo. The long and short of it is that cheap cable or expensive cable, it must work to the same standards in order to have the HDMI logo.

So, super fancy $50 cable gets thrown back across the counter to Radio Shack guy for return and AmazonBasics cable gets a new home in back of my entertainment center.

I'm now going to purchase several more of these for family and friends to have as spares since they don't know any better and will get suckered by the sales guy at best buy into buying a $50 Monster Cable HDMI cable that does nothing better than this one.

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 1.4a standard of which it is a PARTIAL implementation (no Ethernet). If what you need is a true HDMI 1.4x cable, then the one to get is that which is described as "HDMI with Internet" which adds the data channel and support for higher video resolutions.

You may consider this product if you have TWO devices that support the HDMI 1.4 standard such as TVs, receivers or Blu-ray players. For these, the cable will carry through HD images and will allow you TV to send audio data BACK to your receiver if so connected, therefore eliminating the need for one dedicated audio cable. This specific cable will probably NOT support HDMI 1.4 Ethernet feature. 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 - this cable complies with the recently released HDMI 1.4a specs for 3D - you should be better off waiting for the dust to settle. 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.


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 cable's short length (2 meters) and its 'high speed' certification make me confident that this cable will serve me well.


Briefly, this cable:

- Behaves as a HDMI 1.3x 'high speed' or 'category 2' cable. If all you need is HDMI 1.3x then go for it or go for any other cheap HDMI 1.3x wire.
- As a 'high speed' HDMI 1.4 cable, it supports video resolutions of at least 1080p including in 3D.
- The 'data channel' (Ethernet support) is missing but it that would only work with HDMI 1.4 ready equipment so I'm not sure if it would be missed for the next couple of years.
- The advertised audio return channel is another HDMI 1.4 feature that most currently owned equipment can't take advantage of.
- It should support all the HDMI 1.4 extra color palettes because those are implemented by the HDMI 1.4 compliant connected equipment NOT by the cable.


WHY 3 STARS

A 3-star rating should be fair (and I am not factoring in the price) because this cable, while working perfectly as an HDMI 1.3x, is an incomplete HDMI 1.4 implementation. Incomplete HDMI 1.4 implementations are allowed by the HDMI consortium but there I see no advantage in purchasing a feature-crippled cable when full-featured alternatives are available. 'Niche' HDMI cables make sense form a vendor's point of view because a buyer may be willing to pay more for such an item but their marketing can only confuse and annoy the buyers. It should cost a vendor about the same to manufacture a 'universal' HDMI 1.4 wire as it does to make an incomplete (niche) product. In fact there may be economies of scale in producing 'universal' HDMI 1.4 cables only so marketing seems to be the only reason we get to see these intentionally crippled products.

My recommendation would be NOT to buy this cable. Get the 'High-Speed with Ethernet' if you want/need HDMI 1.4 or get an HDMI 1.3x otherwise.



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 (NOT supported by this specific product) means that a 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 (supported) would save you the need of a dedicated audio cable between 2 HDMI 1.4 compliant devices, usually a TV that might get content directly from a USB storage device or the Ethernet and an HDMI 1.4 compliant receiver.
- HDMI 1.4a brought HDMI in line with the recently agreed upon 3D TV industry standards but, consistent with HDMI's consortium's encouraging vendors to avoid talking about the actual version their HDMI cables are implementing, we simply don't know whether this one is HDMI 1.4 or HDMI 1.4a. Since '3D' is mentioned it's probably safe to assume HDMI 1.4a.


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. Be aware that there are now THREE different HDMI connectors: standard, mini and micro.


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 all of the above, only the a 'High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet' makes sense.

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! <<

It seems like a review of an HDMI cable can't be written without arguing the philosophy of whether it's worth it to pay exhorbitant amounts of money for an A/V cable, or if a "cheap" cable will do the trick. Rather than reinvent the wheel I'll simply say that:

1) This cable is about $6 (and eligible for free Prime shipping)
2) Amazon offers a one year warranty
3) Amazon has an excellent returns policy

Given those items, what have you got to lose by giving this cable a try? If you aren't satisfied, return it and then spend the big bucks.

Having said that, I use it to connect my PS3 (i.e. my BluRay player) to my HDTV and my personal experience with this cable has been positive. The cable is sturdy and feels well-made, unlike some other $6 cables I have used in the past. The picture/sound quality meets my expectations and I could discern no problems whatsoever. Overall I am pleased enough that I will purchase the same cable again in the future. I also plan to give other Amazon branded cables a try as needed.

I got an email from Amazon announcing their new line of AmazonBasics cables. They said that their goal was to make a high quality cable and sell it at a very reasonable price.

They have achieved that goal.

I ordered two of the six foot HDMI cables and on nine foot cable for about eight bucks each.

The cable came in a simple cardboard box with nothing but a twist tie aside from the cable (which is a good thing, I hate the plastic blister packs that cut your hands and unnecessary stuff in the box to go in the landfill).

The cable has a solid, quality feel to it. Nothing feels cheap or chintzy.

Connecting the cable between my TV and several compontents including my brand new Samsung Blu Ray player, the connection just worked every time.

For comparison purposes, I bought a $50 super delux, high end, will solve all the problems in your life (according to the sales guy) HDMI cable at Radio Shack. Connecting the AmazonBasics cable to the same Blu Ray player as the fancy cable I saw **NO DIFFERENCE**!

Looking into it I found out that HDMI is a standard that is run by an organization. In order for anyone to make an HDMI cable and put the HDMI logo on it (which the AmazonBasics cable does), the cable must be made to the HDMI organizations standards. So the group basically tells the companies how the cable must be made in order to be given the HDMI logo. The long and short of it is that cheap cable or expensive cable, it must work to the same standards in order to have the HDMI logo.

So, super fancy $50 cable gets thrown back across the counter to Radio Shack guy for return and AmazonBasics cable gets a new home in back of my entertainment center.

I'm now going to purchase several more of these for family and friends to have as spares since they don't know any better and will get suckered by the sales guy at best buy into buying a $50 Monster Cable HDMI cable that does nothing better than this one.

HDMI cables are notorious for being expensive. I assumed the prices were over inflated just because people who were plunking big bucks for a new, big,flat screen TV would be gullible enough to take the bate and overpay. Sadly, my theory was wrong. This Amazon cable cost about half of what I paid for one of similar length at Sam's Club. It is fine as long as your are not transferring fast video over a long distance. When I use the cable to connect my laptop to the Big Screen TV, surfing the 'net poses no problem. But when I try to play a DVD through the same laptop, the screen motion becomes jerky and fast moving objects "tear apart" momentarily. When I swap out the Amazon cable for the Sam's Club version, the problems disappear. There is a physical difference in the cables. The Amazon cable is pencil thin and supple. The Sam's Club cable is thick and chunky. Obviously the Sam's Club cable has more "stuff" inside. This can only be shielding. Bottom line? For SHORT distances (less than 6' and preferably 3'), the Amazon cable is fine. But if you are transferring video, you will need the costlier thicker version. I suppose the old adage "you get what you pay for" applies here.

These cables are VERY thin/provide little shielding. It worked BUT my dvd player doesnt get signal sometimes. I switched over to a quality cable and the device gets detected everytime. My conclusion is these cables will get you by but Id pay a bit more for quality cable. Go with the MediaBridge it is twice as thick/more shield. If you are baller go w/ Monster.

Anyone who has looked for deals on HDMI cables know they can be hard to find, retailers tend to boost the price on the cables to make up for the deals they give on televisions. After reading about HDMI cables [...], which if you have not done I highly recommend reading their research, I decided to look for a cheaper cable. I already have a Blu-ray player hooked up via HDMI, and I was looking for a cable for my XBOX 360. I decided to give the amazon cable, at just over $[...], a try. I was instantly pleased, the cable came packaged well, with shielding over the tips for protection in shipping, and did not look cheap (which many off brand cables can when purchased sight unseen. Plugged it up a month ago, and have not had to touch it since, now gaming and streaming video comes across crystal clear, not to mention the biggest shocker, which is the incredible difference in sound.

great product great price, highly recommended!

p.s. I have a 40" Samsung LCD 1080p HDTV, for those who want to know what I am viewing on.

I purchased this cable to connect my Tivo to my digital TV. Initially it seemed to work fine, but then every few days Tivo would display the message "HDMI Connection not Permitted". Tivo support suggested reversing the HDMI cable, which I did. That got rid of the error message, but then every 5 minutes or so the signal would disappear completely. I bought a new HDMI cable (also from Amazon, similar price, but by Mediabridge) and that solved my problems.

I happen to have access to an Agilent 54754A TDR with an HDMI fixture, which is used by cable manufactures to test their cables, so I hooked up my cable. Sure enough, one of the clock lines in the cable was not attached to the connector.

Given that MOST people don't have any problems with this cable, this is probably just a quality control issue with the manufacturer. If you're going to purchase this cable, be ready to return it if you get a defective one. Fortunately, Amazon makes returns very easy.

We bought two of these 9.8' cables and they work perfectly well when connecting our video devices (Roku Internet Video Player and Canon V40 HD Camcorder) to our Sony HDTV. These cable look very well made and have good, solid connectors. I can not see any difference in the picture when using these cables vs the more pricy "name brand" cable I bought when converting to HD.

The Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging basicly means you get a cable-in-a-box, which really is a good thing.

Highly recommended!