I saw this post and wanted to ask the opposite. What are some items that really aren’t worth paying the expensive version for? Preferably more extreme or unexpected examples.
I saw this post and wanted to ask the opposite. What are some items that really aren’t worth paying the expensive version for? Preferably more extreme or unexpected examples.
HDMI cables. . The cheap ones and the expensive ones have the same specifications
This used to be true, but unfortunately, like USB-C the game has changed completely.
The downside to standardization is that if you keep the same physical form for multiple iterations, the internals can change. The specs of the source and receiving ends have gone through tons of changes since 2015 and old HDMI 1.4 Cables don’t have the same standards to transmit high speed signals from things like PS5, Xbox, Apple TV etc.
Additionally because they require programming and HDCP (a verification handshake between the 2 devices it connects) when companies cheap out they may not properly program them.
That being said, you don’t need spend an arm and a leg, but don’t get shit either. Generally speaking, buy the cheapest version HDMI 2.1 from a reputable brand or vendor. Definitely not from Amazon anymore, a TON of products labeled 2.1 are actually 2.0 or worse, 1.4.
USB is a nightmare.
I only realized recently that my steam deck wasn’t charging as well with any old wire. And that’s when I learned that different wires and adapters have power limits.
I’m not a expert at these things though.
The steam deck won’t pull past 3A anyway (all usb C cables are rated for 3A), so unless you’re using a USB-A to C cable, you should be getting full speed, unless the cable is damaged.
This is true, specs between different versions are different.
That said, it’s definitely NOT a reason to buy expensive. I can find 1.3 HDMI cables being sold right now at over twice the price of a legit 2.1 cable…
OK, this one is true until it isn’t.
HDMI 1.4 and arguably 2.0 specs were straightforward enough that it was rare to encounter a cable, no matter how cheap, that did not support all the features you wanted if it listed the right HDMI spec. That… is no longer a universal truth with HDMI 2.1 if you need something that will do 4K120 with HDR. There are cables that just don’t like some ports, particularly on PCs.
Length is also a way this can be wrong. Go above 2.5-3m and you may start losing the ability to hit some of the spec. I have a HDMI setup that requires a longer cable and there are basic cables that work and some that don’t for the application. To get a better chance on longer cables you end up having to go for powered cables or HDMI over fiber, which are both more expensive than normal cables and it can be luck of the draw even with expensive cables whether they will like your devices and be compatible with what you’re trying to do.
So console plugged directly to your 60Hz TV over 1.5m? Sure, cheap cable will do. Longer distances or higher bandwidth requirements? Be prepared to shop around and try different options, potentially getting very expensive.
It’s digital so you need reclocking essentially over long distance. Buy a couple black magic converters, HDMI to SDI run a BNC to the TV and SDI to HDMI and you’re fine.
I don’t know if you’re joking or not here, but yeah, that’s a 200 bucks solution, so hardly support for “cheap HDMI cables are fine”, and for the distances I needed to cover a working HDMI fiber cable was a fraction of the cost (and it doesn’t need to be powered on both ends, either). If you’re trying to wire a whole house (or a studio, which is what those are for), then sure. If you just need the one long cable for home use… well, yeah, that’s the point of good cables. Still finicky and requires trial and error, but if you buy from a place that allows returns it’s more cost effective and it’ll do the job once you find the right mix of parts.
To a degree. I once bought HDMI cables at Dollarama thinking the same thing. For $4, it should work good enough, right? It took me a while to realize that the random interference that was pixalating and distorting the image was the cable and not my media PC, but not before swapping the video card to test.
You can buy cheap cables, but beware that not all cables are the same quality.
This was pretty close to being true for 1080p and lower resolutions. If you get a 4k 120hz HDR display then bandwidth and signal integrity start becoming very important. The article you linked is rather old and really only considers media up to 4k 30fps. Cable quality especially matters at lengths above 4 ft for uhd and higher.
There’s a lot of snake oil so you can’t just trust marketing claims. I’ve had terrible luck with cables that claim to support high resolutions from amazon and even monoprice. I’ve resorted to buying cables from actual electronics suppliers like digikey since their speed ratings should be accurate.
Oh, amazon is absolute fucking shit for quality these days. It’s embarrassing how shitty their store is at weeding out imposter products.
Oh for sure. I do my best to avoid Amazon because most listings are full of made up lies. I know marketing is full of half truths and exaggerations, but I despise shopping at places that try so hard to deceive me.
I just brought up Amazon since Amazon and monoprice are the most common options I see mentioned when people ask for alternatives to the overpriced options at best buy or whatever.
Industrial suppliers can be more expensive, but the time and aggravation saved by shopping by specifications you can trust is frequently worth a modest price premium. I’ve switched to Digikey and McMaster for a number of personal purchases after realizing how much of a mental toll deceptive marketplaces carry.
There can still be a difference in physical quality, even if signal quality is relatively unchanged.
Sure, but not enough to justify monster cable prices.
I would agree if not for the fact that I have had the same Monster HDMI cable for nearly a decade now while other brands during this same timeframe have been periodically replaced when they stopped working.
Twisted Veins is my go to. Great quality and durability, much lower price than Monster. I have lived in 9 homes in the last 8 years, and the 4 pack I bought 8 years ago has held up perfectly. These things are outliving TVs, computers, Ethernet cables, you name it.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’m sure I’ll need to replace a cable before long and I’ll try to keep them in mind.
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Yeah, it’s the same with USB cables. Technically they should all be equal. But after having all 3 cables in a pack of 3 fail within a few months of buying I only get one of the at least recognised brands now. Considering some of the higher power charging modes available now, you want a cable that really can handle the currents it says it can.
HDMI it’s generally the case, you want a decent brand for build quality. But when you see the “audiophile” rated stuff for digital signalling cables, then it’s time to move on.
Absolutely not. I finally got a 4K 120hz OLED TV which needs a HDMI 2.1 cable. Ordered a certified one and I couldn’t get 120hz to run whatever way I tried. I managed to force it one time and the TV screen black screened every two seconds. After doing everything else (reinstall GPU drivers, messing with settings) I finally ordered a different HDMI cable.
Plugged it in, set 120hz, it worked. Both cables are certified, but one was trash.
Even with the new cable I sometimes get a short black screen now, but I have no clue if it’s the cable’s fault or the TV. HDMI cables are a total mess when you actually want to use the full bandwidth :-/
I switched to 4K 60hz for now as I don’t really game on the TV anyway, it also allows me to use TrueMotion again (which seemingly doesn’t run at 120hz). Either way I get anxious about HDMI cables now, lol.
I think HDMI cables is a rabbit hole subject you can really lose some time with. I don’t know how everyone is feeling about Linus these days (I never heard how his independent ethics audit went), but he did a big deep dive on this and found result all over the place. Some cables costing WAY more than they should being total garbage, and some cheap ones being relatively OK and meeting spec, with no real way to know who is safe without either 1) testing them yourself OR 2) finding someone doing a wide batch of testing.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
big deep dive
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.
Spec yes, but how often you have to go jiggle the cord or having a cable so stiff it feels like you’ll break your port in order to run from near the wall makes some difference. The really cheap ones are touchy.
Can %100 say that fiber optic HDMI cables makes a difference. Especially over length.