"We tell you an expensive HDMI cable will give you a better picture," a Circuit City TV salesman informs PM—but do brand-name cables really deliver a better picture? To find out, we pit two of them against a cheap generic cord in a blind test.
Generic cable | $13 for 13 ft., newegg.com
Claim: This cable lacked a label, let alone lofty claims.
Monster Cable Advanced HDMI 1000 HD Cable | $200 for 13 ft., monstercable.com
Claim: "Sharpest picture, deepest color and smoothest video."
Honeywell HDMI Cable With CURxE Light Technology | $300 for 16 ft., honeywell.com
Claim: Embedded chip "self-heals" audio and video problems.
The Results
None of our editors could tell the difference. The fact is, HDMI is digital, meaning you either get the feed or you don't. High prices and gimmicks like gold-plating don't affect 1s and 0s. Our advice: Purchase your wiring online for cheap, and use the saved money to upgrade to a larger flat screen.
