Monoprice RedMere HDMI cables - Page 3

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10255&cs_id=1025501&p_id=9169&seq=1&format=2

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10255&cs_id=1025503&p_id=9891&seq=1&format=2

are these both the same gauge? and what gauge are they?

I got two of the top link yesterday to use between my PS3 and Sony AVR and the AVR and my Samsung UN46EH6030 and so far everything is working great. I was surprised to see how thin and light these cables are, especially after trying 24 AWG ones with terrible results (lots of audio drop-outs, some video drop-outs, and stressed HDMI ports from the cables from pulling and twisting on them). To be fair, though, the 24 AWG cables were just long enough for my setup (8' from PS3 to AVR and 10' from AVR to TV) and so they were bent a lot more, whereas the RedMere ones are 15' each.

I believe they are both 36 AWG.

From monoprice:

15ft Slim Series High Speed HDMI® Cable w/ RedMere® Technology

"Normally a cable of this length would require minimum 26 AWG conductors to support High Speed HDMI features, but the RedMere chip in this cable allows it to support all High Speed HDMI features with only 36 AWG conductors."

15ft Ultra Slim Series High Performance HDMI® Cable w/ RedMere® Technology - Black

"Normally a cable of this length would require minimum 28 AWG conductors to support High Speed HDMI features, but the RedMere chip in this cable allows it to support all High Speed HDMI features with only 36 AWG conductors."

The ultra slim line appears to have a more attractive terminator, but perhaps thinner shielding? I agree that their descriptions hint that they may both be 36AWG. It is a shame that their longer cables are not available with CL-2 rated insulation. If anyone has handled both the slim and ultra slim series and can make a recommendation on which they prefer that would probably be helpful. I have some slim series cables that are fine but for some reason I am a little nervous about them since I got bit on the original run. To my eye they look like a freshman effort compared to the ultra slim cables, but again I would like to hear from someone who has worked with both.

Hey Joe,

You are 100% right. I got a new TV and tried the test again and it looks like the Yamaha reciever is the problem and likely is not sending enough power to activate the cable however, it also seems that the Viewsonic DVI TV is also a factor in enabling the Redmere cable.

- Using Redmere from the new TV to my Panasonic Blu-ray direct = works no problem.
- Using Redmere from the new TV to my Yamaha reciever then passive from the Yamaha to my Panasonic Blu-ray = no dice
- Using passive from new TV to my Yamaha reciever then Redmere from the Yamaha to my Panasonic Blu-ray = no dice
- Using Redmere from the Viewsonic to my Panasonic Blu-ray direct = no dice

Looks like the older HDMI 1.0 spec and older DVI devices do not support Redmere. My testing with my newer Yamaha Reciever (RX-A1010) vs old (HTR-6130) shows that the newer unit has no problems at all with Redmere so if you have any older HDMI or DVI hardware, there is a likely chance, Redmere will NOT work. My big issue is that Monoprice indicates that "They can be used in any application in which a normal HDMI cable can be used" and this is not true if my HTR-6130 Yamaha supports 1080p HDMI but not the Redmere cables. No where does it indicate that older implmentations of HDMI may not work...

the red slim ones are in-wall rated

the black or white ultra-slim ones are not

"TS - Josh L : PID 9169 is in wall rated while 9891 is not
TS - Josh L : and the connector head on 9891 is slimmer than 9169
me: are both high-speed/
me: ?*
TS - Josh L : yes
me: so aside from those two differences the two are identical in performance/support for HDMI features?
TS - Josh L : yes
TS - Josh L : that is correct
TS - Josh L : just the in wall rating and the size of the connector head"

Just wanted to report back that any number of combinations worked for me.

HTPC GT630 - 60' redmere - AVR-4311 - 35' 22awg - active EQ extender repeater - 15' redmere - swivel connector port saver - DLA-RS45.
PS3 - 6' cheapo cable - AVR-4311 - 60' redmere - active EQ extender repeater - 15' redmere - swivel connector port saver - DLA-RS45

So I can recommend using redmere cables to and from an AVR, and joining them to each other and to non-redmere cables with this $12 coupler/extender. Adding the swivel port saver at the end is OK too in my chain. These cables are light enough that I don't feel the need for port savers unless space is at a premium. I didn't even open the package of the $2 coupler as others had reported problems adding couplers into the chain, and the power draw of the $12 active one in addition to that of the redmere cables did not seem to be a problem.





I prefer the cables from the 'slim' line vs the 'ultra slim' line due to the strain relief and sturdier but uglier heads. They would have been attractive if they were all black. The heads are nearly identical in size for anything over 15'. Apparently the slim version is also in-wall rated. Even better. I noticed no difference in flexibility between the two 28awg cables, but I wouldn't call either one particularly flexible. Only the 15' and under would I call flexible, and they are that.
Edited by zacjones - 1/10/13 at 2:27pm

I like your plan with the 270 degree connector, 15' redmere, and ferrite cores.

According to Monoprice tech support you can not use an extender with RedMere HDMI cables and both the slim and the ultra slim are identical except for the ends. They are both rated the same according to Monoprice, same diameter, same wire size etc. I have nothing to compare but just what they are telling me.

I asking 4 times what is the difference? They said nothing but the ends, same rating blah blah.

So I am not really sure as to what the difference is?

Has anyone run one of these under a carpet? I'm thinking about being able to move my a/v stand to the front of the room and use a redmere cable under the carpet to connect to my projector. Right now I have about 5 speaker cables run under the carpet so I was just wondering if the redmere cable would e about as thick as that, it's hard to tell from the pics.

I have both of the cables and they appear to be identical other than the ends. I prefer the slim ends because although they aren't quite as slick looking, they look more reliable to me. I don't know about monoprice tech support, but I WAS able to use redmere cables, regular cables, repeater/extenders, and port savers in every configuration I tried. See my previous posts in this thread.

be aware that the 'slim' ones have pretty wide plastic near the connectors and so using them in-line on a AVR might not work as expected... it happened to me and I had to swap them with the 'ultra-slim' ones

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1447534/minimum-awg-for-a-given-hdmi-cable-length-setup-high-speed-hdmi-cables#post_22870987

Just thought I'd pop in and give my experience on these cables.

I've got a home theatre setup with a bunch of inputs and two outputs (Epson home theatre projector, Dell U2711 monitor). They all run through a monoprice 4x2 matrix switch, and a Sony AV receiver sits between the switch and the projector

Everything in there was using 28AWG Monoprice cables except the run to the projector (it's 24AWG, IIRC). Everything was working dandy except deep colour from the PS3 to the U2711. That run was a 3 foot 28AWG cable , the switcher, and then a 10 foot 28AWG. Any time I'd switch the PS3 to deep colour, I'd get sparkles.

I ordered two of the ultra-slim cables: a 6-foot black ultra-slim, and a 10-foot white ultra-slim. Put them in-line, the 6-ft between the PS3 and the switch, and the 10-ft between the switch and the U2711. Deep colour now works perfectly on the U2711 (no sparkles), and the cables are a ton thinner to boot.

I'm tempted to replace all the other 28AWG cables with the ultra-slim 36AWG ones, and the 24AWG run (40 feet, but could probably be done with a 25 or 30 foot cable) with one of the 28AWG redmere cables... The only thing stopping me from replacing everything is the lack of colour selection (I had colour-coded all my 28AWG cables to make it easy to tell which is which).... It's also pretty darned expensive. But it'd make everything so much more manageable...

Hey Guys,

I'm having a big problem with my new tv

major issue is this..

My receiver and cable box are located 40ft away from my TV. I use 2 x HDMI 40 FT cables (with redmere) from monoprice.

This setup was working fine with my Sony KDL50EX645.

However, now, with my Sony KDL55HX850 on all 4 HDMI ports, if I enable 1080p on my blu-ray player, my screen flickers and goes on and off.

Do I have a faulty TV ? Or is it simply that my TV does not support cable with redmere ?

I will try to order a different 40ft HDMI cable to see if I can get it to work..

What do you guys suggest ? Shall I order a normal HDMI 40FT 22AWG from monoprice ?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Before I go dumping more money at the problem, I would first move the BD player close to the TV and use a short high speed HDMI cable to test. See if that works. There are other settings to play with but try that first and then maybe Andy or one of the others can chime in by then.

Hi Doctego,

Here is more information on my issue..

I do have 2 Blu-Ray player to test with. Both Blu-Ray player are behaving the same way with the 40ft redmere hdmi cable and my new TV. On one of them, if I turn 1080p off and switch to 1080i it's working, however, as soon as I turn 1080p back on, it flickers and screen goes on and off.

On the second Blu-Ray player, I can leave 1080p on however, if deep color is turned on, the screen goes on and off.

These 2 Blu-ray works fine if I use a normal 6ft or 8ft HDMI cable.

I have tried all 4 HDMI ports on the TV and same result when using the 40ft Redmere cable.

Since monoprice are willing to take the cable back, I have already placed an order for the following

1- A new 40ft redmere cable
2- A normal 40ft HDMI 22awg cable

Maybe my new TV is not compatible with redmere technology ?

Hopefully someone here will be able to help me ?

Thanks!

I think we can safely guess bit errors on the line as the reason for the problems you're seeing. It may be that the Redmere controller cannot successfully handle the signal form it's seeing on the receiving end. Basically it can't remake the signal successfully. I'm assuming, of course, that you did the easy things like check the directional arrows on the cable.

I suspect that the 22 awg should be able to handle 1080p/60 since I'm using a similar cable but at 50' feet. You may not be able to use Deep Color with the 22awg cable but that may actually improve your picture quality. Since your player has to supply the extra color bits (no Blu-Ray disc has deep color information) and your TV may be better at that than your player, you may find that without Deep Color the movie has better skin tones and overall color.

The Redmere is new enough that it wouldn't surprise me that there are exceptions to its use since it is reconstructing a signal.

One question for you, are you using any other cables or wall plates between the Redmere and the player or the HDTV or is this just Player --> Redmere --> HDTV?

Good evening alk3997,

Yes I did follow the arrows on the cable Source = Bluray and Display = TV

Once my setup is confirmed to work, I will be adding wall plates but as of right now, the redmere 40ft cable goes from my BR Player to TV straigth.

My new monoprice order has just shipped and I should be getting it tomorrow.

I ordered a different redmere cable (ordered the ultra slim). I'll see if this one works

As a backup, i've also ordered a regular 22awg 40ft hdmi cable.

I will post my results as soon as it's tested.

Thanks for the help!!

I think that either means the Redmere you used was defective or the signal could not be reconstructed. You've done everything right in troubleshooting.

I'll be interested in hearing your results with the new cables.

I'm not sure I follow. Are you saying that if you turn off Deep Color on the BD player, the TV will still try to supply the extra color bits (do some Deep Color processing of its own)? Or are you really just saying it's better to have Deep Color off on both the BD player and the TV (and AVR if applicable)?

Andy,

Here is the strange thing... Let me actually go back a bit.. About 2 months ago, I decided that I want to have my Receiver 40ft away from my TV.

My setup is as folowing:

-TV is located in the living room
- Blu-Ray is located in the living room
- Cable Box is located in the living room
- Receiver is located 40ft away

I bought 3 x 40 FT Redmere HDMI Cable

1. Blu-Ray -> 40 FT Redmere -> Receiver
2. Cable Box -> 40 FT Redmere -> Receiver
3. Receiver -> 40 FT Redmere -> TV

The first time I tried it with my old Samsung LNT4669F (4 years old LCD), as soon as I turn 1080p or deep color from my blu-ray, the TV Screen would go on and off. At this time, I said, probably a TV compatibility issue.. I decided to go buy a TV (Wanted a new one anyway).

So I bought the Sony KDL50EX645 TV..

With this Sony 50'' TV, everything was working like a charm..

Unfortunately, lots of flash lighting and clouding so I returned the TV and decided to get a Sony KDL55HX850 3D TV.

Now with my new Sony 55'' TV, back to same issue as my Samsung TV.

And for the Samsung and Sony 55'' TV.. I did try to remove the receiver from the mix and connect the blu-ray to tv directly with the 40ft redmere cable and same result (flickering and screen going on and off)

However, with both the Samsung and Sony 55'', when using a 6ft or 10ft HDMI high speed cable, no issue there..

Also... to add to the mix..

I bought an HDMI switch from monoprice (4 ports).. On the Samsung TV, when using the switch, the screen was doing the same thing.. flickering and going on and off. I then decided to get 6ft 24AWG cables and same issue.. I haven't tried that on the Sony yet.

Finally, I just received my new monoprice order.

I've got a new 40ft Redmere HDMI (Superslim serie) as I wanted to try a different redmere cable. Also received a normal 22awg 40ft cable (this thing is BIG).

I will post results tonight..

In the meantime, with all the additionnal information i've added, feel free to comment..

Thanks,
Pierre

Hey Guys,

Sorry I did not get a chance to give you all an update this weekend..

It turned out that 2 of the 4 redmere cables were faulty.

I found out that the HDMI cable from my Receiver to TV was faulty therefor, any devices plugged to my receiver was flickering. I've changed this cable with the new one I received and Blu-Ray started to work fine. Then I tested all the other 3 cables to find out that 1 of them was also faulty.

I don't know what happened in my previous testing, I guess I did it wrong.

All that to say that now everything is working 100% fine using 40ft redmere cables.

I've also tested them using a keystone and a normal 6ft hdmi cable and was getting full bandwidth with 3D and Deep color turned on.

So yes these HDMI Redmere Cable works fine, when not DOA..

Monoprice has been great with either refunding the faulty ones or sending me new ones, although I had to pay for shipping.

Thanks again!

Hey guys,
I have a 35 ft standard speed cable from receiver to projector. What has been happening for me is that I get slight and quick 'pauses' randomly on BLURAY ONLY. I then tried a 20 ft standard and it was just fine (tested in the living room). I cut the ends off the 35 in-wall 22 AWG cable and took a picture to send to monoprice for a credit. I'm about to pull the trigger on a redmere 40 ft, and will try it in the theater room first

Anyway, I also have a DVI cable in the ceiling and decided to try that (w/ hdmi adapters on each end). There was no signal coming from the PS3 to Receiver to DARBLET (could be the issue) to projector. A little OT, but can you use a DVI cable with the DARBLET??? many thanks in advance!

Theoretically, YES YOU CAN

Actually you can even send audio over a DVI cable, it's just that the DVI chipsets that send DVI signals don't include audio. But if you took an HDMI output (audio and video), converted to DVI with a simple adapter and then on the other end of the DVI cable converted back to HDMI, that should give you a good signal (audio and video). You may be missing the ability to use some optional HDMI features such as ARC but from an audio/video standpoint it should work.

Now would that also give you more of a chance of bit errors? I'd have to think it would since it isn't a high speed HDMI cable. I suspect that is what is happening with your cable. However, to be sure change your PS3 to 1080i output resolution with Deep Color OFF - remember there are multiple PS3 menu steps required to disable Deep Color. If that works, then it was likely bit errors. If that doesn't work, then make sure all of the HDMI options (such as CEC) are disabled and try again.

Not really OT since those are the questions this forum was setup for.

alk3997,
what is CEC in the PS3? Maybe that was the culprit, but I don't know what it is/or does....

also just talked with tech support at monoprice....this tech said for the best possible connection, use one redmere cable from source to projector...BUT I need to run from PS3 to Receiver to Darblet to Projector. Do I have to use all redmere in this case?????

I use RedMere from receiver to Darblet and conventional HDMI cable from Darblet to projector and it works fine.

I spoke to a monoprice helper the other day and he recommended these cables to get my TVs sound in sync with my Oppo's XLR outputs to a set of speakers.

Could the syncing issue (echoing) be because my current HDMI cable isn't fast enough?
The length is only about six feet.

thanks for this thread, I have a bad HDMI from MONPRICE, but didn't know you could request a RMA over the net and DISCARD the bad cable; DON'T have to SEND it BACK

Baron Blood - had to check the date there, thought April 1st had arrived early

Where are you hearing the Echo?

Joe

Each of these cables comes with a minature black hole in one of the connectors. The audio part of the stream is sent around the black hole while the video portion bypasses it so that time dilation fixes the sync issue. The stream is then recombined with the audio and video syned. The problem is that the black hole continues to require energy so you can never turn off the HDMI signal or else your house may be devoured by the black hole. Recharging the black hole is also a real pain!