Another HDMI cable question  

You can be pretty sure it will work just fine.

One of these days somebody is going to present some proof that MONSTER cables are worth what they go for.

Monster makes nice cables, they just sell them for way more then what they are worth so retailers can make high profit margins on them. It's all about marketing making you think you need to spend a fortune on cables...

Check out forum sponsor monoprice.com for an even cheaper price on cables. I have bought 3 HDMI 6 foot cables from them and haven't had any problems with them.

How does one choose the best hdmi cable for the $? Does "quality" make a difference in hdmi function and therefore, LCD picture reception? Or does the "quality" mean the cable just last longer, but the picture is no better if the cable cost more? I'm a newbie but I'd rather spend $20 or less rather than $99 or more, but I want a very good picture quality. Does one just buy it and return it if not happy? Thanks, Marc

Or does the "quality" mean the cable just last longer, but the picture is no better if the cable cost more?

Not so much last longer, they aren't something you constantly unplug and plug back in so they shouldn't wear out regardless of the price or quality. I've actually seen complaints where the heavier Monster HDMI cables pull themselves out of the HDMI plugs due to their weight. The PQ is no better in a more expensive cable though, HDMI is digital, as long as the 0's and 1's get from point A to point B, the PQ will always be the same.

At under 15 feet you can buy the $0.99 +$7.99 shipping cable from E-bay and get as good a picture as you would from the 2M Monster cable for $200!!

NOONE has published any information which defines quality in terms of factual specifications and tests to differentiate different cables. Everyone has their opinions and that is all they give you on buying cables.

That's not entirely true.

You can run the cables through a TMDS signal tester like Quantum Data 802BT. That unit allows you to change the bandwidth and video format and it will tell you the error rate on each TMDS channel.

You can also use visual inspection at 1080p. I've personally tested monoprice cables at 1080p 60Hz with HDCP at all lengths up to and including 50ft. My results are here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post7052307

Most HDMI/DVI cables will have no issues at all for 720p/1080i, especially 15ft and under.

Better cable testing would be at 1080p/148.5MHz, since that more often brings out the issues if there are any.

If a manufacturer wants to they can also run "eye diagram" tests or send the cable to Silicon Image ATC for certification. Another more recent certifying group is Simplay.

Point made, noone has published definitive information stating their cable is best because.... It seems obvious manufacturers don't because there is nothing to publish.

I also believe that most of the cables up to 50' are just fine if purchased from inexpensive sites like e-bay. Until someone "publishes" test results that show me cable "A" is better than cable "B" because of ???, the only reason to purchase a certain cable is based on an individual preference, not technical data.