Not sure where to post: Monoprice HDMI Cable question (ferrite or non ferrite?)

You want this one. It has ferrite cores.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...ormat=2&style=

It's not important. That's like asking why the sky is blue. Particles refract both from the earth's surface and from space creating a blue tinge in the sky.

I'm pretty sure Hans is being a smart you know what. He's trying, in his own special way to tell you to buy the cheapest cable possible.

At the length you're talking any HDMI cable will do.

Ferrite cores help reduce any "induced" interferrence (EMI, RFI) that the cable may have experienced in it's short trip between two pieces of equipment. Every wire hanging out of a piece of electronic equipment can act like an antenna and "receive" interference. The ferrite cores sliped around the cable help to cancel out the interference signals before they reach the equipment.

On long runs of cable, they probably are needed and are very inexpensive insurance. On very short cable runs they are not usually needed, but what-the-heck, they can't do any harm. The difference in cost is negligable.

The only real concern I would have is attempting to run the cable behind a wall or in conduit between sources. The "buldge" created by the ferrites would make running the cable difficult. If the cable is in the open between equipment that is not a problem.

Bottom line.....if the difference in cost is small, I would get the cable with ferrite cores.

Under 15', the only reason to go with the 24AWG cables with the netting is for in wall installation, since they are CL2 rated. The 28AWG cables with the ferrite cores are not CL2 rated and should not be be run through the wall (such as running from behind a flat screen TV through the wall down to the equipment below).

Plus the heavier gauge cables are very thick and can become problematic if you need to make a tight bend (like flat screen TV's with side mount connections in the back). Hope this helps.

Most of the time you see ferrite cores on cables they have been provided by the manufacturer of the device itself to keep RF from leaking OUT of the device along that cable. I.e., the box doesn't reliably pass FCC class B emission limit tests unless the extra chokes are added to the cable ends nearest to the sockets to keep the cables from turning into antennas broadcasting the RF leaking out of the box. Packaging some ferrite core RF chokes with the box for the consumer to add to his cables, along with a stern warning that the consumer has to add them on to whatever cables are used, is cheaper than re-engineering the box to not leak RF that way.

So the ferrite core chokes provide no benefit to the user (unless you are concerned about RF leakage interfering with your other equipment). They just keep the box manufacturer from getting their wrist slapped by the FCC.

I don't know why they've manufactured these particular HDMI cables with RF chokes pre-installed.
--Bob