Currys Sandstrom cables rip-off

prowla

There are two types of signal: digital and analogue.

• Digital signals are very simple, either 5V (on) or 0V (off), and will generally work regardless of the quality of a cable, provided it meets the standard. If there is an issue with the signal then the effect will typically be quite obvious (eg. picture break-up), not subtle at all (ie. you won't just get a slightly less sharp picture).
• Analogue signals are generally a lower voltage (+/- 1V) and carry quite detailed signals, which are susceptible to cable variations, interference, and so-on. The quality of a cable can affect the signal and result in subtle effects (eg. fuzziness of picture or ghosting, loss of rhythm in music, and so-on).

HDMI is a digital standard, so as long as it meets the standard, a cheap HDMI cable will work equally as well as an expensive one.

In contrast, analogue cables can get to be rather expensive (hundreds of pounds), and in certain cases can be as important as the equipment they are connecting to.

However, there is more to a cable than just that, for example:

1. Does it look "cool".
2. How rugged is it.
3. Does it carry other signals.
4. Do its signals leak out and affect other equipment/cables.

In the case of HDMI,

1. It's up to you if you want a bit of bling.
2. If you're not moving things around a lot & unplugging/reconnecting, then it's not particularly relevant.
3. It can carry Ethernet and also audio; if it does carry audio then the comments about analogue cables apply.
4. If there aren't any other cables/equipment about then irrelevant.

Putting all of the above together, I would suggest that in most cases there is no need whatsoever to buy an expensive HDMI cable.

antrobus

Azari wrote: »

There is actually a crime that goes by the pithy name of "Gaining a pecuniary advantage by deception".....

Not any more there ain't.:)

That was an offence under s16 Theft Act 1968 which was repealed by the Fraud Act 2006 which replaced it with the much more prosaic "fraud by false representation".

bod1467

Audio via HDMI is analogue? Really?

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_HDMI_carry_analog_audio

Although another article says analogue audio support may be incorporated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Audio.2Fvideo

prowla

bod1467 wrote: »

Audio via HDMI is analogue? Really?

No - HDMI's normal audio is digital.

bod1467

prowla wrote: »

In the case of HDMI,

1. It can carry Ethernet and also audio; if it does carry audio then the comments about analogue cables apply.

So the comments about analogue cables DON'T then apply?

prowla

bod1467 wrote: »

So the comments about analogue cables DON'T then apply?

Not if it's carrying digital audio.

(Actually, having re-read and searched, I'm not now 100% certain that HDMI can carry analogue; it's be good if someone could cross-check that!)

MarkBargain

Would it be legal if a salesman said of an £89.99 HDMI cable: "The gold plated connectors give less distortion, so you can enjoy the purest images"?

Azari

MarkBargain wrote: »

Would it be legal if a salesman said of an £89.99 HDMI cable: "The gold plated connectors give less distortion, so you can enjoy the purest images"?

Well, it isn't true.

I think for it to be illegal, the salesman would have to know it wasn't true.

And given the technical incompetence of most salespeople:

a) They probably wouldn't know. In fact, most would probably would actually believe it themselves.

b) Even if one did you would never be able to prove it, 'beyond all reasonable doubt'. (At least, not without some sort of police operation more suited to catching major criminals).

prowla

It may not be untrue in the precise words, as gold connectors probably would distort the signal less, and the cable would allow you to enjoy the purest images.

However, digital is a robust signal which is designed to factor out any distortion in the cable, and you would also be able to enjoy equally pure images with a cheapo cable.

But the salesman's not going to tell you that.

Azari

prowla wrote: »

It may not be untrue in the precise words, as gold connectors probably would distort the signal less, and the cable would allow you to enjoy the purest images.

However, digital is a robust signal which is designed to factor out any distortion in the cable, and you would also be able to enjoy equally pure images with a cheapo cable.

But the salesman's not going to tell you that.

"The gold plated connectors give less distortion, so you can enjoy the purest images"

Well, if we are going to be that pedantic - and pedantry is something of which I wholeheartedly approve - the salesman would need to change the word 'so' in the above to 'and', otherwise he is implying that enjoying the purest images is dependent on the gold connectors whereas, as you correctly point out, it isn't.