i am getting my first B&O 1080p HD plasma and blu-ray and am wondering about HDMI cabling to go from the blu-ray player to the Beosystem 3.

having read around the net there seems to a lack of unbiased placebo controlled trials on whether the expensive HDMis are better than the cheaper ones. i recall a forum posting on red pixel interference and it helped to change the cable...but clear if it was the specific cable that had a defect or whether it was common symptom of cheaper HDMi cabling.

there appears to be 2 camps: one that says that it is digital and why would a cable make difference to the 1s and 0s being sent through them. then there's the camp that are convinced that the more expensive cables make a definite difference but again neither camp have any solid scientfic evidence to back up there claims.

should i spend £50-100 or am i fooling myself and lining the pocket of a cabling company?

does anyone have any stories of an HDMi cabling problems?

I think the cable length is definitely a factor in this.

One thing though, make sure your cable is hdmi 1.3 compatible for best results (also for future use!!)

I use a cheaper 5-foot cable to connect the BDplayer with my tv ($15). But I use a medium quality 15 ft for connecting my mac mini ($39)
I did check both and the image quality is absolutely equal with both cables.

I have seen no convincing evidence to say that you need anything more than a good quality standard cable. Obviously it is in the manufacturers' interest to pump up the cable debate but the digital nature would seem to make this tricky to justify.

Hi seethroughyou,

Cooldude and Peter are right, but there are a few other issues to consider:-

1) HDMI cables which GENUINELY meet the 1.3c standard are normally always good enough (beware of cheap imports which may have all sorts of random claims printed on them though!)

2) Good cabling practice is particularly important here, ie. run the cables away from sources of interference, keep them as short as possible and avoid any sharp twists in the cabling, or any undue vibration or movement once in place.

3) Some HDMI faults seem to defy logic, however, so improvements can sometimes be made to problematic setups by improving on the HDMI cables used.  This is particularly relevant to long cable runs (ie. over 10 metres).

So, in summary, ignore brand names, look for the latest 1.3 compliance and buy from a trusted source.

Best regards,

Steve.

peter that's really helpful. thank you.

do you suggest any particular one that's reasonable in quality and price that you use?

I would actually agree with Steve - forget the names and buy a 1.3 HDMI cable and from a decent source. Your B&O set will sometimes come with one anyway and this one will be fine. I would look at the cheapest Steve sells as a guide!