**The Importance of High-Quality HDMI Cables**

In today's digital age, high-quality HDMI cables are essential for transmitting audio and video signals with precision and reliability. However, not all HDMI cables are created equal, and choosing the right one can make a significant difference in your viewing experience. In this article, we will delve into the world of HDMI cables and explore what makes them tick.

**Testing the Limitations of HDMI Cables**

Our testing began with a braided HDMI 2.1 cable from Belkin, which costs a staggering $8.41 per foot. We were eager to see how it would perform, but unfortunately, our results were underwhelming. The cable failed miserably on its continuity checks, and the signal integrity test was technically passed but not reliable enough for our liking at such an exorbitant price point. One failure is one too many, especially when considering the cost. We also tested a braided HDMI 2.1 cable from CableDecon, which failed both on continuity checks and signal integrity tests. The LED feature in this cable seemed to be the culprit behind its poor performance.

**Macro View: Trends and Observations**

Upon stepping back and taking a broader look at our results, we started to notice some trends and observations worth sharing. First and foremost, paying more than $1 per foot for an HDMI cable appears to be a complete waste of money from a signaling perspective. While there are other attributes that might be important for your specific application, such as proper sheathing for in-wall installations or UV-resistant cables for outdoor use, these factors do not necessarily translate to better signal quality.

We also observed that only 50% of our 15-foot HDMI 2.1 cables passed the test, and even then, they struggled to maintain signal integrity over long distances. This highlights the limitations of high-bandwidth signals like HDMI 2.1 when it comes to transmission over long lengths without voltage drops becoming a problem.

**Opting for Active or Optical Cables**

In light of our findings, we recommend opting for active or optical cables in situations where longer distances are involved. These types of cables can help mitigate signal degradation and ensure that your audio and video signals remain reliable and crisp.

For those who plan to use HDMI 2.1 over long distances, it's essential to consider going active or even using optical active cables, which are designed to handle interference and ensure a clean signal transmission.

**Cable Tester Results: Turbo Nerds Rejoice**

Our testing was pretty definitive at this point, answering the most important questions about HDMI cable quality that viewers were looking for. We hope that our findings will help turbo nerds like ourselves make informed decisions when shopping for HDMI cables.

However, we're not done yet! We still have plenty of goodies to explore with our trusty cable tester, and we're excited to see what other discoveries we can uncover.

**Manscaped and the Original Cable Tester Video**

Before we wrap up this article, we'd like to take a moment to thank Manscaped for providing us with an all-in-one grooming kit that has got us covered from head to toe. Their Performance Package 4.0 features some amazing products, including their Lawnmower 4.0 waterproof body trimmer and Weed Whacker ear and nose trimmer. And as a special treat, they're offering our viewers 20% off and free shipping with the code TORGAMAN at manscaped.com/TECHOR.

If you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out our original cable tester video for more detail on how to interpret some of the visuals you saw during the test. And if you have any suggestions or disagreements about what we should be testing next, feel free to share them in the comments below!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- We told you we would testthe most popular HDMI cables.(energetic music)And we're doing it.But it turned out to be a lot more workthan we bargained for.The good news is it was all worth it.53 cables from 17 differentmanufacturers, totaling-- A thousand-ish dollars.- $1000.And after painstakingly labeling,testing, and logging all of them,we've got the juicy details for you.Which ones are top notch?Which ones aren't evenworthy of being usedas a skipping rope?We're gonna tell you andalso give you some guidelinesthat you can follow to make surethat you are not gettingripped off on cables.After this message fromour sponsor, Honey,who helps you not getripped off on anything.Honey is the free to useshopping tool that helps searchfor some of the best promo codeson lots of your favorite sites.Get it today at joinhoney.com/LTT.(bright jingle)Ask a cable vendor and naturally,they'll claim that theirproducts does everythingfrom dissipating noise toreducing EMI interferenceto turning water into wine.(energetic music)But you, an intellectual,you're too smart for that.You should just buy the cheapestcable every time, right?Well, not quite.The truth, as usual, liessomewhere in between.You see, on the surface,an HDMI cable is basic.You've got your plugs on theends, 19 conductors in between,and some kind of plastic sheathcovering the whole thing.They're basically a commodity item.But as we learned on this journey,there is a lot that can happenin between the two ends.And some of the boldperformance claims actuallycan change the user experience.Also, well over 10% ofthe cables that we boughtand tested failed to meet their claims.Let's start then with a handfulof things that don't matter.One, while it looksnice and feels premium,this right here is not asignal-carrying componentof the cable.And as long as it isn't so corrodedthat it literally cannot fit in the slot,the inclusion of gold platingon the HDMI connectorhousing doesn't matter.Two, and this is gonna blow your mind,but I give you my personalLinus Tech Tips guaranteethat anyone selling you a cable basedon the conductors insideis probably BSing you.To be clear, better conductorsor better constructioncan improve signal integrity,which will increase the chancethat a cable will meet spec.And then we'll talkabout that more in a bit.But that is the manufacturer'sproblem, not yours.For digital signals, likeHDMI, all that mattersis that the signalarrives reasonably on timeand at a high enoughamplitude that it can be read.What that means is thatwhatever materials are used,if the cable meets thespec, there will be no lossof ones or zeros and therefore,there cannot be any discernibledifference in quality.If you say you believe otherwise,you are a sucker or you are a liar.But here's the thing.That doesn't mean that all ofthe marketing is snake oil.In order to meet the spec orto improve the user experience,there can be numerous physicaldifferences from one cableto the next, many of whichwouldn't be obvious to the eye,at least not without cutting them open.Category one and categorytwo cables, for example,both have four twistedpairs to carry color,sync, and clock signals.But the with Ethernet versions took someof the extra conductors andadded a fifth twisted pairto carry Ethernet.The category three spec, by contrast,includes this fifthtwisted pair as standard.So then are all HDMI cableswith Ethernet the same?No, not even close.Remember how I saidmaterials don't matter?Well, they do.(suspenseful music)In theory, because we're still usingthe same conductor count and connectorfrom nearly 20 years ago, acable that was made in 2001could conceivably carrya modern 8K 60 Hz signal.Just not very far.The thing is, each newgeneration of the HDMI spechas approximately doubledthe maximum data rate,putting much greaterdemands on cable quality.That is why certification is so important.Everything from the gauge of the wiresto the tightness andconsistency of the twisted pairsto the, yes, the materials,including both the conductorsand the shielding, willimpact the integrityof the signal over a given distance.So a manufacturer who cracksthe code, so to speak,might be able to stay inspec over a longer distanceor create a lighter, more flexible cableusing thinner conductors.But from a performance standpoint,if you are comparing two compliant cablesat the same length, you don't need to carewhat's inside them.With that in mind, we setoff and purchased a whackloadof cables from the usualsuspects: Amazon, Best Buy,Monoprice, and a fewothers for good measure.For the majority of these, we bought threeor more of each cable.Why? Well, because onefailure could be a fluke.Two is a coincidence.But three, that's a pattern.Before we get to the results though,one really important note hereis we were initially aimingto test only HDMI 2.1 cables'cause that's the latest and greatest.But because neither AmazonBasicsnor Best Buy's Insigniabrand offer HDMI 2.1 cables,we decided to test those2.0 rated cables as well.I mean, they're bothcategory three, right?Maybe it'll work.Wow, Colin, that's a lot of tests.- Yeah, it was a lot.- Something is there's more than 53 here.- Yeah, I alsowent around the officeand grabbed some interestingcables just to seewhat would happen, they'redown at the bottom as bonus.- Got it, okay.Let's start with the normies though.Of the 53 cable tests, nine failed.These failing cables were madeby four different manufacturers:Belkin, Monoprice,AmazonBasics, and CableDeconn.Doing the math here, that is a 16.9, nice,percent failure rate.(energetic music)That means that the odds of buyingan out of spec HDMI 2.1cable, even if you shopwith reputable brands,is nearly one in five.Wow.Two of them passed thesignal integrity test,meaning you'd probably neverknow something was wrong.Where they failed was on continuity.That means that some of the wireswere outright not connectedwhere they were supposed to be.Pretty lame.The other seven failed oneither signal integrity aloneor a combination of thetwo at HDMI 2.1 speeds.None of our cables failedon the third category,DC resistance, whichmeans that any of themwould comfortably powera low power device,like say an early generation Chromecast.This kind of makes sensebecause DC resistance increaseswith length and most HDMI2.1 cables are quite short.We found that this isa much bigger concernwith passive cables atlengths of 25 feet or more.Let's start with the mostsurprising of our failures.AmazonBasics was doing reallywell until they had onethat failed, number 28 here.Now, because this is theonly one that didn't make itout of our batch of three,it looks more like a one-off.And considering that it's alsoone of the 10-foot cables,it's not that surprising.What is surprising thoughis that these three,numbers 25, 26 and 27, allof which are six-foot cables,not only passed the HDMI 2.0spec, but they also passedthe HDMI 2.1 spec at48 gigabit per second.That's pretty good.That makes AmazonBasics six footersone of the best bang for thebuck cables on the market,but not quite the best.(energetic music)That throne is reservedfor Infinite Cables,who not only guaranteetheir cables for HDMI 2.1instead of just maybe it'll happen,but they even chargeabout 17% less per foot.Our next runner-up in the failOlympics then is Monoprice,which hands down had the worst showing outof all the manufacturers we tested.Only 11 of their 15cables passed our tests.And we're also starting to see a trendwith the only failurescoming from either 10or 15 foot lengths dueto signal integrity.That makes sense.If you remember from our previous video,the longer a cable gets,the more voltage dropis experienced across its lengthand the more opportunitythere is for interference.Something else interesting isthat the fails all occurredon the same pair of signal wires,number four and number six.Now, consistency in manufacturingis usually a good thing,but consistently failing?Well, that's a bad thing.Looking at these fail reports,we also find something very interesting.You know how the best lies have a grainof truth at their core?Well, much of the marketing,particularly aroundaudiophile HDMI cables,centers around jitter.And jitter is bad, really bad.High jitter means thateven though your signalsare being sent at regular intervals,they might not be arrivingat those same intervals.It's terrible for any applicationbut in really different ways.Professor Riley?- In analog signaling, evena small amount of jittercan manifest as an obvious lossin audio quality with pops,crackles, and other unpleasant anomalies.Baby snaps.(energetic music)This appears to be the grain of truthupon which modern audiophilemarketing is built,but where it turns to horse plopis when these same principlesare applied to digital signaling.Digital signals are made upof discrete zeros and ones.Jitter can't change the order of the data,but it can change when it arrives,which can lead to itbeing read incorrectly.Let me show you.This is an eye diagram from our tester,and at its center is asingle data sampling point,right where the eye is.A one or a zero is measured at this point.As jitter increases, the variancebetween our samples alsoincreases, thickening these lines,causing the eye to narrow.Like this.Lots of jitter takes what usedto be a good signal like thisand makes the signal not come in on time,meaning the samplingpoint could be at a pointwhere the signal isstill rising or fallingto a one or a zero respectively.Once you can't get a cleanreading, your data is garbage.And you will experiencea very obvious failure,either sparklies or more likely,a complete loss of signal.So there you have it, eithereverything arrives in orderand on time or nothing does.That's why I mark all lateassignments with a zero.Back to you, Linus, ooh,nice hoodie, by the way.Lttstore.com.- You better believe it.(energetic music)WAN Hoodie V2 is awesomeand it's finally in stock,get yours today.Let's move on to the mostexpensive cable we tested,this braided HDMI 2.1 cable from Belkin.It costs me a tear-inducing 8dollars and 41 cents per foot.And it failed miserablyon its continuity checks.We did only get one of themand the signal integritytechnically passed,but at this price, frankly,one failure is enough for me.Don't take a risk on this.We also tested an ROG cablethat we had lying around theoffice, and to our surprise,even though it wasincluded with a monitor,it also failed, though itwas just on continuity.So it probably will workfor most applications.It just goes to show that weshould be checking the cablesthat come with products going forwardto see what kinds of trends we discover.Our last cable that failedwas this short little cute onefrom CableDeconn.We're assuming that the LEDfeature that's in the cable herecaused it to fail on the continuity test,but it also failed on signal integrity.So that's just to skipover this particular cable.So that's some pretty surprising results.Now, if we step back for a secand take a more macro view,we start to see some trends.First is cost.Paying more than say about a dollar a footfor an HDMI cable appears tobe a complete and utter wasteof money, at least froma signaling perspective.With that said, there are other attributesthat might be importantfor your application.Properly rated sheathing, forexample, is probably requiredfor an in-wall installation in your area.UV resistant cables can beuseful for outdoor installations,flat or flexible cables might look nicerin your theater room, andactive cables are greatfor hitting longerdistances or in the caseof optical active cables,running in environmentswith a lot of interference.We can also say that if you'regoing anywhere over 10 feetwith HDMI 2.1, you're asking for trouble.Only 50% of our 15 foot cables passed.And it seems like thehigh bandwidth signal justdoesn't have the beans totransmit over lengths like thatwithout the voltage droppingto unreadable levels.So for those situations,you're gonna wanna considergoing active or even optical active.I think this testing is prettydefinitive at this pointand answers the mostimportant questions aboutthe HDMI cables that you allare actually shopping for.And turbo nerds can checkout the full data dumpon our forum at the link down below.But if you guys disagree and you thinkthat we should blowhundreds or even thousandsof dollars testing extrasnake oily audiophile gear,tell us in the comments whowe should be secret shoppingand maybe we'll take anotherstab at in a future video.There's still tons ofstuff we wanna get intowith our cable tester here,and we sure hope you guyshave enjoyed this deeperdive into HDMI cable quality,which leaves only one question.What am I gonna do withall these HDMI cables?Actually, I know.I'm gonna replace all the bad onesthat have been causingintermittent problemsfor us here at the officefor the last seven years.- Woo-hoo.- Woo.I'm actually super stoked.And I'm stoked to tellyou about our sponsor.Manscaped provides anall-in-one grooming kitthat has you covered from head to toe.Their Performance Package 4.0 featurestheir Lawnmower 4.0waterproof body trimmer,their Weed Whacker ear and nose trimmer,plus a whole lot of other goodies.For a limited time, you get allof this plus two free gifts,the shed travel bag, and a pairof Manscaped anti-chafing boxer briefs.Just visit manscaped.com/techor click the link down belowfor 20% off and free shipping.If you guys enjoyed this video,go check out our originalcable tester videobecause it's got a lot moredetail about how you guyscan interpret some of thevisuals that you just saw.\n"