Choosing the right cables is not just a matter in the world of audiophiles. Movie enthusiasts often discuss the superiority of one HDMI cable over another, as the price, quality of workmanship, length, or brand affect the colors, sharpness, and accurate representation of the image. But is it really true?
We can immediately say that every functional HDMI cable will display the same colors, sharpness, and fluidity within its specifications regardless of the price. However, it should be noted that not all cables operate at the HDMI 2.1 specification, so purchasing the cheapest cable may not be sufficient for everything to work properly.
To clarify this somewhat complicated topic, we conducted a test of the Purelink PS3010 cable priced at 99 PLN, while its competitor is the Wireworld Starlight Platinum cable priced at 4999 PLN. Will an accessory that is nearly 50 times more expensive affect the quality of the image? In our scientific test, we will show that these two cables offer the same image quality despite the enormous price difference.
If you are looking for verified cables at a good price and don't want to scroll all the way to the end of the text, we are providing links to the cables we recommend here:
Used by us in this test Cable up to 3 meters - PS3010 - ps3010 - Home Cinema eXperts Store (hcx.com.pl)
Fiber optic cables (long) - FXI380 - FXI380 - Home Cinema eXperts Store (hcx.com.pl)
Additionally, with the discount code "WYBIERZTV" you can receive an additional 15% discount.
Types of HDMI cables
At the outset, we mentioned that each cable will display the same image, but within the scope of its specifications. Currently, manufacturers or sellers unfortunately make it difficult for consumers to distinguish the capabilities of a given cable by using slogans like 4K, 8K, HDR, etc. One should also not take into account when manufacturers label the connector standard on the cable, e.g., HDMI 1.4. If our cable has such a designation, and the TV is equipped with newer connectors, it does not mean that it will not work properly. For the cable, what matters is how much data needs to flow through it, which depends on technical parameters such as resolution, refresh rate, or color encoding format. Below you can see how the specification has changed over time.
The correct designation of the cable is the class assigned to the standard, not the version of the connector. On the official website hdmi.org we can find official explanations of these standards.
However, it is possible that we encountered a situation where the manufacturer or store clearly described the class of the cable and the standard it is intended for, yet we still failed to obtain a stable image. Writing such designations does not guarantee that the cable will actually meet them. Of course, we can complain about such a product, but this process can be cumbersome. Cables longer than 3 meters are even more prone to such situations.
Then the aforementioned HDMI organization came to the rescue, introducing the official certification program HDMI Premium Certified. Thanks to it, cables with the hologram below guarantee correct operation regardless of price and manufacturer, as they have undergone rigorous testing before entering the market. We can scan the QR code to confirm the certificate's validity. Currently, there are two types of holograms on the market. The first one indicates that the cable guarantees correct operation in the 2.0 standard, which means 4K resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. Its properties are sufficient to support DVD, Blu-Ray, decoder, or network player devices, e.g. Apple TV. The second hologram with the addition of Ultra High Speed ensures full compatibility with the 2.1 standard, meaning up to 8K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. Such a cable will perform well in the latest generations of consoles or computers with such high specifications.
This does not mean, however, that a cable without HDMI certification will not function properly. The Wireworld Starlight Platinum itself does not have such a designation, nor does the tested PureLink PS3010. The latter is used by us in the studio and has been subjected to many tests in every possible regard. That's the theory, so let's move on to the practical test of these two cables.
Laboratory tests of image quality
Let’s start with the fact that HDMI is a digital connection, so the electrical impulses flowing through the cable are interpreted as 0 and 1. According to the theory, if we disrupt them to a certain extent, nothing will happen, because the signal will still be correctly read by the receiving device.
What will happen when the device can no longer read zeroes and ones? To check this, we deliberately cut the cable. As you can see, it consists of many layers that protect against interference. More expensive cables may have more shielding layers that provide better insulation. They may also have thicker conductors made of higher quality materials.
See what phenomenon occurs when using the cable we damaged.
Sparking, grain, seed - these are the terms we most often hear when the above-mentioned problem occurs. In this case, the device can no longer read 0s and 1s correctly. However, this does not affect colors, brightness, or sharpness.
There is also a second possibility, where the device uses HDCP protection, e.g., a Blu-Ray player or Apple TV. When we switched our generator to this mode, the image simply disappeared because it could not be decrypted.
As you can see, even deliberate damage to the cable does not result in a loss of image quality in the classical sense.
This situation could have occurred in analog cables, such as Component, Composite, Scart, where voltage levels directly affected the brightness of the image, rather than whether the image would be recognized as 0 or 1.
Cheap vs Expensive Cable
You have probably already noticed that an HDMI cable will either work or it won't, and its price does not influence that. Nonetheless, to be sure about this statement, we conducted an experiment. We will use the AccuPel signal analyzer, which can read what flows through the HDMI cable at the level of specific pixel values of the image.
We displayed a dynamic image on the TV, and in its center, we placed a sharpness pattern. High sharpness means a large contrast between adjacent pixels, so we used a pattern that transitions from black to white. If the cable had the ability to affect sharpness, the edge would become blurred or either black or white would degrade.
First, we used a cable costing nearly 5000 PLN. What was the effect?
The image looked good, and the cursors of our analyzing device show that on this pixel I have a pure, even vivid white. And moving one pixel to the left, we have deep black. This means we have an ideally sharp edge here.
And what about the cable for 99 zł? To our (non)surprise, the results are exactly the same. As you can see, the edge is just as sharp, the white is bright, and the black is deep.
Delay on long and short cable
We often hear the question of whether the length of the cable affects the signal delay, which is so important when playing on a console or computer. In this matter, there will be a bit of numbers, but we will try to explain it simply and clearly.
Current, or more precisely the electric field, travels in the cable almost at the speed of light, which is 299,792,458 meters per second. The exact difference can only be measured under laboratory conditions, but it is still not visible to our eyes. The noticeable delay could be 50 ms, or 0.05 seconds. To cover an additional 1 meter of cable, 3.34 nanoseconds are needed, which is 0.000000003 seconds. Even a 100-kilometer long cable would not show a noticeable difference!
What about a fiber optic cable with an active connector? Using a short cable costing 5000 PLN, the delay is 12 ms. After switching to a cheaper 10-meter fiber optic cable, the result is exactly the same.
The price of the cable also does not matter in terms of available features on consoles, as the cable itself must provide the appropriate signal bandwidth, and support for features is a matter for the devices on both ends. An exception may be old cables, without an Ethernet channel, through which the audio return channel ARC may not function.
We have scientifically proven that in the case of an HDMI cable, three scenarios may occur.
The cable works correctly and processes the image
The cable processes the image, but artifacts appear on it
The cable does not display the image at all
It does not, however, affect the color, brightness, sharpness, or overall image quality.
The problem of long HDMI cables - fiber optic cables
Cables longer than 3 meters can pose a problem in maintaining a stable connection. Shorter cables are often less prone to transmission errors, and even older models can support the HDMI 2.1 standard without the required certifications.
If we are looking for a long cable, we should probably search for a fiber optic cable.
They have a built-in modulator in the plug that converts electrical impulses into light, which can travel easily for dozens of meters. We have provided links to proven models of such cables at the very beginning of the article. Of course, one can look for cheaper solutions, and all cables with the official HDMI Ultra Certified Cable certificate should work fine, even if the price is suspiciously low. At least that’s what the members of the HDMI Forum, with whom we spoke at the CES in Las Vegas, assured us. For our part, we recommend the aforementioned cables as they have well-seated plugs, which minimizes the risk of breakage in the socket, which is quite high with long cables. Replacing such a cable embedded in a wall or another rigid casing is difficult or virtually impossible.
However, if you, dear reader, are still in the process of finishing your apartment, we recommend using conduits in the wall that will allow for cable replacement in the future when the standard further develops and the current specification becomes insufficient.
In a situation where we cannot apply this, let’s try to lay the highest-class S/FTP twisted pair cable, which will allow HDMI image transmission using special modulators.
Summary
To summarize our test, cables working with the same signal cannot produce different colors, sharpness, or brightness, regardless of the price or quality of the specific cable.
The capabilities of the cable are clearly specified by the assigned classes. The following classes mentioned earlier are currently in effect.
Cables with this designation guarantee us functionality, as well as those recommended by us. Of course, older cables without additional certifications can also work, but we may experience picture dropouts or crackling audio, or there may be no sound returning from the television to the external speakers, which indicates the need to replace the cable.
