Going to a retail store for consumer electronics purchases can be both exciting and frustrating. After working at Best Buy for two years, I have a few opinions to share that you might want to consider before your next shopping trip.
1. We have no formal training in the field of consumer electronics.
Upon transferring to the computer department from home theater, I expressed concern to the manager: "Will there be time for someone to train me on laptops/desktops? What do these specifications mean?" His reply was simple: "Just do your best. A good salesperson can just read the labels and compare specs." Ouch.
Salespeople are not necessarily experts in the products sold in their departments, even if they are expert salespeople. Though many express a strong interest in the products they sell, your time spent at a retail store fishing for information about a future TV purchase could be better spent online researching the products yourself (I heard CNET has pretty great reviews).
"You need those HDMI cables, you know you do."
(Credit: Amazon) 2. We make little off the big-ticket items, so we smother you with accessories.
Remember the story "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? Well, if you tell a salesman you're going to buy a TV, he's going to want to sell you a DVD player to go with it. Once he sells you the DVD player, he's going to want to get you to buy an HDMI cable, too.
Managers at Best Buy (and possibly all retailers) tell employees that the store profits surprisingly little from video game consoles and computers. Cables, accessories, mice, and other components, however, have a huge profit margin-- stores can make about $120 from a $150 Monster HDMI cable. Angry yet? The point is, we're going to work really hard to convince you to purchase that big item, but once you've said "OK" you've opened Pandora's Box.
Here's my advice: Grab the big item, and run. Purchase all accessories online, including memory cards, cables, traveling cases, and so on. Amazon, Monoprice, and Newegg are all reputable discount Web sites. You'll find what you need at a much lower price.
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Pay more than a few bucks for an HDMI cable and you're getting ripped off.
(Credit: Amazon)
As regular Cheapskate readers know, HDMI cables are insanely overpriced. Pity the uninformed consumer who walks into, say, Best Buy, and walks out $40 to $90 poorer. Happens all the time.
But it doesn't have to. Help me spread the word: Eforcity (via Amazon) has a 6-foot HDMI cable for just $3.19 shipped. (Actually, the cable's only 21 cents, shipping costs $2.98. That drives me nuts, so I stayed focused on the total price. Which is awesome.)
Update: I'm not sure why, but sometimes that link takes you to the same cable offered by a different vendor (and for a slightly different price). If that happens, look for the Eforcity deal on the right side under More Buying Choices.
In case you're not familiar with them, HDMI cables carry digital audio and video signals between your TV and gear like game consoles and Blu-ray players.
Are they all created equal? No, but there's ample scientific and anecdotal evidence that dirt-cheap generic cables perform just as well as their pricey big-name counterparts (cough *Monster* cough). Don't get suckered into buying the latter.
Need more proof? This particular cable has a whopping 1,863 user reviews on Amazon, and the average score is 4.5 stars out of 5. 'Nuff said.
The Locking HDMI Cable from PPC.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)I've never believed in the so-called "high-quality" HDMI cables that cost hundreds of dollars. It's just electrical engineering, and as long as the cables are made of standardized conductor material, which most, if not all, of them are, they should work the same in regard to picture quality when plugged in securely.
There's no proof that the $100 Monster Cable HDMI cable would make your hi-def movie look better than a generic $20 one. If you actually see the difference, maybe you should check with your optometrist, or find a shrink. It's all mental.
With that said, I would look for other qualities when choosing a cable. Take length, for example. You definitely don't want to have a cable that's way longer than necessary because that only clutters the space. And some cables definitely look better than others.
Today, however, I got my hands on a cable that offers a feature none has offered before: a stronger port hold. It's called the world's first locking HDMI and it's from PPC.
Originally introduced back at CES (but I didn't have time to check it out then), the PPC's patented Locking HDMI Cable is designed to offer three times stronger connector retention than other HDMI cables. This means you are less likely to accidentally push it off of the HDMI port.
It's important to note that the cable is not actually locked into the port so if you happen to kick or stumble on it, it will still fall out without pulling your TV or Blu-ray player down on the ground.
Other than that, the Locking HDMI Cable is capable of delivering 1080p--the highest HDTV signal--and is compatible with all HDMI spec ports. And like all other HDMI cables with its specs, it will make your hi-def movies look great.
For this added feature, the Locking HDMI cable is more expensive than a regular one. It comes in three lengths, including 3 feet ($48.99 ), 6 feet ($59.99), and 12 feet ($72.99). They all come with a lifetime warranty.
Not all of us will find use for this cable, but if you have a busy entertainment corner with tons of cables around, this could be an easy solution to keep the HDMI connections secure.
(Credit:
Donya)
In the enthusiast world of PC modding, there are bright Christmas tree-like computers decorated with glowing neon lights and LED-embedded fans. Perhaps this may have inspired the manufacturer of this unique HDMI cable to integrate ultra-bright LEDs to create a pseudo Philips Ambilight effect.
If blue isn't your favorite shade, these HDMI 1.3-certified cables are also available in red, as well as white, in three different lengths. The prices regardless of the hues are $7, $8, and $10 for 3 feet, 6 feet, and 10 feet, respectively. Too bad there's no international shipping option.
(Source: Crave Asia via Akihabara News)
Kiss your blistered fingers and headaches goodbye--tangled cords are a problem of the past as long as you use Flexicords. If you're someone who sets up and breaks down your television, home theater kit, laptop, or desktop computer, Flexicords' coiled design eliminates the need to measure exactly how much cable you'll need to hook up your gear.
The cables come curly and extend out up to 10 feet, ensuring that you have just enough slack without any excess clutter.
Flexicord offers cables for just about any application, including USB, phono jacks, S-video, networking cables, and HDMI. Once extended, the coils retain their shape thanks to a thick pipe cleaner that bends alongside the cable itself.
Finally, each wire comes with its own "recoiling tool," aka an inanimate plastic rod that helps you coil it back up. Prices vary depending on size and maximum length, but they all generally cost around $20, with the exception of the 10-foot HDMI cable that goes for $34.
More pictures after the jump!
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In the bustle of holiday shopping, it's easy to be persuaded by the salesperson at your local retailer that you need to buy a $50 HDMI cable to make your new gear work. They might say the expensive cable "supports faster speeds," "has better video quality," or that "cheap cables don't support 1080p"--pretty much anything to get you to throw that high-margin HDMI cable in your shopping cart. But the truth is that expensive HDMI cables aren't worth it and the cheap cables available online are just as good. In fact, our guide to HDMI cables says this in bold, at the top of the page:
CNET strongly recommends cheap HDMI cables widely available from online retailers instead of the expensive counterparts sold in your local electronics store.
The full guide explains all the reasons in detail, but the main takeaway is that you should never pay more than $10 for a standard 6-foot HDMI cable. Cheap HDMI cables can be found all over the Web--we've had good experiences with both Monoprice and Amazon. Then you can take the money you saved and get some gear that's actually worth it--check out CNET's Holiday Gift Guide for suggestions.
(Credit:
Panasonic)
At first glance, Panasonic's Free Angle HDMI cables look to be the perfect solution for HD connections in tight spaces. The cables--available in lengths of 1.5 and 3 meters--are so named because the HDMI plugs on each side can rotate up to 180 degrees. That means you can fold the plug down to a 90-degree angle with the cable (as shown), allowing it to fit into spaces as tight as 1.2 inches--ideal for wall-mounted TVs, for instance.
The cables worked just as well as standard HDMI cables in a quick and impromptu test. The only problem, then, is the price: $60 for the 1.5m, $80 for the 3m. Since we at CNET always opt for the most affordable HDMI cables possible, we're more accustomed to paying $10 or less. But we do like the flexibility offered by the Free Angle cables.
One possible solution: the HDMI Port Saver at monoprice.com. Available for less than $5, these dongles add an L-shaped terminus to any standard HDMI plug. Pair two of those with a 6-foot HDMI cable (about $13), and you'll be paying less than $27 total--and that includes shipping and handling. That's a savings of more than $50 versus the similarly sized Panasonic offering.
Just two things to keep in mind. First, we haven't personally tested the Port Savers; we're assuming they work well based on the simplicity of the design and the positive user reviews. Secondly, note that the Port Savers aren't flexible like the Panasonics. Instead, they're locked into 90-degree and 270-degree versions--basically, pointing "up" or "down." They're also available in "vertical" orientations as well (90-degree, 270-degree). In other words, pay careful attention to as to which direction your HDMI ports are configured, and purchase accordingly.
This week a package arrived here at Crave UK that weighed as much as a fairly hefty puppy, which was slightly confusing. Who had sent us a puppy, and why wasn't it barking? It transpired that it was in fact an HDMI cable. But not just any HDMI cable, a 49.2-foot-long Profigold PROV1015, which went some way toward explaining the prodigious weight.
(Credit:
Crave UK)
The PROV1015 is very well-constructed, which is one of the reasons it has some girth to it. Plugging the connector into an HDMI socket resulted in a firm contact and no fear that the cable would fall out of the back of the TV at the drop of a hat--some very large electronics companies have sent us cables that threaten that, and we get quite cross at such shoddiness.
It's fair to say that a 49.2-foot cable won't be a priority for everyone, but if you've got a need for one--a projector ceiling mount maybe, or you want to wire something behind walls and keep your HD equipment out of the way--you'll want to make sure you drop some cash to get something sturdy. The Profigold comes with a 10-year warranty, so if something turns out to be amiss, you can get it fixed without fuss.
The PROV1015 claims full support for 1080p video and deep color. The contacts are gold and the cable is screened multiple times to keep noise out and thus prevent any potential data transmission errors. Distortion from an HDMI cable can look like white spots or, at the extreme end, high-definition snow--certainly something to avoid if possible.
We tested the cable by plugging it into our TV in the testing room and the other end into a Toshiba HD-EP35, which is just slightly less than 49.2-foot away on our desk. We're pleased to report 100 percent success, with a clean, noise-free signal received by the TV and a sense of achievement in our hearts--you'd have thought we made the cable speak to us.
The Profigold PROV1015 49.2-foot cable--and other lengths--will be available soon, but there is not yet any pricing available. Please don't send puppies to us either--we love them, but this office really isn't a good home for a dog.
(Via Crave UK)
If it's good enough for Criterion and CNET, it should be good enough for you.
It goes without saying that the folks who work at Criterion Collection are film buffs. And anyone who has watched one of the company's lovingly remastered DVDs can attest to the fact the company really cares about making films look as good as they can. That's why we took notice when a poster at AVS Forum pointed out an interesting tidbit in Sound & Vision's recent profile of Criterion Collection's new high-def home theater--Criterion's reference Blu-ray player is a PS3.
We're not exactly surprised. We've been using the PS3 as our reference Blu-ray player at CNET since it was released, and you'll notice that it tops our best Blu-ray players list by quite a margin. Furthermore, it's worth noting that video quality expert Joe Kane help set up Criterion's new home theater room. When we checked out Joe Kane's demo of the truly awesome SP-A800B at CES, we specifically asked what Blu-ray player he thought had the best image quality, he immediately said the PS3. So if you're worried about the image quality of a "game console" versus a high-end standalone Blu-ray player, it's worth rechecking your assumptions when CNET, Criterion and Joe Kane all vouch for the PS3's excellent performance.
Another interesting piece of gear we noted from the S&V article is... Read more
BYOC: bring your own cables
(Credit: Apple)If you're planning on buying an Apple TV, make sure you have some extra A/V cables on hand. According to the Apple Web site, the only items included in the box--besides the Apple TV unit itself--are the remote, a power cord, and the instruction manual. Indeed, a more detailed overview of the product elsewhere on Apple's site lists the cables you'll need to supply: either HDMI (which can carry audio and video to compatible HDTVs) or component video, and--if using component--a pair of analog stereo or an optical digital cable to handle the audio. Those not using a wireless network will need to scrounge up an Ethernet cable as well.
While the cash cow that is the iPod accessory business has no doubt whetted Apple's appetite for upselling all sorts of compatible add-ons--even the AC power adapter that was once included in the iPod's box is now a $29 step-up--the company's decision to sell the Apple TV in such a bare-bones fashion is a surprise. Yes, Sony's twice-as-expensive PlayStation 3 omitted the HDMI cable, but the company at least included a composite A/V cable so you could get the game console up and running without a trip to RadioShack--or having to cannibalize cables from your existing home-theater setup. In fact, I can't remember the last A/V product I've encountered that didn't include a perfunctory set of cables--you'll even find them in those $40 DVD players on sale at the drugstore. On the bright side, at least, we can be thankful that the Apple TV doesn't use any proprietary connectors--any HDMI, component, audio, or optical cables you already have will work fine.
Cables or no, the Apple TV is still listed on the company's Web site as shipping in "February." If that's to be believed, we could be seeing it stocked behind the Genius Bar by the end of the week.
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