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Cheap, Great HDMI Cables

Monoprice High Speed HDMI Cable With Ethernet

Last Updated: Sept. 26, 2011

A handful of experts have written about how cheap HDMI cables can be just as good at expensive ones. That’s true. But of those cheap cables, the Monoprice High Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet is the one to get. It’s less than $10 for a 6 foot cable, has a lifetime warranty, and is rated to handle next generation signals beyond today’s high definition. You can tell by reading their specification pages that Monoprice takes their cheap cable performance seriously because they go to the trouble of rating them for data throughput, which other cheapo cable makers do not. Most telling of all, however, is the fact that editors at CNET not only use them in their test labs when running home theater gear through the paces, and some even use them at home.

You can get a cable from Monoprice without the separate ethernet channel, too. You probably don’t need the ethernet standard in your living room today–none of the midrange surround sound receivers I’m recommending utilize the tech–but when future proofing costs 4 bucks, I say do it.

Best Sources

  1. HDMI.ORG, undated. ”When it comes to selecting a cable, the HDMI version number is never relevant. There is no such thing as a “Version 1.4 cable” or “HDMI 1.3 cable” - these terms are solely the creation of manufacturers’ marketing efforts...” The highest standard of cable is High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet, which has the “Same baseline performance as the High Speed HDMI cable, plus a dedicated Ethernet channel for Internet connection sharing and device networking.”
  2. Chris De Boer, Audioholics, Long HDMI Cable Bench Tests - Monster Cable Shootout--July 29, 2009, “At long lengths (over 10 meters) you really need to pay attention to the manufacturer if you don't want to risk running into potential problems with 1080p and future formats such as Deep Color. “ In Chris’s tests a $10 Monoprice cable beat a $400 Monster HDMI cable, though.
  3. Wilson Rothman, Gizmodo, The Truth About Monster Cables, July 26th, 2007, In Wilson’s findings, at a length of 50 feet, a monoprice cable (a different model than the one we are recommending) showed some noise. Still, he recommends, “...even if you're going for the long haul, try a cheaper cable from a reliable vendor first.”
  4. Monoprice: Here’s a link to Monoprice’s HDMI listings, which include different lengths and colors of the cable above. This page also includes the High Speed HDMI cables without ethernet, which have the same performance and only cost $4. The cables we recommend also have a specification page, should you give a damn about how thoroughly these people take their 8 dollar cable performance.
  5. Amazon: Amazon’s Basics line includes things like these High Speed Ethernet standard HDMI cables. They’re also 8 dollars and come in eco friendly packaging. If you’ve got free shipping through an Amazon prime account, it might make sense to order this cable.
  6. Sean Captain, PC World, The Cable Game, August 2nd, 2005.
  7. CNET: HDMI Quick Guide, June 10, 2010, The proof is in the pudding: “As we mentioned before, we use Monoprice cables in CNET Labs, and several CNET editors use Monoprice in their personal home theaters as well.”
Approximate Price
$8

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