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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443 Likes: 3
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Can anyone tell me why these leads are so expensive? Even a short one will cost you an arm and a leg. I bought a 1 metre (3ft) one of these the other day when I found (after owning the 21" LCD screen on my desktop computer, for a year) that the monitor had an HDMI input.  It cost me NZ$33, I can't get over the price of these things. Funny thing is, I can't say the picture is any better either.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,928 Likes: 34
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BTW the conspiracy buff in me says HDMI is a scam.
There is digital management hardware in the adapter. When they turn that on your bootlegged CDs and DVDs will stop working.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Jul 2002
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BTW the conspiracy buff in me says HDMI is a scam.
There is digital management hardware in the adapter. When they turn that on your bootlegged CDs and DVDs will stop working. Greg, While I'm not really into conspiracy theories, there may be something in what you are saying. This could be the reason why you cant buy HDMI connectors to make your own cables. You can however buy the sockets that fit to a wall-plate.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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This DRM hardware is in the adapter not the cable and as soon as they get a universal DRM protocol on the digital content you will see a lot of things you used to be able to do, stop working. They can't stop people from copying content but they are going to stop you from playing it ... or at least that is the plan. Like most things, some 15 year old will have this cracked an a few days.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Like most things, some 15 year old will have this cracked in a few days. Go the 15 year olds, I say!! 
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Joined: Mar 2004
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I have a supplier that sells HDMI cables for a fraction of the price you pay retail. If I take the packaging off you cannot tell the difference. The plugs have the same mold. A 6 ft cable is $7.30. Same cable at the big retailer is $39.95. Robert
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Joined: Jul 2002
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That isn't the point, Robert.
The question I ask is why you can't buy HDMI male plugs, just like any other generic connector?
What is so special about a HDMI connector that it can only be bought as a pre-made assembly?
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,928 Likes: 34
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I doubt most mere mortals could actually solder something that tiny on and still have any reasonable signal integrity.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Well Greg, I'd certainly like to give it a go. I've soldered some pretty intricate stuff before today.(SMD's spring to mind) Having said that, this is not the sort of thing that Joe Homeowner with his 80 Watt Chisel tipped soldering iron should attempt, it's only going to end in tears.
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,928 Likes: 34
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I used to fool with this fancy soldering when I was younger. I even fixed a core storage array once but these days I am more of a "200 watt Weller" guy.
Even the sub D connectors like you have on a monitor are a challenge to me. If someone will sell me a cable with molded ends for five bucks, I am buying it.
I do crunch ends on cat 5 cables now and then but I even like to buy those if I can.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Nov 2007
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Do they make HDMI cables with jacketing that is actually rated for installation within walls?
I hear a lot of buzz about them not being Class 2 rated , so can’t be run in walls or ceilings, etc... but how else can you get them behind a wall mounted flat panel TV?
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Joined: Jul 2004
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I looked at all of the cables going in the back of my big screen (almost every port has a cable) and the only one with a "CL" rating is the coax. HDMI, component, A/V, PC audio and the VGA cable are unrated.
I suppose the "safe" way would be to run a sleeve of 2" ENT or other raceway to pull the cables through. That still may not be "legal".
There is a good chance that any name brand cable would meet the flame/smoke test for CL2 but they don't seem to be marked.
OTOH if you are talking about some offshore cable, who knows what the insulation is? If they do get rated, it is only for signal quality. I have always been skeptical about the "in wall" systems sold for big screens. On the line side, they are basically just an extension cord inside a wall. They are largely beyond the inspection process since they are homeowner or "TV installer" items.
Greg Fretwell
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Joined: Jun 2006
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It never ceases to amaze me what people will pay for digital signal cables. Just 1s and 0s as long as they arrive at the load in the same order they left the supply we get reliable data cable.
I have a local electronics wholesale that sells HDMI cable for $10 and $80. One has a big Audio brand name. Dispite his recomendations to customers he still sells a lot of the $80 ones.
Take a European house panel and gold plate the neutral and bonding terminals and you can sell them to Audiophiles for $3000. A 10 fold markup for absolutely no benifit and no recognized electrical approval or listing for use in any North American market.
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Joined: Nov 2007
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I did some poking around and it looks like these guys apparently have the CL2 and CL3 rated HDMI cables. The one in the link says 20m, so I assume that means 20-meters or around 60-ft in length. If so, the price doesn’t really seem too bad. Dayton HR13HG20 High-Speed HDMI Cable 20m CL2
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 613
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I looked at all of the cables going in the back of my big screen (almost every port has a cable) and the only one with a "CL" rating is the coax. HDMI, component, A/V, PC audio and the VGA cable are unrated.
I suppose the "safe" way would be to run a sleeve of 2" ENT or other raceway to pull the cables through. That still may not be "legal".
There is a good chance that any name brand cable would meet the flame/smoke test for CL2 but they don't seem to be marked.
OTOH if you are talking about some offshore cable, who knows what the insulation is? If they do get rated, it is only for signal quality. I have always been skeptical about the "in wall" systems sold for big screens. On the line side, they are basically just an extension cord inside a wall. They are largely beyond the inspection process since they are homeowner or "TV installer" items. In Canada we look for FT-1 or FT-4. Both are flame spread tested one is for combustible buildings and four is for non combustible buildings. FT-6 also exists and is mandated in some jurisdictions for wiring in Plenum spaces. In the absence of FT or CL ratings it is perfectly acceptable to install in a rated raceway like ENT or EMT. the wire inside is considered rated too.
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 64
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That was supposed to be my job!!! 
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Joined: Feb 2014
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they are to complicated and sensitive to terminate in the field now. But there is work to produce a plug that can be terminated in the field should be out in a year or so.
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Posts: 5,445
Joined: January 2005
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