HDMI cable query

Magandroid

Magandroid

Expert Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
2,534
Reaction score
641
Location
Cape Town
Hi All

Just a query. Are all HDMI cables created equal. Apparently the HDMI cable i must use should be CEC capable for a samsung home theater device or can I just purchase any HDMI cable. Under connectivity it says "Anyent+ (HDMI-CEC)". Any advice would be appreciated
 
Yes, the HDMI cable needs to support CEC. However, this is not a high end cable thing - just get the cheapest cable that supports CEC.

Just remember, any normal HDMI cable will work with your samsung HTIB, its just that it wont support CEC. I cant even remember what CEC is or what it does, so if its not important to you, then ignore the requirement and get the cheapest HDMI cable you can.
 
No there are not created equally but that does not mean that you cant use a standard one over a gold plated one, the standard is the same worldwide with regards to it being an HDMI cable (eg USB cable - its a standard).
 
If you not going to use advanced features a normal cable will work, Ellies 1,5 m gold plated is R100 at dion.

CEC[edit]

Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is an HDMI feature designed to allow the user to command and control up-to 15 CEC-enabled devices, that are connected through HDMI,[72][73] by using only one of their remote controls (for example by controlling a television set, set-top box, and DVD player using only the remote control of the TV).[74] CEC also allows for individual CEC-enabled devices to command and control each other without user intervention.[74][75][76][77][78][79][80]
 
They are all pretty much identical for 99% of purposes.

About the only time you would need a super expensive and insulated cable is if you are running a very serious length of cable or in a place where it's highly susceptible to interference.

The good old Ellies el-cheapo will work just as well as the ridiculously expensive Monster cable.


Anynet+ is Samsung's name for CEC and basically is the interface used to interact with other devices so that you can change channels on your TV using your DVD Player's remote etc. It's not an exact science and generally works better if you have the same brand of device on all sides but does also work in limited capacity between different brands.

My Samsung TV connected to an Onkyo Receiver with a PS3 on the other side will switch on the PS3 by itself and change the channel on my Receiver to the correct one for instance when I select the PS3 as a source. I can also navigate the PS3's menu system with my TV's remote etc.

Scoop have great cables for good prices.

http://www.scoopdistribution.co.za/index.php/cables-hdmi-c-84_113
 
SauRoNZA said:
They are all pretty much identical for 99% of purposes.

About the only time you would need a super expensive and insulated cable is if you are running a very serious length of cable or in a place where it's highly susceptible to interference.

The good old Ellies el-cheapo will work just as well as the ridiculously expensive Monster cable.


Anynet+ is Samsung's name for CEC and basically is the interface used to interact with other devices so that you can change channels on your TV using your DVD Player's remote etc. It's not an exact science and generally works better if you have the same brand of device on all sides but does also work in limited capacity between different brands.

My Samsung TV connected to an Onkyo Receiver with a PS3 on the other side will switch on the PS3 by itself and change the channel on my Receiver to the correct one for instance when I select the PS3 as a source. I can also navigate the PS3's menu system with my TV's remote etc.

Scoop have great cables for good prices.

http://www.scoopdistribution.co.za/index.php/cables-hdmi-c-84_113
Click to expand...



Wow, i got ripped off, thanks for that link Sauron.
 
Wow, thanks for the quick responses. I was just going to pop over to Hificorp to check what they had and also needed to know that they're b*****ting me. Would the packaging say that it is CEC capable? Also, would it be better to use an audio optical cable as opposed to HDMI?
 
You do get different Versions of HDMI cables, here is a table:

5CO3k.png



Source Wiki
 
Magandroid said:
Wow, thanks for the quick responses. I was just going to pop over to Hificorp to check what they had and also needed to know that they're b*****ting me. Would the packaging say that it is CEC capable? Also, would it be better to use an audio optical cable as opposed to HDMI?
Click to expand...

ALL HDMI cables are CEC-compatible. You won't find one in a shop that isn't.


And no Optical is worse than HDMI, so always use HDMI when possible.
 
Magandroid said:
Wow, thanks for the quick responses. I was just going to pop over to Hificorp to check what they had and also needed to know that they're b*****ting me. Would the packaging say that it is CEC capable? Also, would it be better to use an audio optical cable as opposed to HDMI?
Click to expand...


Erm, an HDMI cable will pull sound and video, the audio optical will only pull sound??!?!Pls describe your setup so we can assist.
 
Using HDMI for audio just means one less cable to run. So use HDMI audio if you can.
 
Batista said:
Wow, i got ripped off, thanks for that link Sauron.
Click to expand...

Bear in mind those are prices at cost excluding VAT. When selling direct to the public expect to pay +25% of that.

Rickster said:
You do get different Versions of HDMI cables, here is a table:

5CO3k.png



Source Wiki
Click to expand...

Actually no, there aren't different cable versions only different standards of HDMI.

Whatever you buy in the shop now will work on any HDMI version and even then the features that differentiate them hardly apply to most people.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Whatever you buy in the shop now will work on any HDMI version and even then the features that differentiate them hardly apply to most people.
Click to expand...

Yes but what im saying is Version 2.0 will obviously be better than V1.4
 
But not the cables - those versions relate to the devices on either end
 
Ancalagon said:
Using HDMI for audio just means one less cable to run. So use HDMI audio if you can.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't mean just one less cable. It many cases in means 2,3,4 or 5 less cables.

It also means DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD which cannot be used on Optical/TOSLINK.
 
Ok, just got back from HIfiCorp. Bought a ByDesign cable for R69. Salesman said that it will work, as both my hometheater and tv is Samsung and they use these cables all time. They also mentioned that there are added advantages to using an HDMI cable over an optical cable. Got quite a scare though when the first cable I took off the shelf was marked at R1000.:eek:
Turned out to be a monster cable.:o
 
Magandroid said:
Ok, just got back from HIfiCorp. Bought a ByDesign cable for R69. Salesman said that it will work, as both my hometheater and tv is Samsung and they use these cables all time. They also mentioned that there are added advantages to using an HDMI cable over an optical cable. Got quite a scare though when the first cable I took off the shelf was marked at R1000.:eek:
Turned out to be a monster cable.:o
Click to expand...
Lol enjoy your setup.
 
Damn, struggling to get the system to work via HDMI. Works ok with auxiliary cable. According to the instructions, I'm supposed to plug one end of the HDMI cable into HDMI-out port of the home theater system and the other end into the HDMI-in port of the TV. Select HDMI on the hts and it should work, but I'm not getting any sound. Also switched on Anynet+ on both devices and tried a different HDMI cable which has been working on the Xbox, but still no sound.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X