# What HDMI 4k cable to use?



## batman (Nov 4, 2008)

Sorry guys to ask a dumb question my dad just bought himself a Samsung 65" curved 4k tv, but he also bought a monster cable which the sales man said he absolutely needed but which hdmi cable on monoprice would be comparable to what TV would need. Thanks any advice would be much appreciated.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

batman said:


> Sorry guys to ask a dumb question my dad just bought himself a Samsung 65" curved 4k tv, but he also bought a monster cable which the sales man said he absolutely needed but which hdmi cable on monoprice would be comparable to what TV would need. Thanks any advice would be much appreciated.


yeah, that sounds like a salesman. how long is the cable he needs? if under 10 feet just get a nice 28 or 24 awg high speed HDMI cable from monoprice and call it a day. Monster is a HUGE rip off.


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## batman (Nov 4, 2008)

Awesome thanks mike an 8ft is all he needs


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

yeah, if he REALLY wants to be OCD about transmitting 4k data, spend the $15 and get a Redmere cable... other than that he's good to go. just make sure the cable is High speed. Cables from most mfg's in a big box retail store are complete and total rip offs


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## batman (Nov 4, 2008)

Gonna go with this one
10ft 18Gbps Ultra Slim Series High Performance HDMI® Cable w/ RedMere® Technology - Black
Again thanks very much for the help.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

batman said:


> Gonna go with this one
> 10ft 18Gbps Ultra Slim Series High Performance HDMI® Cable w/ RedMere® Technology - Black
> Again thanks very much for the help.


no problem. that should more than cover his needs (and probably a LOT cheaper than whatever rip off price they charged for the Monster)


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## batman (Nov 4, 2008)

$120 for monster ridiculous


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

batman said:


> $120 for monster ridiculous


ummmmmmm, ouch. that's a definite return


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

At that price it better make the popcorn, wash your laundry and cool your house! WOW $120 :nono:


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

Any HDMI cable that's rated as high speed is fine for UHD. There is not HDMI 2.0 cable, or 1.4/3/2/1 for that matter. What differentiates HDMI cables is their rated speed and support for return data (w/Ethernet). 

The HDMI spec or version is an aspect of the display and device not the cable itself. Unless he is dealing with crazy runs signal loss shouldn't be a factor. Think of HDMI more like a cat-5/6 cable or USB and less like a coax or speaker wire. AWG doesn't matter nor does it matter if it was forged in the fires of Mordor from elfin silver and gold. Ultimately it's just a data connection.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Ethernet is nice if all your componets are capable. My TV is wifi so it updates that way & not the wired connection. Still,with a TV that nice, I would get a 22 or 24 ga HDMI with ethernet...just because I could. :bigsmile:


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## Skrill (Feb 4, 2014)

$120 for a HDMI cable -- unbelievable. I bet there are big commissions to the sales guys to sell the high priced cables.


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## csj1818 (May 1, 2014)

Sorry to hijack the thread. RedMere HDMI cables are directional. Will they work in my situation below?

I would have AVR with bluray, PS3, ect going output to TV. 

However My smart TV has netflix, ect going as an input to AVR (for sound). 

Seems like both ends could be source devices? Or would I have 2 hdmi running from the tv (output and input)?

Could someone offer another alternative to RedMere which would be a good choice for 4k UHD tv w 20-30' run? Thx!


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

csj1818 said:


> Sorry to hijack the thread. RedMere HDMI cables are directional. Will they work in my situation below?
> 
> I would have AVR with bluray, PS3, ect going output to TV.
> 
> ...


By directional they mean that one end is for the input and one for the output of whatever your devices are. As for options besides redmere....any good 24 awg high speed HDMI from places like bluejeans or monoprice will do the trick


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## GearIT (Aug 1, 2014)

rab-byte said:


> Any HDMI cable that's rated as high speed is fine for UHD. There is not HDMI 2.0 cable, or 1.4/3/2/1 for that matter. What differentiates HDMI cables is their rated speed and support for return data (w/Ethernet).
> 
> The HDMI spec or version is an aspect of the display and device not the cable itself. Unless he is dealing with crazy runs signal loss shouldn't be a factor. Think of HDMI more like a cat-5/6 cable or USB and less like a coax or speaker wire. AWG doesn't matter nor does it matter if it was forged in the fires of Mordor from elfin silver and gold. Ultimately it's just a data connection.


Yup this is pretty much all right on the nose! The only thing I wanted to chime in on, is the AWG does matter if you are using anything else that isn't a redmere with a built-in chipset. The general rule of thumb for "High speed" certifications (although it's changed within the year or so) due to higher manufacturing standards. 

1-10ft you can generally run 28awg with.
10-15ft 24awg
20-25+ and above use 22awg

Think about a cables gauge sort of like a really thin straw (gauge) and trying to drink a incredibly thick milkshake (signal). It's incredibly hard to retrieve it with a thin gauge over a long run, so you'll want to get a thicker straw (gauge). Though with redmere technology and the active chipset, you can achieve much greater lengths using thin gauge cables and still have the "High Speed" certification, which can achieve 4k resolution, audio return channel, 3d support..etc

But redmere normally isn't needed if it's a basic 6-10ft run. A cheap 28AWG HDMI cable will prevail and you'll be able to achieve 4k x 2k just fine.


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