My new DVD player...CABLES?!?!?

[BottlesOf]

So I recently bought a new dvd player, my previous one was like 5 years old, so I wanted one that would project a gangster image on my HDTV.

I found the right player and it was only like 110/120, so I was pleased, as I thought I'd be spending more. So I hook it up and realize it only has the crappy red/white/yellow analog cables.

I need the RGB component or HDMI cable. I go to BB b/c i have some of my gift card left, but the HDMI cable he shows me is some Monster cable for $150!!!!!!!!!

So my questions are these: Do I need monster cables? Is there a cheaper alternative that has practically the same quality? I have an HDTV but it's not top of the line. I will spend some money to make my DVD image look good, but i'm not an AVphile.

Do I need to go HDMI at all or will the component do the trick?

How much should I be planning on spending, what are my options here?

All input (except analog) appreciated.

[astroglide]

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&style=

[Shajen]

search teh entireweb Johnny.

Monster cables are way over priced.

Have you searched yet? (http://www.cablestogo.com/product_list.asp?cat%5Fid=2815&engine=adwords!654& keyword=%28hdmi+cable%29)

Astro's shizzzz is better.

[jaydub]

[ QUOTE ]
So I recently bought a new dvd player, my previous one was like 5 years old, so I wanted one that would project a gangster image on my HDTV.

I found the right player and it was only like 110/120, so I was pleased, as I thought I'd be spending more. So I hook it up and realize it only has the crappy red/white/yellow analog cables.

I need the RGB component or HDMI cable. I go to BB b/c i have some of my gift card left, but the HDMI cable he shows me is some Monster cable for $150!!!!!!!!!

So my questions are these: Do I need monster cables? Is there a cheaper alternative that has practically the same quality? I have an HDTV but it's not top of the line. I will spend some money to make my DVD image look good, but i'm not an AVphile.

Do I need to go HDMI at all or will the component do the trick?

How much should I be planning on spending, what are my options here?

All input (except analog) appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Monster is overpriced. Search the internet for other brands. A while back I went with Acoustic Research or some such for S Video and digital audio cabling.

[IndieMatty]

If these are the cables JBB, ignore my PM.

[BottlesOf]

Thanks all!

Wow astro, the 6' cable is like <$20. Was I really gona pay 150 for what 20 gives me? that's nuts.

I'm a little unclear on which specific one I should get, but I will go home and look at the connections.

Also, what are "ferrites and net jacket?" Think I should pay the small premium for them?

[cwsiggy]

http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp

Seems to have some HDMI cables way cheaper than Monster and some forum chatter seems to indicate that expensive HDMI doesn't make much of a difference. According to some, you have to watch you run lengths with HDMI - over 25' and quality drops. I would go with less expensive HDMI just for the flexibility of it over component.

oops - someone posted same link as I typed this. haha

[gmrankin]

may be mistaken but unless your dvd player is a upconversion dvd player the best picture you can get is with the component cables (DVDs are at 720p -i think- and HDTV is 1080i). now if you are hooking up you HD cable box you need the hdmi or dvi cables (whichever one your box/tv supports). If you want true HD DVDs you need a specfic player that upconverts the resplution to 1080i, they have them at BB, just ask the salesperson. And on a side note, i got a 6' HDMI cable at radio shack for $50.00. maybe check there, sometimes i need instant gratification so mail order won't always work for me. later

[BottlesOf]

I'm pretty sure mine has upconversion here's why:

There's a little thing on the front that alllows me to select 1080i. Plus when I went to BB I aske dthe guy to explain the difference between the two most expensive single disc playing players. He said the only real difference was that the LG one had some slot for uploading digital photos? But that picture quality wouldn't differ. So I went with the second most expensive.

[gmrankin]

makes sence... it probably wouldn't have HDMI hookups if it was able to utlize HD. Check out radio shack, they have sales on their cables pretty often

[peachy]

same thing happened to me....i was like WTF!! i need special cables for my tv?!?!?! A friend of mine ended up getting some for me for around $50ish but im sure people here can find u ones cheaper than that

[johnnycakes]

[ QUOTE ]
may be mistaken but unless your dvd player is a upconversion dvd player the best picture you can get is with the component cables (DVDs are at 720p -i think- and HDTV is 1080i). now if you are hooking up you HD cable box you need the hdmi or dvi cables (whichever one your box/tv supports). If you want true HD DVDs you need a specfic player that upconverts the resplution to 1080i, they have them at BB, just ask the salesperson. And on a side note, i got a 6' HDMI cable at radio shack for $50.00. maybe check there, sometimes i need instant gratification so mail order won't always work for me. later

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh, this is a little off.
First, all DVDs are standard def.
There is currently no such thing as a "HD DVD"
DVDs are encoded at 480.
An upconverting DVD player will take the 480 quality image and upconvert it to an 1080i image before sending it to the TV. But the source is still 480.
It does help but compared to HD content (i.e. HD broadcast channels), it's just a well polished turd (But it's the best available today).

So, your DVD player has HDMI output, but does your TV have HDMI input? A lot of HD TVs have DVI input but not HDMI. If this is the case, you can get an DVI to HDMI cable.
DVI and HDMI are the same video quality. The difference is HDMI carries audio also.
If your TV has DVI input only, you'll need to run audio cables from the DVD player to your TV/receiver.

Standard Def: 480
HD: 720, 1080

Hope this helps.

[codewarrior]

OK, so what does it mean on the back of the DVD case when it says "mastered in HD"?

[johnnycakes]

[ QUOTE ]
OK, so what does it mean on the back of the DVD case when it says "mastered in HD"?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not sure. What DVD case says that?
It could they did master the move in HD, and now they have an HD master laying around, ready to produce HD DVDs when they become available.
But they had to make it 480 and standard def when they stuck it on that DVD.

[Vlorg]

For a temporary way to watch better quality until you buy something better just use the composite cables as component video cables. They are pretty much the exact same cable except they are color coded differently. While most component cables are higher quality they don't neccesarily have to be. I'd imagine that the cheap component cables you could buy at wal-mart are probably the EXACT same as the composite cables only with different colored ends and more expensive (not neccesarily true, just using that as an example). You'd need to find some other cables to use for the audio of course.

Vlorg

[gmrankin]

[quote
There is currently no such thing as a "HD DVD"


[/ QUOTE ]

I knew when i proof read my post someone would call me out on that... but i didn't feel like retyping it. i think that they got the point from my post though, but thanks anyway.

[PITTM]

when they showed me this cable, i went next door to the electronics store and i bought an hdmi cable for 17 dollars. and i made my own RGB cables with canare/neutrik tricked out parts.

rj

[gmrankin]

[ QUOTE ]
There is currently no such thing as a "HD DVD"


[/ QUOTE ]

depending on your definition of currently...

"On November 19, 2003 , the DVD Forum decided with eight to six votes that the HD DVD will be the HDTV successor of the DVD. At this meeting they renamed it to HD DVD, while it had been previously called the "Advanced Optical Disc". Blu-ray Disc was developed outside of the DVD Forum, and was never submitted to the forum for consideration."

"What are HD DVD and Blu-Ray Disc? (off CNet)
Today's conventional DVDs can hold 4.7GB of information, but many want a higher-capacity successor to accommodate the larger data demands of high-definition video. HD DVD and Blu-ray both use blue lasers to read and write data; because blue has a shorter wavelength than the red used in DVD and CD lasers, information can be packed more densely on a disc and a single disc can hold more. Both HD DVD and Blu-ray drives are able to read current-generation DVDs.

It's no surprise why manufacturers want part of the industry. DVD player shipments, including next-generation models, will diminish from 113 million this year to 78 million in 2009, offset by a DVD recorder increase from 17 million this year to 74 million in 2009, said iSupply analyst Chris Crotty."