The HDMI cable scam...

[TheSaint]

...hopefully you were already aware, but if not...

http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-rip1/

try monoprice.com

[Carolina Husker]

Good post.

If you're in the greater Charlotte area, check out FireFold up in Concord. They're a customer of mine, and they have awesome prices on these and other accessories. Got 10 HDMI and Optical cables from them for less than what Best Buy wanted for one.

[pstall]

Yep. Same with the 1080 issue. Once you get 50' or higher, THEN you need 1080.

And don't get me started on surround sound scam

[LiQuiD]

Yep. Same with the 1080 issue. Once you get 50' or higher, THEN you need 1080.

And don't get me started on surround sound scam

By all means P, please start. What's up with surround sound other than the fact that you need to build your media room around your surround system?

[jdl]

or the speaker wire scam

speaker wire vs coat hanger

[Davidson Deac II]

On the other hand, if you bought one of those gold cables a few years ago, the gold in it might be worth more than you paid for the cable.

[Acewalker]

Yeah i'd recommend monoprice too, got all my hdmi cables/speaker wires through them for my surround sound system

[natty]

I got my cable from newegg for like $5. Bits are bits. They make it through the wire or they don't. Simple as that.

Also, there are pics all over the internet of Monster displays in stores where customers can 'see the difference' and the other TV is hooked up with composite cables.

[pstall]

By all means P, please start. What's up with surround sound other than the fact that you need to build your media room around your surround system?

2 channels. Surround sound is a myth. Go read up on any expert sound technician.

You have two ears. The signal can be in stereo or mono. That is IT.

Dual or single. That is IT.

The surround sound is a funky little thing to get people to buy stuff they don't really need.

So you have speakers behind you. That still produce sound in stereo.

To be technically correct on sound meshed with the video signal, two high quality speakers beside your tv is really all you need.

The brain is not going to recognize 4 channel in it's true sense. So you have two in front, two in the back. The brain will not be able to simultaneously "understand" the bicameral sounds that are going on.

One more or less washes the other out.

[Hotsauce]

Just bought a Monster12ft gold plated, gas filled Composite cables that retail for $70....bought mine for $15.

I can actually tell the difference b/w the old crappy composite cables and these monster cables FTW. (I know everyone is talking about HDMI though)

[Jase]

2 channels. Surround sound is a myth. Go read up on any expert sound technician.

You have two ears. The signal can be in stereo or mono. That is IT.

Dual or single. That is IT.

The surround sound is a funky little thing to get people to buy stuff they don't really need.

So you have speakers behind you. That still produce sound in stereo.

To be technically correct on sound meshed with the video signal, two high quality speakers beside your tv is really all you need.

The brain is not going to recognize 4 channel in it's true sense. So you have two in front, two in the back. The brain will not be able to simultaneously "understand" the bicameral sounds that are going on.

One more or less washes the other out.

I agree for the most part, but there's nothing like watching football and having the announcers coming from in front of you, and crowd noise behind you.

I've tried to tell my friend for years who's worked at best buy for years about the hdmi/speaker wire scam but to no avail. He's heard so much propaganda that he's completely bought into the lie.

"Dude, I can get an $80 monster hdmi cable for $25 bucks with my discount! 6 feet!"

Did you ever wonder why that is? lol

[Scrumtrilescent]

His discounT!

[Carolina Husker]

I went to Best Buy with a co-worker a while back to look at TVs. He ended up getting one and the sales rep starts in on all these cables he's going to need. I told my buddy to get the TV but get the cables elsewhere and the BB kid starts getting real confrontational about how nothing will work and it's a waste of his new tv to not get them from BB. I calmly told my buddy he's either lying or doesn't know what he's talking about or else he would have been this passionate about the $3K TV and not the $80 cables.

[Jase]

I seriously think Best Buy brainwashes their employees.

Seriously.