Expensive TVs and expensive cables 

Source: Fair Go

• WATCH the video (8:37)

Reporter: Gordon Harcourt

Freeview HD, BluRay, MySky, Tivo, HD-DVD, Xbox, PlayStation ... these days there's an incredible array of boxes to plug into your new High Definition (HD) telly.  And to get proper HD pictures, you really need HD cable.  It's called HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface, and it can be incredibly expensive.   But if you've paid serious money for your telly, you really should be paying serious money for the flash cables, right?  Wrong.

For home use, we reckon you can get a cable way faster than you actually need, for a bargain price.  If you want you can spend $400 or more.  We reckon a $50 cable does exactly the same job.  If there is a difference, we reckon you can't see it.  But that's NOT what the bloke in the electronics shop is likely to tell you.   Why would he?

Secret Shopper
We sent our secret shopper into three national retail chains, looking for HDMI cables.   In two of the three, the salesman pushed the more expensive version.

Harvey Norman
The salesman said the $40 cable wasn't as good as the $99 option, but when our Secret Shopper asked if he could tell the difference, he said "not overly , not really"
Recommendation: Panasonic brand -  $99  (Length not specified)
Harvey Norman response: We don't know what they have to say, because they didn't bother responding

Noel Leeming
The salesman said a more expensive cable will deliver much better picture and sound than a cheaper version. We think that's simply not true. 
Salesman: "Picture will be much more clear not grainier.  Picture, sound will be much much better with this one."
When our Secret Shopper asked about the cheaper version, he said "if you're using that you might as well not use it".
Recommendation:  Pudney brand - $69 (3m)
Noel Leeming response: It is worth paying more for the difference, to get a better built cable, possibly with more copper inside.  It will be "more reliable for a longer period of time under normal use". They also pointed out HDMI is trademarked, and retailers have to pay a licence fee of up to $20.00 for every single genuine hdmi cable sold.

Dick Smith Electronics
We reckon the bloke from Dick Smith gets the prize for up front selling.  He said "there's not much difference between the lot."  He said the Panasonic one was $150 but it's just for the brand name.
Recommendation: DSE brand - $50 (1.5m)
DSE response: When it comes to short length HDMI cables (less than two metres) most cables sold by Dick Smith will do the job for a standard TV. However, if you are using longer cables, large plasma TV screens or dealing with graphic intensive pictures (such as those needed to display all the graphics on game consoles) it does make sense to go for a higher end cable.

Monster Cable
Monster is an American brand, imported to NZ by Auckland company Soundgroup Holdings Ltd.  They told us their high speed cables offer future protection, being able to handle kit not yet invented; they guarantee full audio quality; they're externally tested; of superior build quality with corrosion resistant gold contactsl; offer a lifetime warranty; and some top end models come with a Cable for Life guarantee, where Monster will upgrade you for free if kit comes out that your cable can't handle.

OK, but can you tell the difference???

Spot the Difference
I got a $47 cheapie (1.8m) from just off Queen St, and I got a $400 Monster Cable from Harvey Norman. Then we set up a test.
We put two identical tellies alongside each other in the TVNZ cafeteria, both playing the Freeview HD demonstration.  One TV had the $47 cable coming out of the Freeview receiver into the TV, and the other had the $400 version.   Then we asked TVNZ's highly trained professionals to spot the difference.    They couldn't.

Cable Guy
Finally, we went to an expert.  Matt Cotton (Sound Advice NZ Ltd) instals flash kit for a living.  Surely a guy like him would have a vested interest in selling expensive cables.  Nope.  He's got a $100 cable in his system at home, but over short distances (less than 5m) he reckons a $50 or even $15 cable would do the same job.