Premium DisplayPort 2.1 & HDMI 2.1 cables

[ARF]

There is a difference between a cheap and premium cable?
The pictures are much better. A premium cable gives you images which you can't see with a cheapo cable that comes with your monitor.

High quality 16K premium DP 2.1 cable:

High quality 8K premium HDMI 2.1 cable (8K, 4K Ultra HD, 48 Gbps, 8K 60Hz, 4K 120Hz)
Supports Dynamic HDR, DolbyVision, HDR10, 3DVideo, Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync, nvidia G-Sync, Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), Dolby Atmos, DTS:X:

 

[ARF]

Speaking of cables and ports, why do they prefer to use low-quality DP 1.4 with DSC instead of high-quality DP 2.0 or DP 2.1 without DSC ?

 

[oxrufiioxo]

Imho the better quality cables are only worth it if you need a really long cable or are going in wall and don't have an easy way to replace it otherwise my audioquest hdmi cables are indistinguishable from my cheaper Rocketfish ones.

As far as DP 2.1 it's probably too expensive to implement and currently there are no gpus fast enough for it to matter at least for gaming. GIGABYTE has a monitor with it that came out recently.

I'm not saying you are but a lot of people confuse DSC with Chroma subsampling the difference is night and day with DSC almost impossible to tell a difference in quality.

 

[GerKNG]

how are you supposed to increase the "quality" of a digital signal?
either it works or it does not.

 

[ARF]

how are you supposed to increase the "quality" of a digital signal?
either it works or it does not.

When there is a bottleneck, there appears micro-stuttering (less FPS/Hz), and loss of colour depth.

Imho the better quality cables are only worth it if you need a really long cable or are going in wall and don't have an easy way to replace it otherwise my audioquest hdmi cables are indistinguishable from my cheaper Rocketfish ones.

As far as DP 2.1 it's probably too expensive to implement and currently there are no gpus fast enough for it to matter at least for gaming. GIGABYTE has a monitor with it that came out recently.

I'm not saying you are but a lot of people confuse DSC with Chroma subsampling the difference is night and day with DSC almost impossible to tell a difference in quality.

Some people promise that with the introduction of nvidia's RTX 5000 series cards, things will change, and the monitor makers will begin to implement DP 2.1.
The YouTube test is not done properly, you can't make a comparison with 8K videoclip, but rather you should compare games running at 4K at 300 FPS, at 400 FPS, and then see how the lower standard cable introduces artifacts, lower bit depth and micro-stuttering.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

Some people promise that with the introduction of nvidia's RTX 5000 series cards, things will change, and the monitor makers will begin to implement DP 2.1.
The YouTube test is not done properly, you can't make a comparison with 8K videoclip, but rather you should compare games running at 4K at 300 FPS, at 400 FPS, and then see how the lower standard cable introduces artifacts, lower bit depth and micro-stuttering.

I've only seen it on a G9 OLED in person and it is impossible to tell when it is working it is required to hit 240hz on either display port or HDMI 2.1 on that monitor.

 

[dirtyferret]

as long as both are up to their equal spec the difference between regular and premium cables is the same difference between holy water and water; it's in your mind not the product

 

[bonehead123]

as long as both are up to their equal spec the difference between regular and premium cables is the same difference between holy water and water; it's in your mind not the product

Yea, that's why I paid over $1K (each) for my last set of 3ft/5,624K DP & HDMI cables.....cause they gots to be moar betta, right ?

said absolutely NOBODY, heeheehee ​

But seriously, sometimes I use the cables that came with my devices, IF they look to be of reasonable quality, otherwise I just get some mid-ranged uGreen's or Anker's off da Zon & move along...

But then again, I'm not into always having the "latest & greatest" thing nor do I need really long lengths, uber-high res or fast-response or super duper color-accurate displays either, so there's that !

 

[TheLostSwede]

I've had som oddities going on with DP cables, where they seem to degrade over time and after 2-3 years they need to be swapped out.
This has applied to both bundled cables, no-name cables and high-end stuff like Lindy. Swapping the cable has always solved the problem.
It's very confusing and I have no idea as to why this is happening, as the cables have been pretty static when in use.

I would say that the thing that matters is to buy certified cables these days, as a lot of stuff out of the PRC make big claims which often aren't met, especially on the cheaper end of the scale.

As for the video, I didn't hear him mention the fact that the DP 2.1 cables with the length he's talking about have to be active cables. He also doesn't explain why Gigabyte provides the cable they provide, due to that being the length limit for passive DP 2.1 cables. Not what I expected from him.

Also, this poll needs another option for buying certified cables, but nothing fancier than that.

Speaking of cables and ports, why do they prefer to use low-quality DP 1.4 with DSC instead of high-quality DP 2.0 or DP 2.1 without DSC ?

There is no difference in testing, so now it's up to you to bring proof of your claim.

how are you supposed to increase the "quality" of a digital signal?
either it works or it does not.

Well, if you watched the video, it's not quite true, you can get glitchy issues with digital display interfaces.
Yes, you can't get better or worse quality, but you can still have situations where it sort of works.

 

[ARF]

I've had som oddities going on with DP cables, where they seem to degrade over time and after 2-3 years they need to be swapped out.
This has applied to both bundled cables, no-name cables and high-end stuff like Lindy. Swapping the cable has always solved the problem.
It's very confusing and I have no idea as to why this is happening, as the cables have been pretty static when in use.

Corrosion?

I would say that the thing that matters is to buy certified cables these days, as a lot of stuff out of the PRC make big claims which often aren't met, especially on the cheaper end of the scale.

As for the video, I didn't hear him mention the fact that the DP 2.1 cables with the length he's talking about have to be active cables. He also doesn't explain why Gigabyte provides the cable they provide, due to that being the length limit for passive DP 2.1 cables. Not what I expected from him.

2 metres should be enough...

There is no difference in testing, so now it's up to you to bring proof of your claim.

This Gigabyte 4K 240 Hz has the full-speed DP 2.1 port:

AORUS FO32U2P Key Features | Monitor - GIGABYTE Global

31.5" QD-OLED Display @ UHD Resolution (3840 x 2160) DisplayPort 2.1 (UHBR20) & Daisy Chain support 240Hz Refresh Rate & 0.03 ms Response Time (GTG) GIGABY...

www.gigabyte.com

Well, if you watched the video, it's not quite true, you can get glitchy issues with digital display interfaces.
Yes, you can't get better or worse quality, but you can still have situations where it sort of works.

Digital is definitely not just white or black, or 1 or 0, there are levels in-between:

 

[dirtyferret]

I would say that the thing that matters is to buy certified cables these days, as a lot of stuff out of the PRC make big claims which often aren't met, especially on the cheaper end of the scale.

Good luck finding a cable not made in the PRC. We made Apple certified cables years ago, every factory in the PRC is apple certified until you ask for the paper work and it becomes "oh we use another factory's license".

A google engineer used to run a spreadsheet on USB-C cables that either met or failed to meet their spec (the cables spec not googles). Even some expensive cables turned out to just be cost cutting cheap one dressed up.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Good luck finding a cable not made in the PRC. We made Apple certified cables years ago, every factory in the PRC is apple certified until you ask for the paper work and it becomes "oh we use another factory's license".

A google engineer used to run a spreadsheet on USB-C cables that either met or failed to meet their spec (the cables spec not googles). Even some expensive cables turned out to just be cost cutting cheap one dressed up.

There's a difference between made in the PRC and sold by the likes of (random names from Amazon) DteeDck, BENFEI, IVANKY, Warrky, ANNNWZZD or DCHAV to buying Amazon Basics, Monoprice, Ugreen, Club 3D or some other established brand. The latter will have proper certifications and you will get a replacement if it it doesn't work. Buy from the random letter combination PRC companies and you might just have thrown your money away.

Reading the reviews on Amazon on some of these brands, it's clear they don't deliver, especially with regards to UHBR cables, as people are having issues with some of the claimed UHBR20 cables using DP 1.4.

Also, a lot of cable manufacturers are actually moving to Vietnam, due to many of their customers asking for non PRC cables. Some high-end cables, like active, optical cables, are made in Taiwan.

I'm by no means suggesting people should buy Monster Cables or even Belkin to be honest, but rather to stick to known brands. I have bought plenty store brand cables and some have been great, others have failed in a couple of days, especially early USB 3.0 cables.

The only "big brand" cables I've ever bought are some cables from Lindy and even their DP cable started having issues after a few years. Not sure if that was down to the climate in Taiwan or what, but my experience with DP cables is that they last 2-3 years before they start to cause glitches and swapping the cable for a new one always solves the problem. I also have some Avier branded HDMI cables, but they're reasonably priced and I mainly bought them due them being slim cables and so far they've been really decent.

 

[dirtyferret]

Also, a lot of cable manufacturers are actually moving to Vietnam, due to many of their customers asking for non PRC cables. Some high-end cables, like active, optical cables, are made in Taiwan.

Could also just be last leg finishing there to avoid important issues & taxes.

There's a difference between made in the PRC and sold by the likes of (random names from Amazon) DteeDck, BENFEI, IVANKY, Warrky, ANNNWZZD or DCHAV to buying Amazon Basics, Monoprice, Ugreen, Club 3D or some other established brand.

Definitely stick to the name brand over the 1688.com special but that's getting harder each day on Amazon

 

[TheLostSwede]

Could also just be last leg finishing there to avoid important issues & taxes.

Yeah no, the factories are moving there, same for a lot of other things. I was busy sourcing cables for a company last year around this time and most of the companies I talked to were either working with factories outside of the PRC or had moved their own factories outside of the PRC, of which most were in Vietnam, but some in Taiwan and Malaysia a well.

Definitely stick to the name brand over the 1688.com special but that's getting harder each day on Amazon

Agreed, way too many random letter name companies on Amazon these days.

 

[ARF]

Well, funnily Amazon Basics is also Made in China, but according to the specifications of the standard, the lowest possible production cost that still meets the requirements, and doesn't cut the costs further, so that the end product becomes a real non-sense.
Monster looks good, Belkin should definitely be good, Ugreen, Reagle, Monoprice, Club 3D...

The thing is that when you buy a cable, you must look for the necessary warranty, which in Europe is at least 2-year.

Moving the production to countries which don't have the copper resources is unnecessary, and won't fix anything.

 

[cvaldes]

I'm by no means suggesting people should buy Monster Cables or even Belkin to be honest, but rather to stick to known brands. I have bought plenty store brand cables and some have been great, others have failed in a couple of days, especially early USB 3.0 cables.

These cables have really gone through an evolution over time as today's interconnects often require decent build quality to provide advertised performance. Twenty years ago, an HDMI cable didn't matter. If it worked, it was good enough because the HDMI specs were so low. Only idiots bought Monster Cables in 2004.

Today's HDMI cables are moving a *LOT* more data and many of the no-name products are unreliable when pushed to higher performance limits.

These days if you see a cable from a well known brand that's only a dollar or two more than a no-namer, it's probably better to buy the branded product. They have a reputation to maintain.

That said, if I'm having problems deciding, I'll typically look for something from Monoprice, maybe Amazon Basics or one of the brands that Apple's online store would carry.

Another thing I do these days is occasionally buy an overspec-ced cable (if it's only a couple of dollars more), like one rated for 8K/60Hz even if my best components only support 4K/120Hz. I've spent enough time juggling marginal interconnects and debugging connection issues. Saving $2 on an HDMI cable isn't worth the hassle in the long run. It's not like I'm buying a thousand of these.

 

[ARF]

These cables have really gone through an evolution over time as today's interconnects often require decent build quality to provide advertised performance. Twenty years ago, an HDMI cable didn't matter. If it worked, it was good enough because the HDMI specs were so low. Only idiots bought Monster Cables in 2004.

Interesting. Were those cables Made in the US back then?

BTW, back in 2004 HDMI was in early beta testing of the technology. I don't remember using HDMI that early. At that time, other standards dominated, DVI, VGA, SCART, RCA etc...

 

[Ruru]

I don't go for the cheapest but also not for the overpriced stuff either. A basic good quality cable spec'd for 8K has been enough so far.

 

[R-T-B]

If it's rated by Displayport or HDMI forum to do what it says, it's good. Do not overspend, digital cables either work, or fail. There is no "better picture." If you get pixelation or stuttering that's a fail too, btw. A good picture will not improve with a more expensive cable.

Also, hdmi forum certifies by entire completed cable length rather than just a short cable segment. One of the few places they are better than Displayport.

 

[ARF]

If it's rated by Displayport or HDMI forum to do what it says, it's good. Do not overspend, digital cables either work, or fail. There is no "better picture." If you get pixelation or stuttering that's a fail too, btw.

Also, hdmi forum certifies by entire completed cable length rather than just a short cable segment. One of the few places they are better than Displayport.

The Amazon customers don't think so.

Amazon.com

 

[LabRat 891]

Disingenuous poll options.
I use 'premium' DP and/or HDMI cables for signal integrity and build quality/durability.

I also do not pay premium prices, preferring Open Box deals, Lightly Used secondary market options, and liquidation/clearance. My last purchases were Club3D and CableMatters New Old Stock cables.

While I don't want to argue about the minutiae, there is more to 'digital' links than "it work, or it don't".
Personally, I've seen/experienced issues with poor EMC; drop-outs from ESD, RFI, etc.

 

[R-T-B]

The Amazon customers don't think so.

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Amazon.com

That's called placebo effect my friend. Or they had a fail cable.

I don't want to argue about the minutiae, there is more to 'digital' links than "it work, or it don't".
Personally, I've seen/experienced issues with poor EMC; drop-outs from ESD, RFI, etc.

Personally, its a fail if the picture is doing anything other than exact intended behavior.

 

[LabRat 891]

The Amazon customers don't think so.

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Amazon.com

I'd trust Linus over random Amazon reviews, for technical knowledge and self-awarenesses.

If Cable B. genuinely *looks* better than Cable A.
That means Cable A. was losing data, or handshaking a lower bit-depth, etc. ie, Cable A. was defective (or fraudulently sold)


Related: there's so many cables sold on Amazon built to look like they're 'premium quality' but are often crap or re-brand lower spec cables.
Sadly, some of these 'import brand' cables are actually "certified" but, are rebranded with no reference to the ODM (which, is listed-certified).
It's a wild west world when it comes to HDMI, DP, and USB cables on Amazon/eBay. I prefer to stick to 'known brands' just to avoid all that.

 

[R-T-B]

I'd trust Linus over random Amazon reviews, for technical knowledge and self-awarenesses.

If Cable B. genuinely *looks* better than Cable A.
That means Cable A. was losing data, or handshaking a lower bit-depth, etc. ie, Cable A. was defective (or fraudulently sold)


Related: there's so many cables sold on Amazon built to look like they're 'premium quality' but are often crap or re-brand lower spec cables.
Sadly, some of these 'import brand' cables are actually "certified" but, are rebranded with no reference to the ODM (which, is listed-certified).
It's a wild west world when it comes to HDMI, DP, and USB cables on Amazon/eBay. I prefer to stick to 'known brands' just to avoid all that.

If you want some "safe brands" I have had good luck with cablematters, club3d, and Monoprice.

 

[LabRat 891]

If you want some "safe brands" I have had good luck with cablematters, club3d, and Monoprice.

I don't trust Monoprice for DP and HDMI, anymore. Otherwise 100% agreed.

My last DP 2.0 cable(s) and mDP-DP2.0 cable were Club3D and CableMatters; good build quality and seemingly better 'construction and signal integrity' than my older in-box-included and Monoprice DP1.4 cables.

From what I've gathered, Club3D is an actual Premium Brand for PC display cables. Full Retail, they're spendy but, often found on sale after on the market awhile.