Hi-tech-tv.com: Television technology news & answers

Question: I have heard of people buying hdmi cables for really cheap online just wondering where people have bought theres and for how much. And if these are just as good as the $100 ones at best buy ect.?

Answer 1: You can get them for under 10 bucks i think. go to monoprice.com. the cable business is the biggest scam out there. monoprice.com. use it for everything cable related:)

Answer 2: Note sure if you’ve bought the TV yet, but my new Panasonic HDTV came with the cables.

Answer 3: You can’t really beat monoprice.com and yes, they’re every bit as good as overpriced Monster cables. Certainly the answer. Great products. Great service. Great shipping times. I ordered 2 optical cables for a new CD player and I got them in 2 days. I have gotten optical, coaxial, and HDMI cables from there. All great quality without crappy prices.

Answer 4: I did the stupid Circuit City Monsters for $90. Hey, who’s more stupid than me?

Answer 5: Yes you can get cables for less, and I have checked out monosite, but if you scan through it you will notice even they have a large array of prices from 6.00 to 131.00. the prices are affected by many things…is it realistic to pay 100.00 for Monster cables? You can find them online for much cheaper than in the retail store but i sell all types of HDMI and Monster is by far the best quality i have used…read the description on their website monstercable.com….cheaper isnt always the way to go…just research the lower prices of monster…its worth it.

Answer 6: Monster is an f’n ripoff and the only reason I have a few monster cables is because I bought them on Amazon for like 85% off.

Answer 7: It’s insane how much of a scam the cable industry is. sickening. i work in the gaming industry, where that sort of stuff is important. i don’t think i’ve ever seen a monster cable anywhere.

Answer 8: Anyone who thinks monster isnt worth it, has either never done side by side comparisson or has no clue. I am not going to type a 10 page letter on why they are better… 30-40$$ is worth it for a monster HDMI…plus they offer lifetime warranty as long as you keep the package. it it ever fails, it is replaced for free

Answer 9: One more for monoprice… It has been said before and I will say it again…HDMI is digital. On or Off. One or Zero. There is no signal degrading. It either works or it doesn’t, I redid my entertainment room and hid all the equipment in the closet this past January…everything is running on 10-30ft monoprice cables from wherever it is in the room to the special away-from-the-eye spot. All the speakers, the receiver, the flatscreen,the dvd, the directv,the cd player, everything….all monoprice. Trust me on the quality.

Answer 10: There are different grades of cable, yes all will work, but sheilding and internal filling are a factor

Answer 11: I have some experience with RF and microwave transmission and can tell you this about cables: With an analog signal, quality is very important. Get the better stuff and you will notice a difference. Digital signals are just binary digits (usually ranging 0-5vdc) sent thru a cable and yes, they either make it or do not. If they are making it thru the cable there is no way to improve the quality “through the cable”. The only thing left is for superior DSP, which hi quality (and cost) cables have NOTHING to do with.

Question: Can anyone give me some insight on the good and bad of mounting a plasma/LCD over a fireplace? My sister just purchased her first home, its a nice little town home but the family room is small so the base case scenario is mounting the TV over the fireplace….we have not yet purchased the unit so if there is a benefit to LCD over plasma or the other way around, that arrangement can be made. So yeah, if anyone has done this, or has any research on the topic, let me know if its ok to have the TV mounted with the fireplace on, how high above it it could/should be, etc. Thank in advance for all your help.

Answer 1: It can definitely be done. I think the issue is the heat. Use a thermometer to make sure where the TV will go never gets above 90 degrees F or the Plasma TV works harder to cool itself, thus shortening the overall lifespan. That’s only if the TV is on and only if it’s on for longer than a few minutes.

Answer 2: They did it on “This Old House” once.. they built a nice cabinet above the fireplace so the unit would be hidden when not used. it was really nice

Answer 3: I built a new mantle to put my LCD on. We only use our fireplace once in a while, so heat isn’t an issue.

Answer 4: I did it last year. Have a 60″ Pioneer Plasma, 145 lbs, mounted in the recessed area of the fireplace. Installed the mounting bracket into the studs behind the surface area. The bracket has an adjustable tilt so viewing is directly into the room. Mine is set for about 15 degrees down. Closest chair is 7 feet from the screen and the sofa is 10 to 12 feet away. .
The fireplace is gas so heat is not an issue in the Plasma area. Plasma does put off a fair amount of heat but not enough to be concerned with. Those CSI city views are absoutely breathtaking in HD.

Answer 5: You’re not supposed to put it over a live fire place as soot will be your enemy, but a gas one you can, as long as you determine heat isn’t an issue.

This article is unbelievable:

According to sheriff’s department spokesman Maj. Robert Hills, Ronald Long fired a shot from the inside of their home after several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means. Investigators said Ronald Long believed his family was inside the house.