Gold plated HDMI cable - brown spots?

[slicecbr]

Hi,

I bought a 'gold' plated HDMI cable for around 5 quid over the holidays, which I haven't yet opened, but can see through the packaging that the 'gold' plated connectors have brown spots over them? :shock:

Is that normal or send them back?

Thanks

 

[Golden]

I'd say you got a cheapish cable.

The gold plating is actually extremely thin - typically these sort of connectors are made of copper (high conductivity) -- these are the brownish spots you are seeing -- with a very, very, very thin film of gold (higher conductivity).

I don't think this will affect the performamce though. Perhaps others can offer a better insight into it.

Regards,
Golden

 

[Ponmayilal]

hmmm...........reading about this gold-plated HDMI cable, I remembered something which I had read, when I was looking for HDMI cables. Here it is. The HDMI Cable Rip-off | GordonKelly.com

Note: I am not against Monster cables. I had purchased quite a few Monster cables from Best Buy and carried them over to India like a priced possession for my AV needs, but there is some sense in it. These are anyway best in their class for that purpose and at that time.

The point here is that when the signal is 100% digital, even the cheapest cable will do. No need for gold-plating, RF shielding and gas injected or jelly-filled cables.

 

[pparks1]

I get my cables from HDMI Cable, Home Theater Accessories, HDMI Products, Cables, Adapters, Video/Audio Switch, Networking, USB, Firewire, Printer Toner, and more!. They are high quality and very nice cables at a very low price. It's the best of both worlds really.

 

[mjf]

I have noticed what I believe is the HDMI cable rip off. I've seen them for sale in a well known "Electronics Store" here for ~ $60. This is the digital equivalent of the analog "Golden Ear" type exotic cables. The fact that it's digital makes makes it more of a rip off. Supply and demand eventually sorts this out.

 

[rvbfan]

Supply and demand eventually sorts this out.

That plus education and resistance to high pressure sales tactics.