I didn't know where else to post this so... I have a 58" Samsung Series 5 550 plasma TV, PS3 for playing my HD files, and HDMI. Got it just after xmas '08. Worked fine for a couple weeks. Then I started noticing green static 'snow' appearing on the screen. At first, wiggling the HDMI cable in the TV socket would correct this for awhile, today the static was becoming very strong and no wiggling would fix it for long before it came back. So I'm thinking... oh great.. after all the horror stories I've read about support with TV companies and people having to box up their 200+lb TVs and ship them out and wait half a year, I'm going to have to go through all that. My HDMI cable was a cheap $25 one I got at Walmart. But, I know that all HDMI cables are the same. the 20 buck ones to the 200 dollar ones, tests have shown they give the same signal strength. But I tried replacing my HDMI cable first anyway. IT WAS THE FRIGGIN CABLE !!! WOW what a huge sigh of relief. I'm sure the actual CABLE itself in the $25 one is just as good as the $200 ones, but it was a little wiggly when plugged in. So I'm guessing it just wasn't seated properly into the ports in the TV. So anyway, to sum up.. if you start seeing static snow appearing on your HD TV when using HDMI, ** replace the cable first **. Even if you're using a cheap $25 cable, get another cheap one of a different brand. It might just be a loose connection between the cable plug and the HDMI port. That's what mine was! Hope this helps someone who has similar problems.
I should also have mentioned.. I took the old HDMI cable and used it on another set in the house, and the snow also appeared on that set. So it was definitely the cable.
Buy cheap, buy twice. All cables ARE NOT the same, which you found out. Yet, you are still trying to kid yourself that they are. You spend thousands on a great TV, yet you want to skimp on the cables. Here's your sign.
Do a Youtube search on HDMI cable testing... the cheap ones put through the same bandwidth and quality as the expensive ones. And my new $25 cable is working GREAT by the way.
All cables are not the same, some cost 20x the price of the cheap ones!! Over a year on my $6.00 cable from amazon and still get a perfect HD picture. Oh and i did buy 2 at that price just incase.
Exactly. Do a YouTube search and you can even SEE Monster reps saying there's no difference but people just pay the extra $$$ so they can *say* "Oh, I've got super duper monster cables". Ryerson University did a bit test on like 50 different cables, from cheapies up to $200 ones, and they all performed the same.... So anyone thinking their $200 cable has a better picture than the other guy's $20 cable, well.. hehehe, as long as HE believes he has a better cable I guess that's all that matters
There you go Zodiac, Trying to burst peoples bubbles... Now how are the guys that paid $200. + for hdmi cables supposed to sleep at night after your last post? Atleast give them their sign because god knows they paid enough to get one, !$$$$$$$$$!
Hehe, sorry bout that. I didn't mean to be a fart in anyone's soup-bowl But I did a lot of research online, then found some surprising Youtube vids where they ranked the cheapies against the big name brand expensive ones, and in all tests the picture quality was identical. So I've gone with cords that cost 25 bucks and have had perfect quality from them since! (except for that semi-broken one.. but that was a problem with the way it seated in the HDMI port in the TV) My replace is working crystal clear with no probs
