Product Description

The high speed and large amount of data HDMI places on your digital video/audio cable connections is enormous. Monster Ultra 800 HDMI features several advanced technologies including high-density triple-layer shielding for optimized speed and signal integrity to give you the best picture and sound your AV components and HDTV can deliver.

Product Details

• Brand: Monster
• Model: ULT V800 HDMI-8

Features

• Delivers Up to 1080p Digital HDTV.
• Nitrogen gas-injected dielectric with quad-shielding for maximum signal strength.
• Silver-plated pure copper conductors for maximum conductivity and bandwidth.
• Duraflex protective jacket for easy routing and installation.
• Product comes in a Poly Bag, not retail packaging

Customer Reviews

A Rational Review
There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about cables, specifically HDMI cables. Digital is digital. It's either ON or OFF, 1 or 0. So does it really matter how cables are constructed? YES, it does. People are saying the digital signal may either reach the other end or it may not. So if you get a bad cable then you don't see the picture. If you get a good cable, you see the picture. There is no partial picture in digital. Right? Not really.

It is important to note that picture and sound is made up of billions of information when broken down in the digital world. The closest comparison to help one understand is to think of an LCD screen which is made up of thousands of pixels. These individual pixels are essential is forming a picture. Think of these pixels as the individual bits of digital data that is being sent to form the picture. If one of these pixels fail it doesn't mean the whole picture will fail. You will still see the whole picture and perhaps not notice a DEAD pixel. The same is true for digital signal. Just because one bit of information doesn't make it thru, doesn't mean the whole picture won't be formed. Couple that with all that information coming in and the picture changing 24 times every second, you may not actually notice you have a bad cable.

This drop in signal will result to "artifacting" for pictures and "drop out" in sound. If you want to ensure 100% signal transmission then you want to invest in good cables that will stand the test of time (degradation) and increasing bandwidth over the HDMI cable.

Unlike analog signals, the information is relatively more compact in its transmission. Therefore they are able to squeeze more information and produce thinner cables. Imagine one single cable to carry picture and eight (8) channels of audio PLUS data for multimedia experience - all in one transmission. We're not talking about ONE FAT single cable. We're talking about tiny wires inside an HDMI cable - try 19 tiny pins and with each 19 tiny cables to support those signals.

And don't think one second that cables aren't prone to interference. This isn't an optical cable where light the medium. It's still an electrical signal.

I'm not advocating the purchase of Monster Cable. Simply patronize on a decent cable manufacturer. Monster Cable is just one of them. Unlike any generic manufacturer, some companies including Monster Cable, have spent time and money on research and development to ensure satisfaction of what is being purchased.

What's good about this specific Monster Cable is that they ensure the tiny cables inside cannot be easily twisted and pulled to create a tear by equipping this specific model with a mesh jacket which minimizes tangles.

Furthermore, quality GOLD connectors help ensure good contact over time.


THE CONS:

1. R&D and the quality put into the product has created a household name for Monster Cable. Therefore, part of this is also to pay for the brand name. If you can't stand the Monster brand and pricing, there are a lot of alternatives. You don't have to buy into the hype. If you find what you think is a good deal on a Monster Cable, why not.

2. There are lots of confusion over the amount of HDMI cable Monster has been producing over the same HDMI standard that it's getting ridiculous. I understand if there is a low-end cable and a high-end cable made of silver for the ultimate enthusiast. But they have 14 HDMI cables on their website to cater to the same HDMI standard. Disregarding HDMI Type B standard which won't go into effect in a few years. Why not concentrate in producing 2 or 3 outstanding cables for the current HDMI 1.3 standard. Then go ahead and create other similar cables for other manufacturers for branding purposes.

It is because of these numerous cables that they have to support their marketing and manufacturing costs AND THEN pass it on to the consumers that is causing their own demise. Out of all these models and whatever series of cables they produce, to the uninformed a simple black HDMI cable may very well do.

3. The now defunct Ultra series for HDMI (which is slowly being replaced by their M series) are color-coded per model. BLUE represents the 600 series, while RED represents the 800 series. Go figure.

4. An email and telephone to Monster Cable has revealed they are not marketing any THX-branded HDMI cable simply because the THX company DOES NOT CERTIFY DVI or HDMI CONNECTORS. Yet, I have visually seen THX-branded HDMI cables at various retail stores perhaps simply because the analog Ultra series cables are THX-certified.


SUMMARY:

Buy cables from a reputable cable manufacturer that invests money back into R&D as well as guarantee that the cable material does not deteriorate over time especially due from heat of the stacked up devices. Poorly manufactured cables especially for digital transmission does not equate to total loss in picture. It just creates various visual abberations (bad streaks and pixelation) and audio drop-outs, which may or may not be evident except to the discerning enthusiast.

Before you buy a cable, learn what is at stake and how long you plan to keep it for as an investment. It is ridiculous to pay hundreds of dollars for a cable, but it is up to you to set your budget on how much you really want to spend for performance and peace of mind including customer support, service and guarantee. Does it have to be a Monster-branded cable? Not at all.

Further reading: I would suggest before purchasing that you read in the internet "The Truth About Monster Cable" parts I, II, and III from a popular website.

Don't waste your money on this cable!
I paid 108.00 for the 4ft. version of this cable at Best Buy. Bought my next HDMI cable off of Amazon for 6 bucks. (Not Monster of course) I can see no difference in the picture or sound quality. Test it for yourself, you be the judge. Why waste your money>

Costs about 6 times as much as it should.
While all Monster products are horribly overpriced, the digital cables are even more so. With analog cables, you can at least make a defense that the quality of the cable affects the signal, but with digital cables unless there's something MAJORLY WRONG, the signal will still come through perfectly. Do yourself a favor and get a $10 HDMI cable instead and spend the $50 on something worth it.