How about a new House Rule...

Why? Are you denying that it is a valid question?

I think... if I may be so bold, in the thread you are referring to there may have been a somewhat adverse reaction by a few people but this only rises out of frustration. The issue of HDMI cables is a touchy and well documented one on these forums. I've said for a long time the technology should be explained a little better elsewhere, and if possible how it can be improved with price. I'm not surprised people are getting annoyed with having to explain the matter again when the last related thread a couple of days ago was 863 pages long.

It's not a personal thing, it's just that there is a limit to peoples tethers and as opinions are so strong on HDMI cables and the questions are so rampant I can see how tension may arise. Just my shilling. 

The suggestion was somewhat tongue in cheek tbh...

Of course it is a valid question, but it has been covered so many times, and on each occassion the result is always - always - the same. And some of the discussion is not always nice, in what is otherwise a fantasic and friendly community.

I have only been really active on these forums for a couple of months, and in that short space of time have joined the "oh no hear we go again camp". Not because I don't think the subject is valid, but because of the aforementioned break out of all out world war. So for some of those that have been active on this forum for a while (and with less than 100 posts I don't include myslef with the veterans, lol), the subject clearly grates, and I can understand why.

On the other hand, people coming on to the forum for the first time have a very valid question, and to be fair, the forum lets them down in this sense - there is no facility for "stickies" and the search function is broken. I tried searching "HDMI" myself to test this out, and none of the previous "WW3" threads came up (and the "more results" function doesn't work).

So it is understandable anyone new would not know (a) the bad feeling the subject can cause, and (b) the eventual outcome of every single discussion. And it would be a great pity if someone new asked the question, and never came back again because of the ensuing war.

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Very sensible post actually. This question comes up sooo often now and, looking at the last post concerning it (that I'm aware of), the people who actually advocate trying out better cables can generally no longer be bothered to post, meaning all new members see is a load of posts from people saying "Don't bother, I tried it and there's no difference" or "This person makes cables for £5 which the other rip off companies charge £50 for" so new members no longer get any balanced advice. I'm not saying these people's opinions are wrong, just that they don't agree with what a lot of people see, but most of us really can't be bothered to face the arguments any more. Unfortunately this does mean some people are potentially missing out on improving their AV performance if they read all these views and, seeing none to the contrary on such a respected forum, therefore assume this is the accepted view.

I seriously believe we need a sticky or a blog post or something visibly permanent on the site from the WHF reviewers that we can refer any new HDMI posts to which reflects the opinion along the lines of "We see improvement in some cables, check out the reviews here, get a cable on a money back guarantee and make your own mind up". Any further posts can then be linked to this sticky and, hopefully, further argument can be avoided whilst still providing a balanced view.

Thank you Prof. I'm a bit surprised no one else has thrown their support behind such ideas - if no one cared then there wouldn't be the interest in the current thread that is still, I see, raging on.

Does the WHF team not have anything to say on the idea of "stickies" or any other such solution. I have read comments previously that allude, possibly, to a shortage of resources to fund any such development - perhaps the bean counters might take notice if they realised that offended forum newbies could conceivably stop buying the mag on the back of their experience here?

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Ah, the ability of forums to self-dramatise - we've gone from annoying threads about cables to reducing the sales of the magazine in half a dozen moves.

Just to be clear:

1. No plans to add extra house rules - many on here seem to have problems adhering to the few there already are.

2. Stickies will be created when we feel a need, and simply offering our opinion isn't really what they're for.

3. The forum search function fix is being worked on.

"This question comes up sooo often now and, looking at the last post
concerning it (that I'm aware of), the people who actually advocate
trying out better cables can generally no longer be bothered to post,
meaning all new members see is a load of posts from people saying "Don't bother, I tried it and there's no difference" or "This person makes cables for £5 which the other rip off companies charge £50 for"
so new members no longer get any balanced advice. I'm not saying these
people's opinions are wrong, just that they don't agree with what a lot
of people see, but most of us really can't be bothered to face the
arguments any more. Unfortunately this does mean some people are
potentially missing out on improving their AV performance if they read
all these views and, seeing none to the contrary on such a respected
forum, therefore assume this is the accepted view."

Actually, the reverse is true as well. I'm sure there are as many people belonging to the cable sceptic lobby who no longer bother to post. I've not been long on this and other forums, but I can't help noticing that if people pose a cable question, generally speaking they're more likely to listen to the better cable brigade than the sceptics.

It's only the optical cable improvement myth that bothers me, by the way. I can and do accept that speaker cables make small differences to the sound but my ears (and my system) aren't good enough to test the hypothesis in any depth.

Andrew Everard:

Ah, the ability of forums to self-dramatise - we've gone from annoying threads about cables to reducing the sales of the magazine in half a dozen moves.

Just to be clear:

1. No plans to add extra house rules - many on here seem to have problems adhering to the few there already are.

2. Stickies will be created when we feel a need, and simply offering our opinion isn't really what they're for.

3. The forum search function fix is being worked on.

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Dramatic? Moi?

Maybe, maybe not... the current debate has, IMO, escalated beyond simply "annoying" and I just wonder what the next newbie will be subjected to when they post the same question next week... or the week after that...

Was just trying to help...ÿ

Good to hear the search function problem is being worked on in general.

margetti:

Dramatic? Moi?

Maybe, maybe not... the current debate has, IMO, escalated beyond simply "annoying" and I just wonder what the next newbie will be subjected to when they post the same question next week... or the week after that...

 They'll be advised by many, as this time, to use the search function which, providing its fixed, will serve them well.

It'll serve them better, however, if they have some confidence in themselves and buy a lead or two with the option to return them, and see for themselves. Its a hard line way of looking at it, but if people were told to do that or jsut flippin' get one, that'd be an end to all such threads.

Tarquinh:

It's only the optical cable improvement myth that bothers me, by the way. I can and do accept that speaker cables make small differences to the sound but my ears (and my system) aren't good enough to test the hypothesis in any depth.

What about coaxial digital cables? Optical, co-ax, hdmi, it's all digital, so how can any of the cables make a difference?

margetti:

Andrew Everard:

Ah, the ability of forums to self-dramatise - we've gone from annoying threads about cables to reducing the sales of the magazine in half a dozen moves.

Just to be clear:

1. No plans to add extra house rules - many on here seem to have problems adhering to the few there already are.

2. Stickies will be created when we feel a need, and simply offering our opinion isn't really what they're for.

3. The forum search function fix is being worked on.

Good to hear the search function problem is being worked on in general.

Just to re-iterate what Andrew said, the search function on Forums has been fixed - I tested it yesterday -  and the upgrade will be implemented next week. I'll post and let everyone know as soon as it's gone live.

Andy Clough:

Just to re-iterate what Andrew said, the search function on Forums has been fixed - I tested it yesterday -ÿ and the upgrade will be implemented next week. I'll post and let everyone know as soon as it's gone live.

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so what your saying their isnt any difference between hdmi cables

Personally I don't think that they should be disallowed but if regular posters were to keep there discussions on the matter to a single thread, then when new posters ask about the topic we can post the URL to the main thread. At least that way it is a balanced topic with all peoples opinions in one place.

Just a thought.

JohnNewman:

Personally I don't think that they should be disallowed but if regular posters were to keep there discussions on the matter to a single thread, then when new posters ask about the topic we can post the URL to the main thread. At least that way it is a balanced topic with all peoples opinions in one place. Just a thought.

 could work.