I’ll accept that “cables make a difference” in certain situations. Cable length, interference, and corrosion can effect cables, especially analog signals, and I’ve seen some improvements in using higher-end cables on higher-end gear. This, however, is unacceptable. Gizmo Republic visited a big box store where they found some red hot Monster HDMI cables for sale and demo showing the clear Monster Cable difference: Monster on the left, inferior competitor on the right.

Why was the competitor inferior? Because the big box sales folks connected composite cables to one TV and a Monster Cable HDMI cable to another. They then ran the same signal to both TVs over different resolution cables. It would be like adding racing stripes to a Formula 1 car and racing a Ford Focus, saying that the racing stripes improved the speed. This is so egregious that it makes me wonder how they’re getting away with it but, as we all know, suckers gestate in sixty second intervals.

Monster brand has been running this scam for years. The big box retailers have found outrageously priced accessories to be a good way to recoup profits from the pencil thin profit margins on big ticket consumer electronics like HDTVs.

Everyone deserves their buck, but this makes me sick. Be careful out there, kids.

Monster HDMI Cable Scam [GizmoRepublic]