I remember back when I was going through trainings at a BBR. Practically everytime they told me to recommend "solutions" (AKA: overpriced accessories and cables not included with a TV), they told me to go with Monster Cable.
I did get a customer who wanted to buy a surge protector, once. I think my CCity only carried MC, but they also had what must have been five to six different protectors, with the only visible difference being additional plugs or gold prongs. I had no idea what the hell I was talking about (a testament to the high quality of their training software), and I'm pretty sure I sounded like a complete douchebag idiot trying to explain the difference between them all.
Luckily, the guy was old, so he probably thought I was some whiz-kid.
EDIT: I just read the Monster Cable Wiki article. They went and tried to sue other things that used Monster in their names.
These apparently include Monster Enery Drink (energy drink = HDMI cable?), Snomw Monsters (a children's skiing group), and, yep, Pixar's Monsters, Inc..
o_O
I forget, how did that lawsuit pan out?
I imagine it didn't go well; you don't fuck with Disney in a courtroom.
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HawkstoneDon't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things. Somewhere outside of BarstowRegistered Userregular
I remember back when I was going through trainings at a BBR. Practically everytime they told me to recommend "solutions" (AKA: overpriced accessories and cables not included with a TV), they told me to go with Monster Cable.
I did get a customer who wanted to buy a surge protector, once. I think my CCity only carried MC, but they also had what must have been five to six different protectors, with the only visible difference being additional plugs or gold prongs. I had no idea what the hell I was talking about (a testament to the high quality of their training software), and I'm pretty sure I sounded like a complete douchebag idiot trying to explain the difference between them all.
Luckily, the guy was old, so he probably thought I was some whiz-kid.
EDIT: I just read the Monster Cable Wiki article. They went and tried to sue other things that used Monster in their names.
These apparently include Monster Enery Drink (energy drink = HDMI cable?), Snomw Monsters (a children's skiing group), and, yep, Pixar's Monsters, Inc..
o_O
I forget, how did that lawsuit pan out?
I imagine it didn't go well; you don't fuck with Disney in a courtroom.
True the Mouse will bugger ya till your crying and bleeding from the backside....
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Inside of a dog...it's too dark to read.
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The_SpaniardIt's never lupinesIrvine, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
I remember back when I was going through trainings at a BBR. Practically everytime they told me to recommend "solutions" (AKA: overpriced accessories and cables not included with a TV), they told me to go with Monster Cable.
I did get a customer who wanted to buy a surge protector, once. I think my CCity only carried MC, but they also had what must have been five to six different protectors, with the only visible difference being additional plugs or gold prongs. I had no idea what the hell I was talking about (a testament to the high quality of their training software), and I'm pretty sure I sounded like a complete douchebag idiot trying to explain the difference between them all.
Luckily, the guy was old, so he probably thought I was some whiz-kid.
EDIT: I just read the Monster Cable Wiki article. They went and tried to sue other things that used Monster in their names.
These apparently include Monster Enery Drink (energy drink = HDMI cable?), Snomw Monsters (a children's skiing group), and, yep, Pixar's Monsters, Inc..
o_O
I forget, how did that lawsuit pan out?
I imagine it didn't go well; you don't fuck with Disney in a courtroom.
True the Mouse will bugger ya till your crying and bleeding from the backside....
So how the hell can Monster legally charge 150 bucks for some cable when you can get the same thing for a fraction of that? Isn't there some sort of false representation law or something? I guess if they are actually a little better than the rest, they can charge whatever they want?
So how the hell can Monster legally charge 150 bucks for some cable when you can get the same thing for a fraction of that? Isn't there some sort of false representation law or something? I guess if they are actually a little better than the rest, they can charge whatever they want?
It's the free market, man. As long as they don't outright lie or use deceptive advertising, or quash competition in an illegal way, they can sell for whatever the market will bear. Monster, and all other high-end hype A/V products, walk a fine line -- they can claim lots of tech specs, and those have to be pretty much true, but what they mean in practice compared to other products is left purposely vague. Also, stores are not obligated to carry a range of products across a price spectrum, so Monster can and does pay stores to be displayed prominently and pushed on customers, and no/few cheaper alternatives will be available at the store. Obviously that varies greatly by store. There's also a great deal of "the emperor's new clothes" going on, in that the folks who pay the big bucks for Monster cables will almost always swear that they can hear/see a difference, because no one wants to admit they got suckered.
It's just like homeopathic "remedies"... they're bunk, but as long as they are careful about what they claim, they can skate past the US's relatively weak consumer protection laws.
HarshLanguage on
> turn on light Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
And as long as people are willing to pay/waste big money for the monster stuff, they'll keep selling it.
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Goose!That's me, honeyShow me the way home, honeyRegistered Userregular
edited March 2008
I got my HDTV on Friday, and have bought 2 Lextron 12' HDMI cables from B.J.'s Wholesale Club (one for my PS3, one for my cable box). So far they are both working excellently. And I haven't added a surge protector yet, but I'll be buying/using a plain ole ordinary one when the time comes. The 2 cables were 25 bucks each, btw.
That's not really that surprising given the guage of the average coat hanger. I would imagine it sounds much better than many of the cheap crap that comes with most home theater systems. Of course running something like that through a wall might be tricky.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
That's not really that surprising given the guage of the average coat hanger. I would imagine it sounds much better than many of the cheap crap that comes with most home theater systems. Of course running something like that through a wall might be tricky.
It is surprising given that coat hangers aren't shielded. ;-)
Also, I'd like to see this done with video instead of audio. The results could easily be different (people tend to have a harder time hearing flaws than seeing them).
Everyone knows that the ultimate cable criteria is "are they very danceable." :P
I love James Randi. Kudos to you, sir.
My fiancee's parents think I'm a know-it-all some times (in a bad way), and I have to suppress my urge to say "don't do that!" Like when they just bought their new TV, and against my advice, picked up Monster HDMI and component cables and a fucking Monster surge protector. :x
So, Monster Cable also makes guitar cables. Interesting, actually. My roommate uses one; it's quite thick and strong, has never had a problem with it, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Can't really beat that.
That's not really that surprising given the guage of the average coat hanger. I would imagine it sounds much better than many of the cheap crap that comes with most home theater systems. Of course running something like that through a wall might be tricky.
It is surprising given that coat hangers aren't shielded. ;-)
Also, I'd like to see this done with video instead of audio. The results could easily be different (people tend to have a harder time hearing flaws than seeing them).
Well speaker wire isn't really shielded in any real way. Even most of Monster's aren't that I know of. Its just wrapped in some rubber/plastic sheath for protection. It's not like it's some sort of special "shielding" material.
And yeah I imagine it would be quite different with video.
RE: Monster Surge
Although overly expensive they are very good and are certainly better than most of the garbage most people plug there stuff into.
That's not really that surprising given the guage of the average coat hanger. I would imagine it sounds much better than many of the cheap crap that comes with most home theater systems. Of course running something like that through a wall might be tricky.
It is surprising given that coat hangers aren't shielded. ;-)
Also, I'd like to see this done with video instead of audio. The results could easily be different (people tend to have a harder time hearing flaws than seeing them).
Well speaker wire isn't really shielded in any real way. Even most of Monster's aren't that I know of. Its just wrapped in some rubber/plastic sheath for protection. It's not like it's some sort of special "shielding" material.
And yeah I imagine it would be quite different with video.
RE: Monster Surge
Although overly expensive they are very good and are certainly better than most of the garbage most people plug there stuff into.
Right, but how would you manage to have all your shit plugged in with coat hangers? Pick anyone in this forum, and look behind their TV, and you'll see a wall of spaghetti wires. Use coat hangers, and you kill everything once they touch. That's what I was getting at. ;-)
In regards to monster surge, really, $120 for a surge protector is fucking stupid. I use $50 surge protectors, and they have battery backups built in (helps regulate the power a bit better).
So, Monster Cable also makes guitar cables. Interesting, actually. My roommate uses one; it's quite thick and strong, has never had a problem with it, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Can't really beat that.
The nice thing though is their prices on instrument cables aren't too horrible compared to the other options. They're usually within ten bucks of the next cheapest option. Also, they do tend to last longer than any other cables I've purchased. Playing lots of live shows and plugging and unplugging cables and having them hit the ground, bumped around inside cases, etc. wears on cables pretty badly.
As far as my home theater stuff goes though, no way am I shelling out that much for a cable. I don't think any difference I could perceive would be worth the $80 difference.
I belive the thing about the lawsuits was they had one impending really important one they needed to win, so they threw out those frivolous ones to show they were trying to protect their brand name. If you dont protect your copyright/trademark(its one of the two, or both, and I think monster is a trademark of them. Forgive me if I am talking out my ass.) you loose it. I dont know if it applied above, but I remember that was pretty much the explanation they gave.
I belive the thing about the lawsuits was they had one impending really important one they needed to win, so they threw out those frivolous ones to show they were trying to protect their brand name. If you dont protect your copyright/trademark(its one of the two, or both, and I think monster is a trademark of them. Forgive me if I am talking out my ass.) you loose it. I dont know if it applied above, but I remember that was pretty much the explanation they gave.
While I've heard that's true, normally not every company with a name that's in the English dictionary becomes a lawsuit factory.
Critics like Victor Petrucci, founder of a small, family-owned online clothing store called MonsterVintage.com in Camas, Wash., say Monster Cable is going overboard.
"They strong-arm anybody who uses the word 'monster,' '' said Petrucci, who is fighting a lawsuit that Monster Cable filed against his firm in August. "I sell used clothing. How can I damage them at all?''
* Monster Garage
* Monster House
* Monster Energy Drink
* MonsterHTPC
* Snow Monsters (a kid's skiing group)
* MonsterVintage, small used clothing store
* Monsters, Inc., an animated feature film
* Monsters of the Midway, a nickname of the Chicago Bears football team
* Fenway Park's Monster seats
* Monster.com employment website
If this is the only way they can protect their trademark, then I think the morally upright thing to do would be to take their trademark and throw themselves in front of a truck. I hope Storm Shadow's not still working there, because the company deserves to be overrun by goblins and tentacle creatures.
* Monsters of the Midway, a nickname of the Chicago Bears football team
If this is the only way they can protect their trademark, then I think the morally upright thing to do would be to take their trademark and throw themselves in front of a truck. I hope Storm Shadow's not still working there, because the company deserves to be overrun by goblins and tentacle creatures.
I'm sure I could point out how retarded it is to sue over this. Mentioning that the term Monsters of the Midway originated some 30-40 years before Monster Cable ever started selling their over-priced and over-hyped crap.
And it would be a waste because Monster Cable could actually win that. I think Harley-Davidson won some just like it...
* Monsters of the Midway, a nickname of the Chicago Bears football team
If this is the only way they can protect their trademark, then I think the morally upright thing to do would be to take their trademark and throw themselves in front of a truck. I hope Storm Shadow's not still working there, because the company deserves to be overrun by goblins and tentacle creatures.
I'm sure I could point out how retarded it is to sue over this. Mentioning that the term Monsters of the Midway originated some 30-40 years before Monster Cable ever started selling their over-priced and over-hyped crap.
Yeah and the World Wrestling Federation was around before the World Wildlife Foundation, and yet....
* Monsters of the Midway, a nickname of the Chicago Bears football team
If this is the only way they can protect their trademark, then I think the morally upright thing to do would be to take their trademark and throw themselves in front of a truck. I hope Storm Shadow's not still working there, because the company deserves to be overrun by goblins and tentacle creatures.
I'm sure I could point out how retarded it is to sue over this. Mentioning that the term Monsters of the Midway originated some 30-40 years before Monster Cable ever started selling their over-priced and over-hyped crap.
Yeah and the World Wrestling Federation was around before the World Wildlife Foundation, and yet....
Wrong, the World Wrestling Federation was founded in 1963 as the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) then changed its name to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979, while the World Wildlife Fund was founded in 1961.
* Monsters of the Midway, a nickname of the Chicago Bears football team
If this is the only way they can protect their trademark, then I think the morally upright thing to do would be to take their trademark and throw themselves in front of a truck. I hope Storm Shadow's not still working there, because the company deserves to be overrun by goblins and tentacle creatures.
I'm sure I could point out how retarded it is to sue over this. Mentioning that the term Monsters of the Midway originated some 30-40 years before Monster Cable ever started selling their over-priced and over-hyped crap.
Yeah and the World Wrestling Federation was around before the World Wildlife Foundation, and yet....
And yet it only started using the name World Wrestling Federation in 1980, whereas the World Wildlife Fund had been using their initials since 1968? What are you getting at here?
What brand of HDMI should I grab and where can I get it in Canada?
Brand is unimportant as long as the length is relatively short. Any generic 1 metre cable will be fine, and will probably cost you no more than $20. I paid $20 for my PS3's HDMI cable, and I can't imagine a better looking picture.
I bought mine at a store called Memory Express, but I think they're only in Alberta. I would just shop around at smaller PC parts stores. They tend to have good generic stuff that won't break the bank.
Posts
I imagine it didn't go well; you don't fuck with Disney in a courtroom.
True the Mouse will bugger ya till your crying and bleeding from the backside....
All while going "Ho ho! Ho ho!".
Switch - SW-3699-5063-5018
http://consumerist.com/362926/do-coat-hangers-sound-as-good-monster-cables
Awesome article:
Monster Cables vs. a Coat Hanger
edit: BEAT ME TO IT!
also: original post http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15412&postcount=28
It's the free market, man. As long as they don't outright lie or use deceptive advertising, or quash competition in an illegal way, they can sell for whatever the market will bear. Monster, and all other high-end hype A/V products, walk a fine line -- they can claim lots of tech specs, and those have to be pretty much true, but what they mean in practice compared to other products is left purposely vague. Also, stores are not obligated to carry a range of products across a price spectrum, so Monster can and does pay stores to be displayed prominently and pushed on customers, and no/few cheaper alternatives will be available at the store. Obviously that varies greatly by store. There's also a great deal of "the emperor's new clothes" going on, in that the folks who pay the big bucks for Monster cables will almost always swear that they can hear/see a difference, because no one wants to admit they got suckered.
It's just like homeopathic "remedies"... they're bunk, but as long as they are careful about what they claim, they can skate past the US's relatively weak consumer protection laws.
> turn on light
Good start to the day. Pity it's going to be the worst one of your life. The light is now on.
That's not really that surprising given the guage of the average coat hanger. I would imagine it sounds much better than many of the cheap crap that comes with most home theater systems. Of course running something like that through a wall might be tricky.
It is surprising given that coat hangers aren't shielded. ;-)
Also, I'd like to see this done with video instead of audio. The results could easily be different (people tend to have a harder time hearing flaws than seeing them).
I love James Randi. Kudos to you, sir.
My fiancee's parents think I'm a know-it-all some times (in a bad way), and I have to suppress my urge to say "don't do that!" Like when they just bought their new TV, and against my advice, picked up Monster HDMI and component cables and a fucking Monster surge protector. :x
I demand to know this as well.
Well speaker wire isn't really shielded in any real way. Even most of Monster's aren't that I know of. Its just wrapped in some rubber/plastic sheath for protection. It's not like it's some sort of special "shielding" material.
And yeah I imagine it would be quite different with video.
RE: Monster Surge
Although overly expensive they are very good and are certainly better than most of the garbage most people plug there stuff into.
Right, but how would you manage to have all your shit plugged in with coat hangers? Pick anyone in this forum, and look behind their TV, and you'll see a wall of spaghetti wires. Use coat hangers, and you kill everything once they touch. That's what I was getting at. ;-)
In regards to monster surge, really, $120 for a surge protector is fucking stupid. I use $50 surge protectors, and they have battery backups built in (helps regulate the power a bit better).
The nice thing though is their prices on instrument cables aren't too horrible compared to the other options. They're usually within ten bucks of the next cheapest option. Also, they do tend to last longer than any other cables I've purchased. Playing lots of live shows and plugging and unplugging cables and having them hit the ground, bumped around inside cases, etc. wears on cables pretty badly.
As far as my home theater stuff goes though, no way am I shelling out that much for a cable. I don't think any difference I could perceive would be worth the $80 difference.
PSN : Bolthorn
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9879105-1.html
Infinity Mog 21 and over Free Company Sargatanas Server. Recruitment currently closed.
While I've heard that's true, normally not every company with a name that's in the English dictionary becomes a lawsuit factory.
News article
And from the wiki article:
If this is the only way they can protect their trademark, then I think the morally upright thing to do would be to take their trademark and throw themselves in front of a truck. I hope Storm Shadow's not still working there, because the company deserves to be overrun by goblins and tentacle creatures.
And it would be a waste because Monster Cable could actually win that. I think Harley-Davidson won some just like it...
What brand of HDMI should I grab and where can I get it in Canada?
Yeah and the World Wrestling Federation was around before the World Wildlife Foundation, and yet....
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Wrong, the World Wrestling Federation was founded in 1963 as the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) then changed its name to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979, while the World Wildlife Fund was founded in 1961.
And yet it only started using the name World Wrestling Federation in 1980, whereas the World Wildlife Fund had been using their initials since 1968? What are you getting at here?
Brand is unimportant as long as the length is relatively short. Any generic 1 metre cable will be fine, and will probably cost you no more than $20. I paid $20 for my PS3's HDMI cable, and I can't imagine a better looking picture.
I bought mine at a store called Memory Express, but I think they're only in Alberta. I would just shop around at smaller PC parts stores. They tend to have good generic stuff that won't break the bank.
Hmm, the shipping price to Canada is actually reasonable. AND they don't do UPS.
MONSTER SCREEN CLEANER!
aka 30 dollar quarter bottle of windex