Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I received the 10' cable as a freebie when I ordered the Cheetah TV wall mount. Here are reasons why you may be having issues with the cable. It's a typical, inexpensively made cable, at it's core. - It uses cheap, small gauge wiring inside - The solder joints at the connector (under the casing) are TINY and done I'm sure in an automated production line - The casing under the braiding is an inexpensive, stiff plastic. HDMI connections are extremely sensitive to minute voltage variances - this is why long cables which introduce a small amount of signal drop-off don't work - the equipment is made to detect these variances and not produce a signal. Also, unfortunately by nature, an HDMI connector and it's socket are not and example of the best engineering - they don't lock positively, and the shape and thinness don't allow for a truly firm grip on the connector. Given the inherent weaknesses of the connection and nature of HDMI, it becomes vital that the cable and connector are NOT subject to any sort of lateral stress at the connection point. This will eventually deform the socket or the connector, and signal flow can be either reduced or broken, which have the same result - no image. The Twisted veins cable has an impressive, LARGE plastic connector housing. This is then connected to a very stiff cable, made stiffer and heavier by the braiding. There is also a short "stress relief" section of the connector, effectively extending the length of the connector further from the connection point. The results of these "quality features" is that the cable has undue stress on it from the moment you plug it in. Because of the stiffness, any movement along the entire length of the cable transmits that movement (and stress) to the connection point, which will eventually render the connection broken. So, if your using it for a computer monitor, any small movement of your monitor (adjusting it up, side to side, etc), is taking the leverage force created by the stiff cable and warping the connector and your display device. Basically, doomed. This cable may work fine in a completely static environment, where the sag of the heavy cable and connector can be relieved by tying it up or immobilizing the cable somehow. And you wonder why they were giving away "Cable ties and Right Angle" connectors - it was an attempt to correct the design flaw in their product. Basically, Twisted Veins was trying to cash in on "old" analogue understandings of signal path - big, heavy cables, woven "cable shield", large connectors, cable strain relief, etc. A lot of folks who are very familiar with what USED to be good features in a cable, look at these and go, "Ooooh, nice!". HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED WHEN SHOPPING FOR HDMI CABLES - If you have a normal length run (3-12 feet)and are passing a normal video/audio signal (10.2Gbps or less), buy the most flexible, skinniest cable you can get. Also, make sure the connector is SHORT, ie. it doesn't stick out two inches from you device. Almost everything else (in a short cable run) is superfluous to the quality of digital signal passed, and will not make any difference to your video. A small connector, highly flexible cable will last WAY longer, and be absolutely equal in passing your precious video signal. An example of these engineering basics well-executed would be the Monoprice Redmere cables - thin, flexible, tiny connectors and with the added advantage of technology that allows them to work at distances up to 50'. Hope this helps UPDATE - Was contacted by Cheetah Mounts and asked why I gave a bad review. They offered to replace the cable, which I appreciate. However, I'm not sure why I was called by Cheetah Mounts - I have purchased several of their mounts and love them for the cost factor. Well made, easy to put up and sturdy. I purchased one recently, and the cable for which the review is given above came with it as a Freebie. However, I could care less that they bundle a Twisted Veins HDMI cable with their product. I tested the cable, it gave a faulty signal and over time would put my equipment at risk at the connector (see review above), and so therefore wanted to give information to the many folks here who have stated in these reviews that their cable stopped working. 5 Stars for the Cheetah mount, but still one star to the Twisted Veins Cable.