HDMI change There is a difference

[Jim Pittsburgh]

Wanted to be able to watch TV and listen to music like PapaBearJew does.... so I purchased a splitter   http://www.ebay.com/itm/400764388148?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT...I had been using Radio Shack and I think a Phillips brand from Walmart HDMIs, since like many, I was of the opinion they are all the same.

But I needed another HDMI from the splitter to the TV....  so I bought a Monster M2000 off of ebay $60 because it was cheaper than most other "quality" HDMIs.... but surprisingly the result was the picture and sound were clearly  better than before. .. so I bought an isf M1250 $40 for between the receiver and the splitter... and the picture and sound got even better.. amazingly so.  of course I had to buy another isf M1250 for between the blue ray player and and the receiver.

The results are so good that even my wife noticed how much better the picture is for both TV and Blu-Rays...  and of course I noticed a huge difference in sound... really... surround sound is MUCH better.

The point is, that I'm now a believer in "better" HDMIs...Don't think brand matters, and re- learned again that Radio Shack sells crap as does Walmart.... invested $160 total to very great affect.

[OldiesButGoodies]

Hmmm

Will side with St Thomas on this one.

OBG

[papabearjew]

"Wanted to be able to watch TV and listen to music like PapaBearJew does.... "

Another PBJ wannabe!  LOL

[Jim Pittsburgh]

inspirational person that you are !

Hey I was a huge doubter as to the value of HDMI cables (although I have first had experience that says RCAs do sound different) but in my system, with the powered splitter,Comcast Xfinity  and Sony BDP-S7200 Blu-Ray,  the change was positive...  both picture and sound and better for TV.Biggest changes occured when I tossed the short Phillips /Walmart HDMIs which fed the splitter  and another that fed the cable box to the receiver.Junking the Radio Shack HDMI that fed the Sony Blu-Ray to the Receiver definitely provided better sound but no picture change that I could note.

[MacGeek]

Jim,

So are you splitting the HDMI to separately go the the TV and receiver (rather than having the receiver route the HDMI signal to the TV)?

[Jim Pittsburgh]

neither of the Marantz HT receivers I'm using will allow watching one source and listening to another..... so to watch one thing and listen to another, From the cable box HDMI output theres a short HDMI to the splitter, and then I have a separate hdmi from the splitter box directly  to the TV and the other to the receiver. Then when I want to watch something while listening I just select the second HDMI on the TV....   

[OldiesButGoodies]

Have you tried setting up the Marantz to allow HDMI pass-thru while an input is off?  I think that is what you want.

[Jim Pittsburgh]

Thanks

Have looked for such settings many times... and have even asked Marantz service the question... appears it is not possible. But I have asked Marantz the same question again this morning.