Traversing the world of HDMI cables can be a scary one if you don’t know what to look for. You might remember your last time buying a TV from your local big box store being more than a little frustrating. Especially when the associate began talking about the benefits of the $200 HDMI cables that you definitely “need”.
The allure of the carbon fiber mesh casing or the gold plating might have made you feel like you were buying a car instead of a cable. Maybe you caved and purchased one at some point. It likely left you confused as to why it gave you the same results as a $20 counterpart.
Well, that’s because HDMI carries a digital signal. It’s ones and zeroes. The information either gets to your display, or it doesn’t. With a couple small exceptions, HDMI cables are all pretty much the same. Aside from build quality and now, considerations for 4k and HDR support, one HDMI cable doesn’t have much to offer over another. Enter the mCable HDMI cables from Marseille.
Marseille promises much more than a typical HDMI cable with their latest gaming edition mCable, which we had the opportunity to test. At first glance, the mCable looks like your run of the mill HDMI cable. The build quality is impressive, featuring a thick rubber casing with strong connector joints. This cable isn’t gonna wear out anytime soon.
Bells & Whistles
The next thing you’ll notice is a USB cable attached to the display end of the cable. That is the key component of the main feature of the mCable; to help deliver a cleaner and clearer picture quality. The USB cable is required to power the cable’s Intelligent Graphics Pixel Professor, housed in the the display end of the cable. This processor is capable of applying a series of enhancements to the source signal, to actually enhance the picture quality.
The improvements include pixel and graphics rejuvenation, advanced contextual anti-aliasing, and contrast and detail enhancement. It does this all using lag-free real-time processing right in the cable. It’s also capable of driving VR gaming, and 120FPS gaming at 1080p.
Where I noticed the most improvement of picture was with lower resolution games. I tested the cables with games running at 720p on a 1440p monitor. To my surprise, there was an immediate improvement in quality with the mCable.
Edges were smoother thanks to the anti-aliasing, and everything popped a little bit more. There was also a noticeable reduction of pixelation on edges and text. Although, this was replaced by a slight ghosting effect that I’m not entirely sure that I prefer.
The images above showcase some of the better results of the mCable and what it can be capable of in the right situations. This isn’t going to change your experience with full HD or 4K gaming, but if you have some older generation consoles like the PS3 or Xbox 360, you may notice an improvement. Another great implementation of the cable might be in old DVDs or anime collections. Anything 720p or below had a noticeable improvement in quality.
The Bottom Line
Now all of that is well and good, but the real question is that of value. The improvements, while certainly noticeable, won’t blow anyone’s hair back. So is it worth a $150 investment when a $20 will do? Well, that’s really up to you. I generally have an issue with overpriced cables, but I have also been burned plenty of times by cables that are too cheaply made.
It doesn’t really matter how rugged or fancy your cable is, especially if it’s going to be stationary. If you like to hogtie cattle with your HDMI cables, then maybe that stuff matters. So it comes down to asking yourself if you have an extensive library of old games or old movies that you consume on a regular basis. Do you wish your collection was higher quality to match your fancy new 4K TV? Then maybe this cable is worth checking out.
In the world of high-proved HDMI cables, it’s really easy to spend a lot and get very little in return. At least with the mCable, you’ll get some kind of a value add to help justify the cost. And at the very least, you’ll have a well-built, solid HDMI cable.
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This review is sponsored by Marseille. Enjoy $30 off your mCable purchase by using our special link and by using the promo code HOLIDAYGIFT at checkout. Promotion ends December 31.
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