What traditional cable testers can't do

[japlytic]

There are a number of low cost cable testers (including those which test HDMI cables), but there is a limitation with these units.
Such units can only check DC continuity on each conductor in the cable but cannot do any real world testing, especially at high frequencies; a HDMI cable may pass the continuity test but would not work between a TV and a normal HDMI source.
So therefore, such cable testers only do static tests and not dynamic tests.

[eccerr0r]

Re: What traditional cable testers can't do

I think the vast majority of cable problems that change over time is becoming open circuit or shorted. Though AC characteristics can change over time, this is rare... though qualitatively testing cables requires specialized, and likely expensive equipment unless you know how to generate and read the results...

[Longbow]

Re: What traditional cable testers can't do

That's exactly right. Cable testers are not R&D lab equipment. Even if you had an exotic cable analyzer you would need lots of manufacturer data and previous test data to make use of the information. A tester with an assortment of common plugs/jacks is essential when you are maintaining a complex system you must have a tool that identifies open or intermittent connections, or gives you connection information such as on a crossover cable.