Hi guys, I just got Directv HD hooked up yesterday but it's still only hooked up via component cables that came included. I'm looking to buy some HDMI cables, but wasn't sure about quality and what differences are between. Are the monster cable HDMI cables worth the $150 price tag over HDMI cables sold on monoprice for only $20???

I know you guys on here have a lot of knowledge and experience, so I wanted to see if anyone had used both and noticed any differences between high dollar cables versus lower cost cables.

honestly even if theyre a little better, i wouldnt spend 130 bucks extra. I dont think there better, but if they are only a bit. Just dont spend the extra money, save it to buy a new tv. the expensive cables are a ripoff.

Blue Jeans has some good reading on cables, which I'd recommend as a start.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/dvihdmicomponent.htm

monoprice.com AVS Sponsor, good quality, fast delivery, great price

A lot of people here recommend Monoprice. I decided to try them out and want to share my experience.

First, the cables I received seems to be pretty good quality. And the price can't be beat.

But their customer service is not good at all. One of the cables I ordered ended up being not in stock and no eta on when it would arrive. I replied asking them to cancel that 1 item because I needed to seal up my drywall, and didn't want to go through the hassle of putting another cable through the ceiling later on.

They did not reply to my email. I had to email them a 2nd time to cancel the cable, and asked them to let me know when it is done. They didn't bother to reply to my emails. But, they are an honest company. The cable was cancelled and the money credited. Guess they have too much business to spend a minute to reply to their customers. oh wellz, they made my $200, and since they are so much cheaper, I probably will order from them in the future if I need something.

recently purchased the monster power hts 1600 power reference center. I plugged everything in and all is well. I never had an initial problem with interference that prompted me to buy this - i was just looking for protection from surges mostly.

I notice no improvement in video while it is plugged in. My question is do i need this slightly costly protection or can i get away with something else like a decent surge protector. If it is not neccessary to have this i would probably return it and save a little cash. By the way my home theatre is probably worth approx 5-6K so i dont want anything to go wrong with it.

I have read severasl thing regarding this issue and to be fully prtected you need to have everythiung protected including your subwoofer into a surge protector. I also heard that surges can even get into radio antennas - i'm not aware of any way to stop a surge from getting into the antenna and then subsequently into the receiver. I live in California and lightning and such is not a large risk.

Any suggestions or comments? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Composite A/V switch with 6(or5) inputs and 2 outputs w/ remote.
I'm looking for the above type of switch.I thought I found my answer on ebay with a switch that cost $28.The video was awful-very dark.The 4 way switch(15-1983) from Radio Shack provided a better picture but didn't have the necessary inputs and outputs.
Does anyone know of such a switch for under $200? My search here and on Google came up empty.

I bought this same surge protector at Wal-Mart and hooked up all my equipment to it (including 50" Panny plasma). Should do the job fine - has a Joule rating as high as some Monster brand protectors at less than half the price, and the Connected Equipment Warranty is 100 times greater than I should ever need!

Can you guys tell me what your jouls setting is on your surge protector?
I found one at Lowes 2200 Joules that fits behind my LDC on the wall.

I was thinking about getting a surge protector with coax protection, but I heard that running your coax through the surge protector can cause signal degradation and even loss of digital channels. I use DirecTV so the coax just goes straight from the dish to my STB. So my question is: seriously, what are the odds that my satellite dish is going to get struck by lightning?

I use the APC ones and I've never noticed a signal problem in SD or HD. I'd recommend them.

As for 'chances of being struck by lightning', that's a question with many answers. Some will say *any* chance is too high and to protect your equipment as best you can with a suppressor, but... one main question is where is your dish? If it's on your roof, exposed or close to the peak, then it's more likely to get hit than mine, which is attached lower down on my deck, close to the house.

Note that most authorities use a cone of 60 degrees from the vertical to show the likelihood of something being struck. This means that items inside the cone are not likely to be struck, and your dish on the roof is the peak of the cone (most likely) vs. an dish like mine (way inside the cone) which is much less likely. (Still could happen, though.)

In any case, if you want to have the extra insurance, I've never had a problem with the APC suppressors.

I use the APC ones and I've never noticed a signal problem in SD or HD. I'd recommend them.

As for 'chances of being struck by lightning', that's a question with many answers. Some will say *any* chance is too high and to protect your equipment as best you can with a suppressor, but... one main question is where is your dish? If it's on your roof, exposed or close to the peak, then it's more likely to get hit than mine, which is attached lower down on my deck, close to the house.

Note that most authorities use a cone of 60 degrees from the vertical to show the likelihood of something being struck. This means that items inside the cone are not likely to be struck, and your dish on the roof is the peak of the cone (most likely) vs. an dish like mine (way inside the cone) which is much less likely. (Still could happen, though.)

In any case, if you want to have the extra insurance, I've never had a problem with the APC suppressors.Well I just realized that the dish has to get power somehow...how do satellite dishes get their power? I don't have one yet so I don't know.

That would mean that the dish is still tied in with the wiring in the rest of my house, and a surge from something like the AC unit could still cause problems. So lightning is not my only risk here. Besides, I don't think any surge protector can protect your equipment from a lightning strike.

Can you guys tell me what your jouls setting is on your surge protector?

The surge protector I mentioned in my earlier post has a rating of 4000 Joules.


I will say that the unit I bought is fairly bulky, but it really isn't an issue for me because it sits behind my plasma on the TV stand in my entertainment console and I never see it or the cords. It has 10 outlets, 2 coax in/out, etc., along with plenty of warranty coverage.

Well I just realized that the dish has to get power somehow...how do satellite dishes get their power? I don't have one yet so I don't know.

That would mean that the dish is still tied in with the wiring in the rest of my house, and a surge from something like the AC unit could still cause problems. So lightning is not my only risk here. Besides, I don't think any surge protector can protect your equipment from a lightning strike.

The dish is powered by dc from the sat receiver. It should be grounded with a ground block on each line at the entry point to the home connected to the ac service ground rod as well as with the mast grounded to the same point. I also recommend a surge protector at the system that the coax from the dish should pass through.

I have seen many systems affected by direct lightning stikes to homes. IMO the argument that you cannot protect against a direct strike is silly. If this were the case, any home that was struck directly would have all equipment destroyed. In fact, some things may take a hit so directly that protection may be ineffective, but everything else, including many neighboring systems can be protected from the less severe surge that they will see. Much more equipment likely gets damaged by nearby strikes than by direct hits.

So my TV doesn't have a DVI-I or VGA input. If I want to hook up my computer, would
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814999203
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814999903
work? Does it matter that my Graphics card is a Nvidia 6600GT? I would think it wouldn't, as long as the conversion takes place.

Those only work with DVI-I inputs, because they use the analog side of the DVI.

Those only work with DVI-I inputs, because they use the analog side of the DVI.
Whoops. That's what I ment. I have a DVI-I port on my Nvidia 6600GT. So it would be ok?

No, sorry.

DVI-I equals DVI-D plus a VGA compatible signal on the analog pins (the four pins around the flat blade.)

The color space of VGA is not the same as component. Therefore if you connect a VGA signal to a component input, the picture will be green, unless the component input can be set to know that it is connected to a VGA signal. Then, and only then, can you use a VGA to component adapter to make the connection.

You would need a device called a transcoder to accomplish this, which costs in the area of $150.

(This question was asked and answered in the last week.)

I just bought a samsung LNS3251D 32" lcd. I bought a set of psyclone component cables to hook up my xbox. when things are a little dark there are noticeable greenish/yellowish lines going vertically on my screen about 2-3 inches apart, this however does not happen when i hook up the s video cables to my xbox. Is this a cable issue?

I was hoping someone had some recommendations rather than me just taking a gamble on not only a switcher but also on a store I've never heard of. Some of the links look promising though so thank you. :)

I had the same problem and can attest to the fact that not all switchers are created equal ... I have tried an HDMI switcher (Daewoo I think) from Best Buy ... but came up with the dreaded "sparklies" ... then I tried Radio Shacks HDMI switcher and got the same problem ...

Lastly I took a chance on ordering from Monoprice 1x5 HDMI switcher and it works like a champ! No sparklies and it comes with a remote too ... all for about 145$ US.

Overall I am very happy with the service and the product from Monoprice and would not hesitate to recommend them to others.

p.s. I am not linked to Monoprice in any way :)

SamIam2

Very excited about this new TV. First HD purchase after 2 years of reading everything I could find, especially this forum over the last few weeks. I could really use some of your expertise with my setup. How should I connect the following equipment:

PDP-5071HD Plasma
HR10-250 DirecTV DVR
OPDV971H DVD
YSP-1000

My best guess is running HDMI from DVR to PDP...DVI-HDMI from DVD to PDP...optical digital from DVR to YSP...optical digital from DVD to YSP...analog audio from PDP to YSP. What am I missing?

With the TV mounted on the wall, I need to add a power source to the wall behind the panel. Is there any power protection/conditioner/etc that installs like a regular 110 outlet?

Finally, can anyone recommend a good small sub to match with the YSP? Compact is important to keep the wife happy? I was looking at the Aperion subs. What cable(s) will I need? Any recommendations are appreciated with epic gratitude!

Regarding the Belkin PF units on Provantage.com, is the factory warranty good? I just can't see how they're selling it for this price. If I buy it, I want to make sure I'm getting the warranty too.

Getting a Panny 600U in a few days. I'll be going with Cox HD Cable. Anybody know if their STBs have the DVI or HDMI output? I don't know what cable to get ahead of time?

Getting a Panny 600U in a few days. I'll be going with Cox HD Cable. Anybody know if their STBs have the DVI or HDMI output? I don't know what cable to get ahead of time?

Any answer you might get will not be helpful. The big cable systems are not one thing -- they are made of many smaller systems via swaps and acquisitions. The cable box you get must be matched to the headend equipment that is already installed, so you won't, for example, know if you are getting a Scientific Atlanta or a Motorola.

The best thing to do, if you really can't wait a few days, is ask the cable company what cable box they intend to bring.

Tweeter sold me the YSP800 and recommended the Martin Logan Dynamo... I compared it to several others in other stores and found the Dynamo the perfect sub for the YSP 800 . It has a nice tight bass, not distorted or boomy, yet will shake the room when called for. It is compact and good looking, too.

Regarding the Belkin PF units on Provantage.com, is the factory warranty good? I just can't see how they're selling it for this price. If I buy it, I want to make sure I'm getting the warranty too.

I got one from them about a month ago, and it is brand new in the box, no issues what so ever. Full factory warranty. I had some concerns as well and asked some questions on here and got excellent references on them. Do a search in this forum on them and you will find my postings and the responses. Good luck!

I got one from them about a month ago, and it is brand new in the box, no issues what so ever. Full factory warranty. I had some concerns as well and asked some questions on here and got excellent references on them. Do a search in this forum on them and you will find my postings and the responses. Good luck!

Are you positive about the warranty? I don't mean to doubt you, it just doesn't seem real that they're selling them for that price without a catch. I'm going to pick up a couple of them for other areas of the house!

If you want verification why not contact Belkin direct?

Provantage is listed on the Belkin site as an authorized online dealer

I have used Provantage many times for computer parts. They are on my A-list. The one demerit about them is that many times they will mark a product as non-returnable.

Provantage is listed on the Belkin site as an authorized online dealer

Thanks! I should have checked that instead of asking so many questions here.

This is probaly a noob question, any info would be Great, would a tripplight ups be a good way to go for a 46" lcd, cable hd box, and dvd player, here's what I was looking at....thanks

http://www.provantage.com/tripp-lite-omni900lcd~7TRPL1JR.htm

I ordered the PF60 and the UPS version yesterday. Also picked up 3 other surge protectors for other TV's. The total comes out to what I would have paid for the PF60 alone.... What a great deal!

I was wondering how improtant a surge protector is? I just got a 50px60 and we dont get many lightning storms here in the maritimes of canada so i was wondering if i just left the tv off burring the rare storm would i be fine, i might have one but im not sure if its just a power bar or an actuall surge protector and i dont wanna buy another.

You willing to risk a 3K piece of equipment over a $25 surge protector.

i guess ur right lol and it was actually 4k here in canada which is crazy money to pull together only being 21 so yea i guess ur right ill look more into seeing if the one i got alredy is a surge protector if it isnt ill deffinitly be picking one up

I just ordered the Pio 5070 online and I'm anxiously awaiting its shipment. This is my first HD or plasma, so I'm starting off with nothing. I have an old (2003) Sony A/V receiver. It doesn't have many digital outputs or inputs (no HDMI I believe). I have an Xbox 360 and an older (no HDMI) DVD player. I have Comcast Digital Cable (with an HD/DVR box). I'm looking to order my audio, video, and power (conditioner) cables really soon so I can be ready to watch as soon as it arrives. Please give me some direction as to how I should hook up the cables and which cables I should buy. I do prefer quality, but not at the cost of hundreds of dollars. I've looked on monoprice.com for cables, but I'm weary of the quality. Please give me some direction as to what type I should buy. I am electronically literate (i.e. I know enough about all of this to understand most of what you could tell me), so don't dumb it down. Thanks in advance!!

monoprice gets raves from tons of people around here... including me. They are very well made and you just can't beat the price. Get the Premium cable from them.

I second that. they are great cables.

I did manage to destroy one monoprice HDMI cable, thru our own stupidity, working on the wall mounting situation. (It was plugged into back of TV, and we managed to bend and break the tip of it as we struggled with the plasma) I was sure GLAD it was not a super expensive Monster cable.

Which HDMI cables are you getting from monoPrice.com? The "High-Quality 24AWG HDMI Cables"?

They come with a Net Jacket that looks kind of cheap to me...

http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/22192.jpg

Which HDMI cables are you getting from monoPrice.com? The "High-Quality 24AWG HDMI Cables"?

They come with a Net Jacket that looks kind of cheap to me...

http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/22192.jpg


Last time I checked, the "looks" of a cable had nothing to do with how it performed. The cable you reference is their cheaper version. Even though, a 25 foot HDMI cable for under $30 is unbeatable.

Also, I purchased their AWG22 cable and it looks like this....
http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/26781.jpg

for a whopping $38!!!!

The cable you reference is their cheaper version.

What is their better quality then? I don't need 20 ft of cable. :)

The one with the net jacket is the larger diameter cable and has the net jacket on it, more for looks than anything else probably. regardless, they work just fine. However, if it will make you feel better any BB or CC will be glad to sell you a 10 foot monster cable for about $75.

they ALL look kinda cheap to me but hey, to each his own.

I have compared monoprice to monster, belkin and phillips, and they all look the same to me. If anything the monoprice looks higher quality in your hand. But looks are not what counts, and performance wise I think the monoprice is fine. I have not seen anyone on this forum ever say they got poor performance or service from monoprice or blue jean cable, and the prices are a fraction of the others. I use both monster and monoprice optical and coaxil for digital sound, and I can tell no difference in quality of cable or signal.

Hi, I have a simple question. Can I buy the Philips or RCA "premium" cables (6 ft Component and HDMI cables) at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club or is there at least a minimum type of brand I need to choose? I definately don't want to spend hundreds of $$$ on cables. I also need the cables in 1 day (Pioneer will be delivered on Thursday), so ordering from monoprice.com is not an option.
Thanks!

Buy them, order from monoprice, and when you get those change them out and return to WalMart. Just take care opening the package, and you will have no problem in the return and still save money. Then you can order whatever you need from monoprice. It only takes about 3 or 4 days to get them.

Hi, I have a simple question. Can I buy the Philips or RCA "premium" cables (6 ft Component and HDMI cables) at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club or is there at least a minimum type of brand I need to choose? I definately don't want to spend hundreds of $$$ on cables. I also need the cables in 1 day (Pioneer will be delivered on Thursday), so ordering from monoprice.com is not an option.
Thanks!


An additional option you might want to consider is if there is a Radio Shack near you. Unless their policy has changed --the best way is to ask them directly-- you can purchase and return cables for full refund if you have the original packaging. Try the different cables to see which gives you the best results. Then, determine which one (or all) you wish to return, if that gives you the wiggle room and quality control that you are seeking.

Ok i searched throu the thread but could not find anything on this, maybe i didn't see. I am looking a a right angled dvi cable 6-10 feet, seems no one makes them...? Can anyone help ?

thanks

Something strange that happened when I tried to order the PF40 from Provantage...... when I added the item to my shopping cart it displayed that there were 5 in stock and the price was $116. After I selected ground shipping for $15, the total price jumped to $145(!?). The PF40 had jumped to $130. I couldn't believe what I was seeing so I opened a new browser window and searched for the PF40 and now it displayed that there were 4 in stock and the price was $130. Just wanted to post this in case anyone else ran into a similar problem.

Buy them, order from monoprice, and when you get those change them out and return to WalMart. Just take care opening the package, and you will have no problem in the return and still save money. Then you can order whatever you need from monoprice. It only takes about 3 or 4 days to get them.

Can I have some quick opinions? I went to Wal-Mart and looked at how the cables were packaged. You have to cut open the packaging, which means I won't be able to return the cables. Anyway I was at Sam's Club and it seems they sell "Philips PXT1000 cables" (whatever that is) so I bought those. What is everyone's opinions on those cables? I didn't spend too much at all on the cables so if they're not good I can always buy another brand.

Once at home it seems that Sam's Club is really cheap compared to Wal-Mart (I know the Sam-Wal relationship). For example 6ft component $11.50 at Sam's and $23.50 at Wal, 6ft HDMI is $22.50 at Sam's and $28.50 at Wal (don't know if giving prices is allowed).

Thanks!

You can return opened packages to WalMart. You can to just about any major retailer, like BB, CC, Target, Radio Shack, Home Depot, etc. Some will even take it back without the package, provided you have a proof of purchase.

This is probaly a noob question, any info would be Great, would a tripplight ups be a good way to go for a 46" lcd, cable hd box, and dvd player, here's what I was looking at....thanks

http://www.provantage.com/tripp-lite-omni900lcd~7TRPL1JR.htm

I picked up a pair of those Tripp-lites from costco for the same price and am using once for my 32" Westy LCD. No problems at all.

So far I've not found anyone who could tell me what, if any, advantage the PureAV PF units have over the Tripp-lite. Anyone got an opinion?

I picked up a pair of those Tripp-lites from costco for the same price and am using once for my 32" Westy LCD. No problems at all.

So far I've not found anyone who could tell me what, if any, advantage the PureAV PF units have over the Tripp-lite. Anyone got an opinion?

They are good units for your PC also, had one for over a year and works as advertized.... :)

I have a question... I have a panny 50px60 and i was wondering how i would hook up a pc to it, i would be great if the pc had dvi output so i could use a dvi to hdmi and get it to work that way but it dosent, it only has vga outputs i was wondering how i would connect it?

I heard of being able to convert vga to component cause that would work the tv has component obviously. Or would i be better of getting a beter video card that has a dvi out and get a dvi to hdmi connector.

They are good units for your PC also, had one for over a year and works as advertized.... :)

And then what happened to it? Melt-down? :eek:

The second unit I got was for the PC actually. Am looking at these PF40's (or PF60) for the other TV - 42" Panny Plasma.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for right angle dvi cables ? Nobody has them ?

I have the HP MD6580N TV. It has 2 HDMI inputs. It also has a VGA input, and 2 component video inputs.

I have three components that have 3 HDMI outputs though.

So I thought to buy an HDMI-VGA cable, but I can't find anything like that.

Do you have any advice ?

Thanks.

I am thinking about connecting my speakers, using 12 AWG CL-3 wiring in the walls.

I was going to have a wall plate(s) with the speaker wire terminating there. Then have a short jumper from the wall plate to the receiver using banana jacks at both ends of the jumper.

The issue that I see is the at the speakers. The woofer is the only speaker that will accept the banana jack, the others are 'pinch' type connectors and I think a 12 AWG will be too large.

What is the 'normal' method for the speakers?

I just bought a new Pioneer 5071 Plasma at BestBuy and was wondering what I should get as far as a surge protector or UPS or power conditioner?
I know nothing about any of this so if someone could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.
What do I need, what are the recommended brands etc?
Thank you.
Fred

I am thinking about connecting my speakers, using 12 AWG CL-3 wiring in the walls.

I was going to have a wall plate(s) with the speaker wire terminating there. Then have a short jumper from the wall plate to the receiver using banana jacks at both ends of the jumper.

The issue that I see is the at the speakers. The woofer is the only speaker that will accept the banana jack, the others are 'pinch' type connectors and I think a 12 AWG will be too large.

What is the 'normal' method for the speakers?I take it you mean the subwoofer accepts the banana plugs, and that would be a "speaker-level" signal going in. If the sub has a built-in amp you can connect a preamp-level signal from your receiver using a coax cable with RCA plugs, usually with better results.

For the pinch connectors, just use the largest gauge wire they will accept. This might be #16 or 18. If it's a short run to the wall plate, you should notice no difference in sound quality. If you invest in higher-end speakers someday you'll find that they use the binding posts/banana jacks that accept larger wire. For those connectors, banana plugs are fine, but some people use spade lugs or just bare wire with equally satisfactory results. (I use the latter.)

Thanks for the reply.

You are correct on the subwoofer. I have a small wire, maybe 18 or 20 gauge that I am going to swap out for the time being with 16 using banana jacks.

I really don't like using the binding posts and bare wire on the back of the receiver, there is not much room between the posts.

I have also decided not to use a wallplate with all those the connectors, just a wall plate with a single large hole. The banana jacks I am using are solderless compression type, so it will easier to connect them after I feed the wires thru the wallplate.

I've switched cables back and forth and see no quality difference (SA8300 direct to 42PX60U - or indirect through XR57 AVR). I do see a "hassle" difference. With HDMI going through the AVR I can use the "Home Theater" option on the TV, auto switching the AVR on and off. The main thing I don't like about this is if I was watching a DVD (AVR on "DVD"), and I forget to switch it back to "TV/PVR", next time my wife turns on the TV, no picture. The signal goes through the AVR clean whether it's on or off, but can't switch itself unless it's on. Haven't figured out a "brainless" solution.

When I run HDMI directly to TV, I have to change the SA8300 from "HDMI" to "Digital" to get Dolby to the AVR. Then after I turn off the AVR, there is no sound on the TV, unless I switch the SA8300 to "analog", or back to HDMI. But it never matters how the AVR was set.

I prefer the ability to use the "Home Theater" button on the Plasma, using the two HDMI cables. Just wish there was a way that the XR57 would autoswitch to DVR when turned off. Just bought an 880 Harmony remote, and it's not programmable enough to do that, but does make it easy to add the buttons you need all in one place.

One last comment on cables. I bought the cheap HDMI cables at Monoprice and they work fine (although seem very "loose"). I also bought the cheap component cables there, and they suck. I keep losing red when watching a DVD, and I have to twist and push the connector to get Red to come on. Can be fine for a while, then will lose red again... just TOO cheap! Buy the ones with the REAL connectors, worth the extra few bucks!

To get from HDMI/DVI (Digital) to VGA/Component (analog) you will need a converter. MPAA makes this a pain in the ass because they contractually control the HDMI output with ICT copy protection. One source for a converter that is not particularly cheap is digitalconnection dot-com for $189 (DVI to VGA converter). You would have to put a converter cable (HDMI to DVI).
I would try the component connection if at all possible (you don't mention having that output available, but you probably do). The only potential drawback with Component is that it will display a reduced resolution if the content is copy protected. Worry about that mostly if you have a Bluray or HD-DVD player, but Sat/Cable may also have some content like this.
You would think that an HDMI to DVI adapter and then a DVI to VGA (or Component) cable would work. HOWEVER, the HDMI to DVI adapter translates the digital signal, and the DVI to VGA cable translates the Analog signal, so you will end up pissing yourself off trying to troubleshoot a problem with no solution.
Apparently, the DVI-D and DVI-I (or DVI-A) are the analog and digital portions of the DVI connctor - that seems to make sense given the large number of connectors the DVI port has. Please correct me if I am wrong on this one ;-)
A different way around the problem is to get a new A/V receiver that has HDMI switching as a feature, although my Denon (for example) has only two inputs and one output.

Please advise of you (or anyone else) have found good solution for HDMI to Component Digital to Analog conversion. I expect anyone that has will be immediately sued by the MPAA. Assuming I am correct, it would be nice to get something while it lasts....

Please advise of you (or anyone else) have found good solution for HDMI to Component Digital to Analog conversion. I expect anyone that has will be immediately sued by the MPAA. Assuming I am correct, it would be nice to get something while it lasts....
Man, but it's so needed right now. It would solve so many headaches.

I just bought a new Pioneer 5071 Plasma at BestBuy and was wondering what I should get as far as a surge protector or UPS or power conditioner?
I know nothing about any of this so if someone could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.
What do I need, what are the recommended brands etc?
Thank you.
Fred


same here, a power surge last ngiht broke my cable box and my xbox so i am bit annoyed.

:confused:
I need to buy a 35ft long HDMI cable from monoprice.
Would any of the following work and what's the diference?

1) HDMI Tin-Plated Copper Cable male to male (22AWG) - 35ft (Gold Plated) [TP].
2) HDMI Cable male to male (24AWG) - 35ft (Gold-Plated).

Would it be any signal loss with these cables?
What do you think about the BlueJeans HDMI cables?

Thanks

:confused:
I need to buy a 35ft long HDMI cable from monoprice.
Would any of the following work and what's the diference?

1) HDMI Tin-Plated Copper Cable male to male (22AWG) - 35ft (Gold Plated) [TP].
2) HDMI Cable male to male (24AWG) - 35ft (Gold-Plated).

They should both work fine. 22AWG is thicker cable so theoretically there is less signal loss, but with digital there isn't really incremental loss in PQ. Either the signal is good enough or there are errors and the errors are quite obvious.

If you want to be safest choose the 22AWG but I would say 98% likelihood 24AWG will be fine.

I just bought a new Pioneer 5071 Plasma at BestBuy and was wondering what I should get as far as a surge protector or UPS or power conditioner?
I know nothing about any of this so if someone could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.
What do I need, what are the recommended brands etc?
Thank you.
Fred

All you will need is a good SURGE protector. Make sure you get one that protects the antenna/cable feeds. There are many good brands APC, Tripp-lite and Belkin are some of the better know brands. Don't bother with a power conditioner you don't need it and they're overpriced, same for UPS's. The regular Belkin's are fine you don't need to go to their PureAV line. Just get the highest joules rating you can find (ability to withstand surges). You can get good ones for $25 and up.

Sfhub,
Thanks a lot.

All you will need is a good SURGE protector. Make sure you get one that protects the antenna/cable feeds. There are many good brands APC, Tripp-lite and Belkin are some of the better know brands. Don't bother with a power conditioner you don't need it and they're overpriced, same for UPS's. The regular Belkin's are fine you don't need to go to their PureAV line. Just get the highest joules rating you can find (ability to withstand surges). You can get good ones for $25 and up.

I respectfully disagree. I do agree that some type of surge protection is needed. However, you can purchase the Belken PureAV PF 40 online for between $125 and $135 and it not only offers superior surge protection, but several other features as well. It has inputs for not only all power (isolated) but also cable and antenna in/out, phone, and ethernet. It offers power amp delay and 12V trigger. And I for one can attest to the claim that it does produce a cleaner video signal. Don't ask me the technical reasons, but I know that once I installed it on my system the noise in my cable SD channels improved dramatically. I imagine there was inprovement in other video feeds as well, but not as noticeable. For the cost of the unit, it was well worth it to me and it looks cool in my rack. I would not pay the high prices the CC and BB want for the Monster series. But for the $125 that I paid for my PF40, it was a bargain as far as I am concerned.

Tarheel72,
You are one of the few people I know that have noticed any difference in Video signals using a power conditioner, I'm happy for you. But for most people the difference they notice is in the audio signals and only slight there. There are numerous reviews on the PF line and almost all come to this conclusion. It is however, a very good surge protector. And while I agree it can be had for extremely nice prices for almost everyone out there a good surge (good not one of those 7.50 deals) will suffice nicely.

when I was researching power conditioners in general, I found several postings in this forum that said they could tell an improvement, although several others stated that they could see no visible difference in picture quality. So I was not expecting results, but hoping for them. When I changed out my hardware, I tried to seperate the cable runs to minimize interference, as well as using the PureAV. Whatever I did, there is a noticeable inprovement in picture quality. $400 is a stretch for me, but $125 for a brand new one was a no brainer. I agree with you that a good surge protector is a requirement, and you should pay in the $50 range probably. And I would never tell someone that a power conditioner will make their video or audio signal better. But it can happen sometimes, and it is a nice benefit when it does.

And did I mention that it looks cool in the rack?

I respectfully disagree. I do agree that some type of surge protection is needed. However, you can purchase the Belken PureAV PF 40 online for between $125 and $135 and it not only offers superior surge protection, but several other features as well. It has inputs for not only all power (isolated) but also cable and antenna in/out, phone, and ethernet. It offers power amp delay and 12V trigger. And I for one can attest to the claim that it does produce a cleaner video signal. Don't ask me the technical reasons, but I know that once I installed it on my system the noise in my cable SD channels improved dramatically. I imagine there was inprovement in other video feeds as well, but not as noticeable. For the cost of the unit, it was well worth it to me and it looks cool in my rack. I would not pay the high prices the CC and BB want for the Monster series. But for the $125 that I paid for my PF40, it was a bargain as far as I am concerned.Sounds like I will probably picking up that PF40. I was set on a certain Tripplite, can't remember which model. It's in this thread somewhere.

What do you mean the power inputs are isolated?
What is the power amp delay and the 12v trigger?

Try this:

http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV_detail.process?Merchant_Id=&Product_Id=178914

or this:

http://www.laaudiofile.com/belkinpf60.html

The latter is a review of the PF60, but it is essentially the same unit. the difference is that you can view the voltage in each bank, versus only seeing one voltage reading with the PF40. Other than that, I think most of your questions will be answered here.

You might also find this of interest. The website mentioned, ProAdvantage, is where I got my unit. Do a search on this forum for them and you will see several posts in reference to them. I paid $125 and it was in stock, but it appears the price sometimes varies.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?p=2907000

Try this:

http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV_detail.process?Merchant_Id=&Product_Id=178914

or this:

http://www.laaudiofile.com/belkinpf60.html

The latter is a review of the PF60, but it is essentially the same unit. the difference is that you can view the voltage in each bank, versus only seeing one voltage reading with the PF40. Other than that, I think most of your questions will be answered here.

You might also find this of interest. The website mentioned, ProAdvantage, is where I got my unit. Do a search on this forum for them and you will see several posts in reference to them. I paid $125 and it was in stock, but it appears the price sometimes varies.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?p=2907000

Provantage also has the PF60 available for only a few dollars more. I went with the 60 BTW.

If You are wondering: Should I buy better cable You should make a test. Lately I thought that cables isn't so important and I found simple test that opened my eyes.

The simple test shows everything. Here it is:

http://www.hdtv.com.pl/forum/showthread.php?p=40841#post40841

Does anyone know the thickness of the 22AWG & 24AWG monoprice HDMI cables?

Thanks

I had a home theater guy come put in the wiring for my speakers and the video for the projector, whcih he will be installing. I will be getting a DLP projector.

But, when the guy was done and I went to check it out, for the projecter he had a red, green, and blue rca cable in one set and then a yellow rca cable, then finally an s-video. The cables are 20 feet long.

I'm really confused. I'm pretty sure the RCA's are for component, but on a DLP projector wouldnt DVI be better quality, even at 20 feet? Also, what the heck is the s-video for?

Is there going to be a quality drop that would be worth rewiring it with a DVI cable before I drywall, or is there some reason he has done what I believe is component?

I am thinking about running my component cables and the power lines in separate 1" flex conduit to help keep any interference out of the video signal.

The run is about 20' - 25' and are parallel. I don't think I can get the component cables with the connectors on through a 1" flex conduit, so I am thinking about making my own.

Any good wire selection for this? I am thinking of maybe 16 AWG speaker wire. Bad idea?

What are my options?

I am thinking about running my component cables and the power lines in separate 1" flex conduit to help keep any interference out of the video signal.

The run is about 20' - 25' and are parallel. I don't think I can get the component cables with the connectors on through a 1" flex conduit, so I am thinking about making my own.

Any good wire selection for this? I am thinking of maybe 16 AWG speaker wire. Bad idea?

What are my options?

If I understand correctly that you are thinking of making component cable out of speaker wire, you will probably end up with an unusable result. Speaker wire is not shielded. Many installers use standard RG-6 cable for this.

Yesterday I hooked up my new 5-1 HDMI switch from monoprice (HDX-501). It's a great product. It's less expensive than most 2-1 switches out there. It's not the fabled $100 price that everyone here talks about - I have not seen any $100 switches. I paid about $175 for the switch, a 3 ft HDMI cable and 2 day shipping.

There's a selector button on the front panel and it comes with a remote control. One unexpected nicety is that the selector button cycles only through the inputs that have a signal. So if you only have two devices it cycles between the two inputs. Even better, if you only turn on one device it automatically selects that device! So you never have to use the selector button or the remote control! This is a great way to explain things to my family.

I put the remote control in storage.

I didn't know if the cable where shielded or not. Thanks for the input I'll look into the RG-6 cables.

I had a home theater guy come put in the wiring for my speakers and the video for the projector, whcih he will be installing. I will be getting a DLP projector.

But, when the guy was done and I went to check it out, for the projecter he had a red, green, and blue rca cable in one set and then a yellow rca cable, then finally an s-video. The cables are 20 feet long.

I'm really confused. I'm pretty sure the RCA's are for component, but on a DLP projector wouldnt DVI be better quality, even at 20 feet? Also, what the heck is the s-video for?

Is there going to be a quality drop that would be worth rewiring it with a DVI cable before I drywall, or is there some reason he has done what I believe is component?

Sounds like your "guy" covered all the analog basics (Composite, S-video & Component) for you. But, you're right, I'd have him put in a DVI and/or HDMI feed as well. What does the DLP projector support?

The composite connection (Single yellow RCA) is pretty well useless on a DLP projector IMO but the s-Video might be useful for set-up purposes. Often times, I need to start off in analog mode for me to "see" the menu of a video component and tell it what output to use.

Sounds like a deal...maybe I should pull the trigger and quit waiting for a reasonably priced amp that has good HDMI switching...

NM

I have a Monoprice HDMI 2x1 switcher w/remote....love this great little piece of equipment....will be updating my receiver in the future....a great stop gap.....

Sounds like your "guy" covered all the analog basics (Composite, S-video & Component) for you. But, you're right, I'd have him put in a DVI and/or HDMI feed as well. What does the DLP projector support?

The composite connection (Single yellow RCA) is pretty well useless on a DLP projector IMO but the s-Video might be useful for set-up purposes. Often times, I need to start off in analog mode for me to "see" the menu of a video component and tell it what output to use.


i know of nothing that beats s-video for viewing SD, ejunior2.

Does anyone know the thickness of the 22AWG & 24AWG monoprice HDMI cables?

Thanks

yes, the heavier cable is about the size of my little finger. Hope that helps! :)

Tarheel72,
You know where to stick your little finger. ;)

every once in a while in the Cool Whip, just to get a little sample.

I just picked up the Monster Power Home Theater Power Center w/Clean Power Stage 1 v2.0/1850 Joule for $80.00 from Sears. It is the same as the HT 800 except no phone jack. It has the coax connection.

Any opinions on this this? Is It adequite protection for my Pio 5071 or should I take it back?

Thanks,
Tomcat11

take it back and get a Belkin PureAV pf 40 from ProAdvantage for $135. Compare the specs.

take it back and get a Belkin PureAV pf 40 from ProAdvantage for $135. Compare the specs.

That's a nice one and the spec's are much a much higher level. The current price is $182. which I know is a good deal. The question is what is technically necessary to adequately protect my investment. I don't want to skimp on this but the cost to make my system function just keeps rising. In racing we say if you have a ten dollar head then buy a ten dollar helmet. so I guess that applies here too.

I got mine from them for $125 in early June, in stock and delivered in about 5 days. If you can afford to wait a while the price will vary on there. Keep your eyes open.

i know of nothing that beats s-video for viewing SD, ejunior2.

That's an odd statement there or I'm missing something.

480i is still considered SD (as opposed to HD) and can be carried via Component cables which, IMHO, are better than an s-video cable.

:confused:

Here's a question. If HDMI is made to automatically configure the image to the best resolution possible, will it make 720p content look better on 1366x768 displays because of the conversion, rather than just hooking a device up by component and having that scaling sort of thing done?

What I'm refering to:
4. Automatic format adjustment matches content to preferred viewing format.
Content comes in a variety of sizes, resolutions and formats. HDMI systems will automatically configure to display the content in the most effective format. If cable TV content jumps from 16:9 format to standard 4:3, an HDMI-enabled TV can automatically adjust to match the ideal format.

And could you give a more solid answer other than "Oh it depends on the HDMI chip."?

That's an odd statement there or I'm missing something.

480i is still considered SD (as opposed to HD) and can be carried via Component cables which, IMHO, are better than an s-video cable.

:confused:

if you prefer watching SD through component rather than s-video, that's your prerogative, ejunior2.

i much prefer the PQ of s-video for SD viewing, much.

if you prefer watching SD through component rather than s-video, that's your prerogative, ejunior2.

i much prefer the PQ of s-video for SD viewing, much.

:confused:

I am planning on installing some recessed lights and was thinking about installing new 12 AWG CL3 speaker wires while I have the drywall open.

I am concerned about having interference between the lights/power and the speaker wires.

I could always place the power cable into flex conduit, but the lights might be a problem if they will have a transformer (low voltage).

Has anyone had this issue?

Anyone use anything beside Mono-Price and Blue Jeans? I refuse to buy Monster Cable, but want to get a quality product.

I know the whole debate between 30 and 300 dollar cables. Just looking for some other brand suggestions.

Can't go wroing with Monoprice, at least for lengths less than 25' and they have a 21 day satisfaction guaranteed return policy. So what's the worst case scenario, you're out a couple of bucks to mail the cable back to monoprice if you don't like it. And the odds of that are slim.

I got mine from them for $125 in early June, in stock and delivered in about 5 days. If you can afford to wait a while the price will vary on there. Keep your eyes open.


Instead of the PF40, why didn't you choose the PureAV UPS? This one will protect from Brown outs as well correct?

STill deciding on which one to get.

Thanks,

I did consider it, but each has its own specific function and the PF40 has a display in front for status. Basically, if you want a UPS, go with that. If you are looking for a power conditioner/surge protector go with that. To me the PF40 had more versatility for a HT set up.

I mean, if you want to, you could make your own. The Canare connectors and Belden coax that Blue Jeans uses, for instance, are pretty well recognized as the best parts money can buy.

If you want to buy retail, AR is decent quality at a fair price.

I bought mine from Rat Shack. No problems with them.

I use 3 composite video cables by Acoustic Research. (ACOUSTIC RESEARCH PR101 PRO II COMPOSITE VIDEO CABLE 6 FT). These are the same cables used for their component series, just not with the blue, green, red RCA jacks. I saved $25 by going with single composite cables. You can get 3 of these at www.accessories4less.com for a great deal. Can't quote the price since I think it breaks an AVS Forum rule. :D

I did use Python component cables from Cablesforless.com until I bought a HDMI switcher from monoprice and now, I only use 3 hdmi cables and a switcher from monoprice. Speaker cable from blue jean cables.

I've got the acoustic reasearch pro II cables. No complaints about them, great cables.

I got the Acoustic Research perfermance series component cables from buy.com They work great and I couldn't beat the price

Terrific place is one of the sponsors of this Forum - RAM.

Excellent choice of products, price and service.

Have used RAM and recommended them to many friends.

Gary

Hi everyone,

After much research, asking, thought, and driving to the store. I purchased a Samsung LN-S4092 & Samsung HD-850 & Monster HDMI cable.

After more reading i found out about monoprice and the price of the HDMI cable being soooo much cheaper, I decided to spring for 2 of them since I have 2 inputs on my samsung (just in case i need it). So i purchased the 24awg 6ft gold HDMI to HDMI.

Since I had both cables and because I haven't read anything about the difference but that one was cheaper than the other and that they both worked well. I decided to test them myself. I hooked up both cables to the Samsung (HDMI 1 & HDMI 2) then while playing a dvd I plugged in one then took it out and plugged in the other while switching source.

The outcome...suprisingly the Monster cable came out better. It was brighter and colors looked a whole lot better. Now I don't know if I have to reconfigure when changing cables but I'm tempted to stay with the Monster cables because of the better pq. Although I don't want to shell out $120 bucks for a cable. But I guess you get what you paid for...but still $120 is pretty high.

Anyways just thought I'd mention and if anyone knows how to correct this or know so more info please post.

Hi everyone,

After much research, asking, thought, and driving to the store. I purchased a Samsung LN-S4092 & Samsung HD-850 & Monster HDMI cable.

After more reading i found out about monoprice and the price of the HDMI cable being soooo much cheaper, I decided to spring for 2 of them since I have 2 inputs on my samsung (just in case i need it). So i purchased the 24awg 6ft gold HDMI to HDMI.

Since I had both cables and because I haven't read anything about the difference but that one was cheaper than the other and that they both worked well. I decided to test them myself. I hooked up both cables to the Samsung (HDMI 1 & HDMI 2) then while playing a dvd I plugged in one then took it out and plugged in the other while switching source.

The outcome...suprisingly the Monster cable came out better. It was brighter and colors looked a whole lot better. Now I don't know if I have to reconfigure when changing cables but I'm tempted to stay with the Monster cables because of the better pq. Although I don't want to shell out $120 bucks for a cable. But I guess you get what you paid for...but still $120 is pretty high.

Anyways just thought I'd mention and if anyone knows how to correct this or know so more info please post.
The way HDMI is transmitted it is not possible for the cable to reduce brightness/color the way you describe. The only thing that might explain what you are seeing would be if the colorspace was renegotiated by your source and you haven't calibrated your display to the new colorspace, however that is a function of the negotiation between your source and display not the cable.

Hi everyone,

After much research, asking, thought, and driving to the store. I purchased a Samsung LN-S4092 & Samsung HD-850 & Monster HDMI cable.

After more reading i found out about monoprice and the price of the HDMI cable being soooo much cheaper, I decided to spring for 2 of them since I have 2 inputs on my samsung (just in case i need it). So i purchased the 24awg 6ft gold HDMI to HDMI.

Since I had both cables and because I haven't read anything about the difference but that one was cheaper than the other and that they both worked well. I decided to test them myself. I hooked up both cables to the Samsung (HDMI 1 & HDMI 2) then while playing a dvd I plugged in one then took it out and plugged in the other while switching source.

The outcome...suprisingly the Monster cable came out better. It was brighter and colors looked a whole lot better. Now I don't know if I have to reconfigure when changing cables but I'm tempted to stay with the Monster cables because of the better pq. Although I don't want to shell out $120 bucks for a cable. But I guess you get what you paid for...but still $120 is pretty high.

Anyways just thought I'd mention and if anyone knows how to correct this or know so more info please post.

This is a stupid question, but you did use the same settings on both HDMI inputs didn't you? The inputs each have their own unique picture settings, so you would want to be sure that they are identical in every respect. That includes all user adjustable color settings as well as temperature, intensity, brightness, hue, etc. If they are the same, then I could not explain it, as the previous poster says digital is digital, it either gets there or it doesn't.

This is a stupid question, but you did use the same settings on both HDMI inputs didn't you? The inputs each have their own unique picture settings, so you would want to be sure that they are identical in every respect. That includes all user adjustable color settings as well as temperature, intensity, brightness, hue, etc. If they are the same, then I could not explain it, as the previous poster says digital is digital, it either gets there or it doesn't.


I'm pretty sure the settings were the same. I thought maybe that the setting using one cable would have to be different from the other because of the quality of the cable. But then again as you and sfhub mentioned, digital is digital...what matters is what the source is sending to the display. I'll go take another look and double check on the settings. If there still is a difference...i'll take some pictures.

Thanks for the replies. Would really like to have the extra $$ in my pocket.

I can find anyone that has this cable. monoPrice has this on order and has no ETA. Cobaltcable and a couple of other either don't carry it or do not have it in stock.

Any ideas?

My comcast box isn't sending a signal threw HDMI for some reason so I have to use component cables instead. I have the cheapo component cables that I'm using that came with the comcast box.

Are there better component cables to be had? Gold plates/heavy duty...something like that?

Or doesn't it make a difference?

Not really. I use the component cables they gave me and they work fine. I assure you that you would not see a difference in PQ with other "name brand" cables. You could use 3 yellow composite video cables if you wanted too.

I think I'm picking up some noise in the cables. Was not sure if I should go w/ a heavier shielded one. And if so, which brand should I go w/ .

I can find anyone that has this cable. monoPrice has this on order and has no ETA. Cobaltcable and a couple of other either don't carry it or do not have it in stock.

Any ideas?

partsexpress

oh well I just ordered a set of the heavy sheilded components threw Blue jeans cable. I was running these comcast cables outside the wall last night and it looked fine, this morning we routed them threw the wall and I swear it looks like it's getting line noise.

I'm probably in the minority here but I've had pretty good luck with the RCA & Phillips models. You can find them at places like Home Depot, Target, Big-K, etc. There sometimes on clearance too so look around.

They feel like pretty good quality and are shielded and I don't think you'll find much, if any, difference in quality to the other brands like Monster.

Link to the Wal-mart site - http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2625044

Having a 50" Pioneer 5071 mounted above my fireplace; electrical outlet's already in place. Do I need to plug the TV into an external surge protector, and plug that protector in the outlet behind the TV?

I've heard that it's unnecessary b/c these plasmas already have built-in surge protectors.

What's the real scoop?

hey guys. i need a long component video cable (at least 30 feet long) to run from my receiver to my TV. i've heard the quality of a component cable matters when you are talking about running it this length.

i've heard good things about the cables monoprice.com sells, but i'm in a bit of a quandry.

they have one that is component video alone (that's all i need) and it's $15

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023502&p_id=2179&seq=1&format=2&style=


then they have another that is 35 feet long and also has audio cable (overkill since obviously the audio at my receiver will run to my 5.1 speakers) but it is labeled as "premium" so i feel it might be a higher quality cable to get the video signal to my tv. however, it is over $40.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023501&p_id=2858&seq=1&format=2&style=

do you guys think there is really a difference between these cables for what i need? sorry for the "price talk" and "retail links" but i don't think it violates the spirit of the rule (i'm not price shopping... i'm just trying to figure if the price difference is worth it for quality).

thanks for your input (no pun intended :) )

- steve

The big difference is that the first one is RG-59U and the second one is RG-6U. I think the equivalent cable without the extra audio lines is this one:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023502&p_id=2855&seq=1&format=2&style=

I'm not sure if RG-6U is overkill at that length, but it won't hurt. The only downside is the higher cost and the hassle to route 3 lines of RG-6U (it's considerably bigger & stiffer than RG-59U). And yes, that's the same 75 ohm cable used to run video from the cable co or satellite dish - it just has an RCA connector instead of an F-connector. In fact, you can make your own cables if you buy the appropriate crimp or compression connectors and the matching installation tool.

The big difference is that the first one is RG-59U and the second one is RG-6U. I think the equivalent cable without the extra audio lines is this one:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023502&p_id=2855&seq=1&format=2&style=

I'm not sure if RG-6U is overkill at that length, but it won't hurt. The only downside is the higher cost and the hassle to route 3 lines of RG-6U (it's considerably bigger & stiffer than RG-59U). And yes, that's the same 75 ohm cable used to run video from the cable co or satellite dish - it just has an RCA connector instead of an F-connector. In fact, you can make your own cables if you buy the appropriate crimp or compression connectors and the matching installation tool.


wow thanks. couldn't find that cable for some reason. i think i'll go ahead and spend $30 on the cable instead of $15. i figure i'm spending $4,000 on other equipment that an extra $15 on a cable to ensure i've got the best possible connection is probably worth it.

wow thanks. couldn't find that cable for some reason. i think i'll go ahead and spend $30 on the cable instead of $15. i figure i'm spending $4,000 on other equipment that an extra $15 on a cable to ensure i've got the best possible connection is probably worth it.

30 feet is a fairly long run. RG-6 is considerably lower loss than RG-59, so you're well advised to get the better cable.

oh well I just ordered a set of the heavy sheilded components threw Blue jeans cable. I was running these comcast cables outside the wall last night and it looked fine, this morning we routed them threw the wall and I swear it looks like it's getting line noise.

It sounds like they are running near some power cable. Be sure that you allow for plenty of seperation between all audio, video and power cables. Power lines can creat interference in A/V cables if they are too close to each other. If you can, run them through conduit or at least some wire loom.

Anyone? ;)

Having a 50" Pioneer 5071 mounted above my fireplace; electrical outlet's already in place. Do I need to plug the TV into an external surge protector, and plug that protector in the outlet behind the TV?

I've heard that it's unnecessary b/c these plasmas already have built-in surge protectors.

What's the real scoop?

Hi all-

I've decided to finally take the plunge and get the Panasonic 50 inch 60U, but I understand I'll need an HDMI cable. I've seen I should just get one at monoprice but I have no idea what to go with. All the AWG acronyms throw me off.

What's the difference between 22-28 AWG?

Anyone want to offer a product ID that would work?

Thanks so much.

Under 15ft just get the 28AWG. Over 15-25ft get the 24AWG. 35-50ft get the 22AWG.

I am looking at both for my application.

Issue one: One speaker wire will parallel a 120 volt ac line for about 6.5". These two runs, speaker wire and 120 volt ac, will be about 12" apart with a 2x10 floor joist between them.

Issue two: The longest speaker run is approximately 31' and depending on routing could parallel the same 120volt ac line with 12" spacing for 24'.

I can do these two speaker runs using 1/2" grounded flex conduit as a shield or use the RG-6 cable.

Any ideas on which wire to use and what connectors. I have compression banana jacks at the receiver end of the temporary speaker wires, which are running around the base of the walls.

My systems is not that great right now, but I don't want to do this twice.

The wire gauge of RG-6 is much smaller than 12 -- typically it is 18. This is standardized because the connection is actually made using the conductor itself sticking out of the F-connector. You might have trouble drawing speaker current through it without overheating.

RG-6 is for impedance controlled runs. I don't think I have ever heard of anyone wanting to use it as speaker wire.

The shield is a good idea though.

Hey. I got a Pioneer 5071 and I'm mounting on the wall. Pioneer says this model does NOT have an internal surge protector.

Is it a bad idea to simply plug the plasma into the wall socket? Do you really need an intermediary external surge protector?

Thanks.

I just need to come up with a grounding solution for the flex conduit.

Thanks for the reply martyj19.

Hey. I got a Pioneer 5071 and I'm mounting on the wall. Pioneer says this model does NOT have an internal surge protector.

Is it a bad idea to simply plug the plasma into the wall socket? Do you really need an intermediary external surge protector?

Thanks.


you won't need one until a split second before it gets hit by lightning.

after that, it's too late.

in 2004 I was standing in my house on a clear sunny day, and for no reason whatsoever my power surged. It took out two of my three air conditioner units (a five ton and a 3 ton), my built in oven, and fried the circuit boards on my washer and dryer, setting the board in the washer on fire inside the control panel. It also fried two surge protectors that I had all of my A/V components plugged into. But it did not harm any of the equipment, which happened to be off at the time. It did not trip any circuit breakers in the house.

I recently got a new TV and new A/V equipment. As part of the purchase, I got a PureAV PF40. Overkill? I prefer to think of it as insurance.

Hi, I have digital cable service with what I assume is RG6 (not very flexible.. more rigid) coming into my condo. It ends about 15' short of my television so I planned on using a female/female adaptor and connecting another length of Coax to reach the digital cable box. I was wondering if I should be using RG6 or will RG59 suffice (it is all run in the wall). Will the female/female degrade signal quality? I see monoprice sells both RG59U and RG6.... but no mention of shielding.. has anyone purchased these cables? Happy?

thanks!!!!!

I have a Panamax m4300-ex power conditioner/surge protector on order and there are connections for digital cable coax on the rear. Will this cause the digital signal to degrade at all? thanks!!!

Hi, I have digital cable service with what I assume is RG6 (not very flexible.. more rigid) coming into my condo. It ends about 15' short of my television so I planned on using a female/female adaptor and connecting another length of Coax to reach the digital cable box. I was wondering if I should be using RG6 or will RG59 suffice (it is all run in the wall). Will the female/female degrade signal quality? I see monoprice sells both RG59U and RG6.... but no mention of shielding.. has anyone purchased these cables? Happy?

thanks!!!!!

RG-6 is considerably better performing and should be used for any new wiring. You should not experience any loss going through a female/female adaptor (the technical term is "barrel connector".) You do experience loss going through a splitter.

When you buy the connectors, make sure you get the right ones because the diameter for RG-59, RG-6 and RG-6 quad shield are all different and the connectors aren't interchangeable.

I currently have a splitter that splits wall cable coax to TV, and to STB. The reception on analog stations is noticebly worse with the splitter in place. Can I get that loss back if I just go from the wall to a DVD recorder to STB with the coax?

I can then watch "missing" analog stations (that disappear when run through the STB), by turning on DVD and setting TV to DVD input (component from DVD to TV). OR watch all the digital stuff through the box (HDMI to TV).

I assume the DVD recorder will not introduce the same signal loss as a splitter, and the DVD player will pass the signal to the STB when it is off (like a VCR does). I'll be trying this tonight, just wondering if I might run into any problems, and if my "logic" is correct.

Relative newbie here...

I was checking out HDMI cables on Monoprice. They have high quality 22, 24, 26, & 28 AWG cables. Which should I get? Are there significant differences b/w all those AWG's? Only thing I know is I don't need more than a 10' cable.

I currently have a Sony KDL-V32XBR1 LCD with a Dish Network 622Vip receiver. I have component cables doing the work right now. And, I just want to see if I will get a better PQ with HDMI.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

OK

How do I protect my new 5070/DVD etc, and how much will it cost me.

At Fryes today I noticed a Belkin surgemaster F9H600-04 normally ~$10.00 on sale for a lot less. On the packaging Belkin says it has a $10,000 "connected product warranty"; says they will fix or replace connected equipment up to a total of $10,000 for damage caused by spikes/surges,lightening etc. I had to buy it.

So for well under $10.00 is this all I need? Sounds almost too good to be true.

tommyy2

As someone said, "If you have a $10.00 head, get a $10.00 helmet."

clear this up for me please. I have an old pioneer 503cmx. I love my set. It doesnt have an hdmi connection. I also have my PC hooked to this set, and i use my PC to watch movies from. Im going to replace my video card with a newer hdmi enabled one.....question....is there some sort of cable/interface that will allow me to do hdmi-hdmi-dvi input?....thankyou.

Relative newbie here...

I was checking out HDMI cables on Monoprice. They have high quality 22, 24, 26, & 28 AWG cables. Which should I get? Are there significant differences b/w all those AWG's? Only thing I know is I don't need more than a 10' cable.

I currently have a Sony KDL-V32XBR1 LCD with a Dish Network 622Vip receiver. I have component cables doing the work right now. And, I just want to see if I will get a better PQ with HDMI.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.
If you are getting 15ft or less I suggest the 28AWG.

I saw this in a home where I was installing new ceiling lights. The speaker in the ceiling close to the new light had romex as the speaker wire, I thought the wire was power to something else until I check it out.

So now, I am now thinking about running 12 AWG Romex thru grounded flex conduit (for sheilding) as I am having trouble finding what I think is "good" 12 AWG CL3 speaker wire.

If I did this I would use normal 12 AWG wires at the speakers by using electrical power wire connectors in a metal box with a 'cable tv' face plate.

Any ideas on this?

SoCalSooner

"As someone said, "If you have a $10.00 head, get a $10.00 helmet." "

So WTF does this have to do with helmets?

Smart azzed coments not appreciated!




SOONERS S___CK

tommyy2

Why spend $10.00 to protect equipment that cost in the thousands?

It would be cheaper to just unplug everything!

SoCalSooner

What do you think would protect it from a direct lightening hit to my house wiring, and how much do you think that would cost?

SoCalSooner

What do you think would protect it from a direct lightening hit to my house wiring, and how much do you think that would cost?

Either Brickwall (http://www.brickwall.com/) or ZeroSurge (http://www.zerosurge.com/) would be a good start. You might want to add a whole house surge supressor as well.

Checked both websites, found nothing claiming any protection against direct lightening hits. also found an interesting warrantee on ZeroSurge website:

QUESTION:

Is there a warranty on your products?

ANSWER:

Yes. Zero Surge Inc. warrants is products to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal 120VAC and 240VAC service conditions, including energization by means of the relevant standard 120V or 240V, 60 Hz electrical power, for a period of 10 years.

Does this mean it's only covered for 10 years if you have good power? Found no mention of any connected equipment warranty at all. My ~$6.00 surge suppressor seems to have a better warranty, and it covers connected equipment for up to $10,000. This is all very hard to believe for me.

Perhaps I'm missing something?

tommyy2

Here is a website that might answer some of your questions.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/surge-protector6.htm

HTH

SoCalSooner

Went to the web site and I'm shocked to see that my cheap surge protector looks really good according to them. According to howstuffworks:

On a listed surge protector, you should find a couple of ratings. Look for:

Clamping voltage - This tells you what voltage will cause the MOVs to conduct electricity to the ground line. A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating -- 330 V, 400 V and 500 V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400 V is too high.

Energy absorption/dissipation - This rating, given in joules, tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Look for a protector that is at least rated at 200 to 400 joules. For better protection, look for a rating of 600 joules or more.

Response time - Surge protectors don't kick in immediately; there is a very slight delay as they respond to the power surge. A longer response time tells you that your computer (or other equipment) will be exposed to the surge for a greater amount of time. Look for a surge protector that responds in less than one nanosecond.

My $6.00 surge protector:

Clamping voltage - 330V
Energy dissipation - 709 Joules
Response time <1 nanosec
It's UL Rated UL1449,UL1363,UL1283.
They throw in a $10K connected equipment warranty

So how do they do it all for $6.00, and do I really need anything else?

SoCalSooner

Went to the web site and I'm shocked to see that my cheap surge protector looks really good according to them. According to howstuffworks:

On a listed surge protector, you should find a couple of ratings. Look for:

Clamping voltage - This tells you what voltage will cause the MOVs to conduct electricity to the ground line. A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating -- 330 V, 400 V and 500 V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400 V is too high.

Energy absorption/dissipation - This rating, given in joules, tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Look for a protector that is at least rated at 200 to 400 joules. For better protection, look for a rating of 600 joules or more.

Response time - Surge protectors don't kick in immediately; there is a very slight delay as they respond to the power surge. A longer response time tells you that your computer (or other equipment) will be exposed to the surge for a greater amount of time. Look for a surge protector that responds in less than one nanosecond.

My $6.00 surge protector:

Clamping voltage - 330V
Energy dissipation - 709 Joules
Response time <1 nanosec
It's UL Rated UL1449,UL1363,UL1283.
They throw in a $10K connected equipment warranty

So how do they do it all for $6.00, and do I really need anything else?

709 joules is not that much. there are also other things to consider, like number and type of connectons. Is this for one piece of equipment or for a large number of electrical devices? Think of it like this, drum brakes, two wheel disc brakes and four wheel disc brakes all stop cars. Which would you prefer? If you had to stop really fast which would you rather have?

Some protection is better than no protection. I use the type you are looking at (actually a little better than that) for my desk top computer systems (3). For my HT system, I use a PureAV PF40 power conditioner. It does all of the surge protection plus more. If you never have a power surge of any kind, then it won't matter how much you spend. If you have a big power surge, then the one you are looking at will probably not do that much for you. If you try to collect on the warranty, I suspect they have several outs. I would try to do some research and see if anyone ever collected on the warranty. I collected on my home owner's policy when it happened to me a few years ago, and then I upgraded my HT protection.

But I suspect that from your tone your mind is pretty much already made up, so go for it. Good luck I hope it works out for you.

Tarheel72

Thanks for your input. You're probably right about me being pretty much decided right now. I look at all the very expensive power conditioners and it looks to me like an add for monster cables. I can see an "on line" UPS as something that could be almost bullet proof but that is cost prohibitive for me right now, and I really wonder just how much extra protection is offered by the lesser units I see advertised (like I wonder about monster cables real world advantages).

anyway thanks for the input
tom

On the Belkin PureAV PF40 (http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV_detail.process?Product_Id=178914#) what is the HiCurrent™ Outlet for high-power amplifiers?

Also, how do surges even get into your house if most electrical boxes have a grounding wire?

On the Belkin PureAV PF40 (http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV_detail.process?Product_Id=178914#) what is the HiCurrent™ Outlet for high-power amplifiers?

Also, how do surges even get into your house if most electrical boxes have a grounding wire?

High current is somewhat of a marketing term and there is not a real definition of the term. In general, it is used on higher end amps and receivers that are usually able to supply larger amounts of clean power and if necessary can deliver this in short bursts to drive very loud and very short bursts of sound, like explosions in a movie, without any distortion to the audio. Sometimes with this type of equipment there is an audible pop when you turn it on or off. The PureAV has a seperate circuit for this type of equipment that not only isolates the power but also sets the timing of the on/off so that it has a delay. It is 12 seconds I believe.

As for a power surge getting into your house, you will have to take that up with an electrician. I am pretty sure it is possible, regardless. And as we both know, it is very easy for wiring to be less than perfect and still pass inspection. In my last home, I lost power to one side of my kitchen and called the electic company. They sent a guy out and I was standing at the box when he took the cover off. There was an electrical arc at one of the breakers that was shorting out the circuit. Looked quite pretty, but not very safe.

In the case I mentioned in my post above I heard one of my air conditioner units making strange surging noises. I went outside and while I was looking at it, it suddenly reved up big time and then nearly shut off. I went inside to call someone and when I opened teh door I saw smoke and smelled something burning. I went into the laundry room and saw the washer control panel smoking and immediately unplugged it and then the dryer. Eventually, I discovered I had to replace two air conditioner units, washer and dryer, built in oven, and the two surge suppresors that the AV equipment was hooked in to. Power company would not take any reqponsibility for it. Electricians came out and said the box was fine, never even tripped the circuit breakers at all. Home owners insurance coded it as a lightening strike. I use this example as a good reason to get electrical protection and a good extended warranty on high end electrical equipment.

rocko1290,

"Also, how do surges even get into your house if most electrical boxes have a grounding wire?"

A lightening bolt hits your power line, follows it into your house - massive problem (allgone). The lightening bolt doesn't hit your power line but just comes close, this one always intrerested me because when that bizillion amps goes by your wiring it creates a very big magnetic field like the primary in a transformer, unfortunately the wiring in your house may be the secondary of this transformer, it can transfer a lot of power into your wiring without even touching it, and so your entire electrical system receives a very big shock. That bizillion amp bolt hits the ground next to your house. Depending on rocks, soil conditions etc. the conductance of the earth around your house will not immediately ground an electrical bolt larger than .767 bizillion amps. Some of that bolt goes to ground (maybe .767 bizillion amps), the rest sort of bounces around looking for another path to ground, some of it may find that ground wire connected to your electrical panel, follow it up into your panel and light up everything you have connected. The utility company puts another generator on line (done regularly), not done perfectly right this time however - everyone gets a free power spike (no extra charge). You turn on an electric heater (high current device), this will often cause a disturbance on the line whenever the heater is switched on or off; for this reason we usually try to put high current laser printers on a separate circuit than PCs.

And I'm sure this list goes on and on.

SoCalSooner

Went to the web site and I'm shocked to see that my cheap surge protector looks really good according to them. According to howstuffworks:

On a listed surge protector, you should find a couple of ratings. Look for:

Clamping voltage - This tells you what voltage will cause the MOVs to conduct electricity to the ground line. A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating -- 330 V, 400 V and 500 V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400 V is too high.

Energy absorption/dissipation - This rating, given in joules, tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Look for a protector that is at least rated at 200 to 400 joules. For better protection, look for a rating of 600 joules or more.

Response time - Surge protectors don't kick in immediately; there is a very slight delay as they respond to the power surge. A longer response time tells you that your computer (or other equipment) will be exposed to the surge for a greater amount of time. Look for a surge protector that responds in less than one nanosecond.

My $6.00 surge protector:

Clamping voltage - 330V
Energy dissipation - 709 Joules
Response time <1 nanosec
It's UL Rated UL1449,UL1363,UL1283.
They throw in a $10K connected equipment warranty

So how do they do it all for $6.00, and do I really need anything else?

They do it by using MOV's (Metal Oxide Varistor). It MIGHT protect you at first, but don't count on it to protect on subsequent surges. If you'll do a little research, you'll quickly discover that MOV's wear out - in fact, they are designed to. When they do, your $6 protector is nothing more than an extension cord.

If you want to "protect" your system with a $6 "protector", that's your business. If you want to know the truth and have some real protection, there's plenty of existing threads on AVS and other websites. It's up to you to do the research.

Regardless of what you do, good luck!

i'm using APC battery backup/surge protectors because i have 3 directv HR10 recorders.

any opinions on these?

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BE350U%2DCN&total_watts=100

High current is somewhat of a marketing term and there is not a real definition of the term. In general, it is used on higher end amps and receivers that are usually able to supply larger amounts of clean power and if necessary can deliver this in short bursts to drive very loud and very short bursts of sound, like explosions in a movie, without any distortion to the audio. Sometimes with this type of equipment there is an audible pop when you turn it on or off. The PureAV has a seperate circuit for this type of equipment that not only isolates the power but also sets the timing of the on/off so that it has a delay. It is 12 seconds I believe.So will it hurt to hook up my amp to it if it's not a "high current" amp? I don't know if it is considered high current or not, it is just a 240watt plate amp. What is the delay you are talking about? I don't understand.

So will it hurt to hook up my amp to it if it's not a "high current" amp? I don't know if it is considered high current or not, it is just a 240watt plate amp. What is the delay you are talking about? I don't understand.

You can plug it into the switched receiver outlet instead of the high current outlet. that will work fine. You probably don't want to bother with the HighCurrent outputs at all unless you have a really powerful amp and run a seperate preamp. I use the normal switched input for my HK AVR635 and it works fine, although I assume I could use the High Current input if I so desired. I have no issues and don't feel like waiting for the 8 second delay to kick in. Here is the explination from the Belkin manual:

Step 7
Connect High-Current Audio Filter (8 second delay)
These outlets are specifically designed to filter out AC line noise while
delivering maximum current to power-hungry amplifiers and other highcurrent
audio components. The High-Current outlets are also equipped
with an 8 second delay. This allows your high-current amplifiers to turn on
last and turn off first, avoiding that annoying “thump” from getting to your
speakers and potentially damaging them.

Look at the wattage rating for all the equipment that is connected to the UPS. I believe that the UPS is too small to carry the load for more than a few minutes at best.

Look at the wattage rating for all the equipment that is connected to the UPS. I believe that the UPS is too small to carry the load for more than a few minutes at best.

are you referring my post, SoCalSooner? :confused:



i'm using APC battery backup/surge protectors because i have 3 directv HR10 recorders.

any opinions on these?

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BE350U%2DCN&total_watts=100

You can plug it into the switched receiver outlet instead of the high current outlet. that will work fine. You probably don't want to bother with the HighCurrent outputs at all unless you have a really powerful amp and run a seperate preamp. I use the normal switched input for my HK AVR635 and it works fine, although I assume I could use the High Current input if I so desired. I have no issues and don't feel like waiting for the 8 second delay to kick in. Here is the explination from the Belkin manual:

Step 7
Connect High-Current Audio Filter (8 second delay)
These outlets are specifically designed to filter out AC line noise while
delivering maximum current to power-hungry amplifiers and other highcurrent
audio components. The High-Current outlets are also equipped
with an 8 second delay. This allows your high-current amplifiers to turn on
last and turn off first, avoiding that annoying “thump” from getting to your
speakers and potentially damaging them.what is the switched receiver outlet?

joetoronto,

First off it's a backup or standby ups, not an online or constant ups.

In an on line ups you run your equipment on ac which is created by the ups using dc from the batteries which are kept charged by the input line current. The input line power is only used to charge the batteries, never run your equipment. This provides a high degree of isolation (protection) between the input line power, and the power your equipment gets.

With your backup ups the input line power is what your equipment is running on until their is power outage then it switchs to batteries to create an output. So until an outage occurs it only acts as a surge suppressor. Looking at the specs listed:

Surge energy rating 365 Joules, no listing for clamping voltage, no listing for response time for clamping voltage.

For comparison the $6.00 Belkin Surgemaster I just bought has:

330v clamping voltage, >1 Nanosec resp time, 709 joules

If you are using this to protect your devices from power surges/spikes I think you can do better.

Lastly I've heard, (but never seen myself), that some of the less expensive ups available create outputs that are almost square waves when running on battery backup. Some equipment won't care if it's fed a sine wave or a square wave but some may.

joetoronto,

First off it's a backup or standby ups, not an online or constant ups.

In an on line ups you run your equipment on ac which is created by the ups using dc from the batteries which are kept charged by the input line current. The input line power is only used to charge the batteries, never run your equipment. This provides a high degree of isolation (protection) between the input line power, and the power your equipment gets.

With your backup ups the input line power is what your equipment is running on until their is power outage then it switchs to batteries to create an output. So until an outage occurs it only acts as a surge suppressor. Looking at the specs listed:

Surge energy rating 365 Joules, no listing for clamping voltage, no listing for response time for clamping voltage.

For comparison the $6.00 Belkin Surgemaster I just bought has:

330v clamping voltage, >1 Nanosec resp time, 709 joules

If you are using this to protect your devices from power surges/spikes I think you can do better.

Lastly I've heard, (but never seen myself), that some of the less expensive ups available create outputs that are almost square waves when running on battery backup. Some equipment won't care if it's fed a sine wave or a square wave but some may.


thanks for the info, tommy, i really appreciate it.

i bought these devices with the battery backup in mind, because of the hard drives on the tivo's and the mac mini, and the surge protection was a secondary issue at the time.

after reading your post, i'm thinking i screwed up. :o

do you suggest adding a surge protector to these backup UPS's?

thanks again for your time.

what is the switched receiver outlet?

If I have misunderstood your question, I apologize in advance. If you do not know what I mean by "switched receiver outlet", I mean the electric outlet where you plug in your receiver on the back of the Belkin PF40. If you do not know what switched means, then I humbly suggest that you do a little more basic research. You might start by reading your receiver or amp's owner's manual. Switched outlets are not active unless the host unit is turned on. Unswitched outlets are always hot. That thing on your wall where you plug in your coffee maker is an unswitched outlet. Nearly every piece of AV equipment that cost more than $100 made in the last 20 or so years has a outlet in the back to plug in another piece of gear. Usually it is unswitched. You can view the entire Belkin PF40 owners manual online at their website, as well as the manuals for all of their products. You might want to look at this.

Joetoronto,

For battery backup to be effective either the power must be restored before the batteries run down, or the attached equipment must be turned off before the batteries run down. On PCs and Unix Boxes we'd run a monitoring cable from the ups to the computer and and run an application in the computer monitoring the ups. When the UPS switched to batteries the system sent out a message to all attached users. When the batteries got low the system sent out another message to all users "GOODBY" and shut itself down. If the attached equipment is not shut down I question if the power drop when the UPS battery runs out will be any different than it would have been at the start of the outage if no ups had been present.

Where I used to live I had a big laser printer in my "PC" room; whenever it first came on or when the fuser in it came on again you'd notice the light sorta blink and sometimes I'd lose my DSL connection (varied but ~1 in 4 times); no other problems with the pc or anything else though. I tightened all the wires in the receptacles/breaker panel, swapped the breaker with another one in the panel nothing changed. Then I saw a ups like yours on sale, I bought it, put the DSL modem and my hub/router on it and no more dropped DSL whenever the printer turned on, power was restored before the battery even thought of running out. Perfect fix for me.

What type of outages (duration) are you trying to cover, whats the backup time for the ups (depends on the load you put on it), will you be there to turn it all off before the batteries die if you lose power.

Can you plug the UPS into a surge suppressor strip?

Logically I'd think it's a good idea, but I think I've heard somewhere that it's not a good idea, perhaps someone with more expertise on this can add something here.

Joetoronto,

Can you plug the UPS into a surge suppressor strip?

Logically I'd think it's a good idea, but I think I've heard somewhere that it's not a good idea, perhaps someone with more expertise on this can add something here.

i don't really know the reason for this, but the Belkin PureAV owner's manual says that you are not to plug it into a UPS, just directly into the wall. I had thought about getting a UPS, but backed off when I read this. I don't know what would happen if you plugged the components into the UPS and then the UPS into the PF40, although it is obviously not designed to support an arrangement like that. Maybe someone else could comment.

i don't really know the reason for this, but the Belkin PureAV owner's manual says that you are not to plug it into a UPS, just directly into the wall. I had thought about getting a UPS, but backed off when I read this. I don't know what would happen if you plugged the components into the UPS and then the UPS into the PF40, although it is obviously not designed to support an arrangement like that. Maybe someone else could comment.

I have never heard a valid reason even from Belkin themself. I can think of several and these may vary between manufactures.
Depending on type of UPS (line interactive or online) there may be times with a line interactive UPS that the connection to ground may be interupted during switching.
Another possibility with a UPS that does not output a pure sine wave is that the PureAV filters may be stressed trying to clean up the noise on the sine wave.

To plug the PureAV device into the wall first, then the ups and finally the HT components would be a waste of the PureAV's capabilities.

joetroonto

sorry I didn't back sooner. The UPS will support 200 watts for 2.2 minutes. If your 3 receivers average 66.66 watts each, then you will have time to do "an orderly shutdown" of your equipment.

I wonder if Belkin is just trying to sell there PureAV™ Hybrid AVU1500 UPS?

I have found that it is not the loss of power that is the real problem, but when power is restored. Some computer equipment (disks drives) don't like to have to power switch on when power is restored,. (the arms on the heads might fully extend and may crash the heads. Most likely just the older drives. )

Joetoronto,

For battery backup to be effective either the power must be restored before the batteries run down, or the attached equipment must be turned off before the batteries run down. On PCs and Unix Boxes we'd run a monitoring cable from the ups to the computer and and run an application in the computer monitoring the ups. When the UPS switched to batteries the system sent out a message to all attached users. When the batteries got low the system sent out another message to all users "GOODBY" and shut itself down. If the attached equipment is not shut down I question if the power drop when the UPS battery runs out will be any different than it would have been at the start of the outage if no ups had been present.

Where I used to live I had a big laser printer in my "PC" room; whenever it first came on or when the fuser in it came on again you'd notice the light sorta blink and sometimes I'd lose my DSL connection (varied but ~1 in 4 times); no other problems with the pc or anything else though. I tightened all the wires in the receptacles/breaker panel, swapped the breaker with another one in the panel nothing changed. Then I saw a ups like yours on sale, I bought it, put the DSL modem and my hub/router on it and no more dropped DSL whenever the printer turned on, power was restored before the battery even thought of running out. Perfect fix for me.

What type of outages (duration) are you trying to cover, whats the backup time for the ups (depends on the load you put on it), will you be there to turn it all off before the batteries die if you lose power.

Can you plug the UPS into a surge suppressor strip?

Logically I'd think it's a good idea, but I think I've heard somewhere that it's not a good idea, perhaps someone with more expertise on this can add something here.


we get short quick off and on power outages both here (at my vacation home) and at the main house. i think they're related to new homes being built in the surrounding areas.

because of the two locations, i obviously can't power down all of my equipment.

when i bought these 2 UPS's, i went with what was displayed on the boxes, 23 minutes of power available, urgh. you're saying i'll only have 2 minutes though, bummer. well, you live and learn i guess.

i just bought two more 50" plasma's and soon i'll be buying A/V equipment to go with them. what do you guys suggest i buy as far as surge protectors/UPS's?

thanks for your time, you guys. i've learned allot from you. ;)

If I wonder if Belkin is just trying to sell their PureAV™ Hybrid AVU1500 UPS?

I don't think so, as they don't mention any specific brands, they just say its a no-no. If you bought that, you still aren't supposed to use it with the PF-40. Maybe owners of other brands, such as Monster or Panamax can comment on the information in their owner's manual.

Eddiscus, your explination sounds plausible. Obvioulsy, with the PF-40 plugged into the wall, it is possible that sometimes the power goes off and comes back on while the unit is plugged in, and that doesn't hurt it. It must be some action that the UPS is adding to the chain that is not to the liking of the PF-40, and that would have to be the juice that the UPS is sending the PF-40, as you said.

we get short quick off and on power outages both here (at my vacation home) and at the main house. i think they're related to new homes being built in the surrounding areas.

because of the two locations, i obviously can't power down all of my equipment.

when i bought these 2 UPS's, i went with what was displayed on the boxes, 23 minutes of power available, urgh. you're saying i'll only have 2 minutes though, bummer. well, you live and learn i guess.

i just bought two more 50" plasma's and soon i'll be buying A/V equipment to go with them. what do you guys suggest i buy as far as surge protectors/UPS's?

thanks for your time, you guys. i've learned allot from you. ;)


Looks like your needs are more about providing run time for your H10 dvr's and surge protection. Rather than bulb/ light engine cooldown.
First figure how long you need the backup power to last on average. If it is more than 1-2 hours you should consider generator backup. Lets not forget surge protection as well for power, sattelite, cable and telephone.
The only single devices that come to mind are made by APC, PANAMAX and BELKIN. Otherwise full protection would require several seperate devices.

Joe,

If you get a lot of short power drops of less than 2 minutes those ups you got may be enough to handle that. As far as adding more surge protection you could add it right in your breaker panel. A quick look at homedepot.com lists this one:

Reduce the likelihood of damage to your electronics due to surges
• Absorbs 2,700 Joules and 60,000 amps
• Won't interfere with X10 signals within your home
• Designed for residential use

It comes down to how safe you gotta be versus how much you wanna spend to get there; but remember this advice is coming from a guy who runs his system on a $6.00 surge suppressor.

Joe,

If you get a lot of short power drops of less than 2 minutes those ups you got may be enough to handle that. As far as adding more surge protection you could add it right in your breaker panel. A quick look at homedepot.com lists this one:

Reduce the likelihood of damage to your electronics due to surges
• Absorbs 2,700 Joules and 60,000 amps
• Won't interfere with X10 signals within your home
• Designed for residential use

It comes down to how safe you gotta be versus how much you wanna spend to get there; but remember this advice is coming from a guy who runs his system on a $6.00 surge suppressor.


lol, i hear you, tommy. thanks for the info, you too, eddiscus.

i'm about to start finishing the basement here on monday and the dude who's doing the work is an electrician by trade, i'll have him take care of this.

[QUOTE=
i'm about to start finishing the basement here on monday and the dude who's doing the work is an electrician by trade, i'll have him take care of this.[/QUOTE]


joetoronto:
Your electrician buddy may allready know about HT power products but if not heres a link to panamax, scroll down to
the inwall products. http://www.panamax.com/products.cfm?group=1&sec=group_app

Provides a clean install plus some protection. I would not hesitate on a new build to put surge protection at the panel and run 2 dedicated 20 amp feeds to the receptical for the HT.
Good luck with the HT and enjoy.

joetoronto:
Your electrician buddy may allready know about HT power products but if not heres a link to panamax, scroll down to
the inwall products. http://www.panamax.com/products.cfm?group=1&sec=group_app

Provides a clean install plus some protection. I would not hesitate on a new build to put surge protection at the panel and run 2 dedicated 20 amp feeds to the receptical for the HT.
Good luck with the HT and enjoy.

i'm gonna ask him, he lives directly across the road from me, eddiscus.

is the link below the best solution, in your opinion?

thanks again.

http://www.panamax.com/products.cfm?group=1&sec=detail&id=261&ly=h

Joe,

Read the link you posted. One big question WHY IS THEIR ONLY LISTED AC SPECS 120v, 15A? What about the specs that apply to their performance - max joules dissipation, max amps dissipation, clamping voltage, response time, these are items that differentiate good products from fluff. Are their specs listed somewhere else or do they just prefer not to tell you? Pay money for performance not for a name (monster??).

i'm gonna ask him, he lives directly across the road from me, eddiscus.

is the link below the best solution, in your opinion?

thanks again.

http://www.panamax.com/products.cfm?group=1&sec=detail&id=261&ly=h



Looking at the spec's this only supplies emi/rfi filtering. I think the following link explains how they would expect it to be incorporated in a system.
http://www.panamax.com/products.cfm?group=1&sec=detail&id=221&ly=h

Look at the PDF instructions on the above link.
I sent you the original link because you mentioned you were using plasma displays. If you were going to mount the display away from the rest of the gear
it seems like clean option. To bad they don't have HDMI module.
As you see from the above link surge supression is still required.
I really don't think there is a best solution. There are many products that offer different levels of protection and filtering. Best protection starts at your service panel (good ground and surge protector).
Then at your HT equipment (filters, surge protection and maybe UPS). In the case of a proximity or direct lightning strike even the best protection could possibly let a surge through. But for day to day surges and outages
most of the items mentioned in this and other threads are ok.
I know I would not trust my HT gear to a $ 20.00 surge protector.

Also look at "Leviton" they have surge protected outlets.
http://www.leviton.com/sections/prodinfo/newprod/npleadin.htm
download the surge protection catalog.

wow, i'm more confused than ever. :confused:

i'm gonna have dude read this for himself and see what he thinks, lol.

thanks again you guys.

Guys can I have recomendations for Surgeprotector/Power Conditioner in the $150 range and good places to buy these from? Thanks in advance

update: dude and i started the basement yesterday and i talked to him about this.

he said he's very familiar with built in surge protectors, having installed many of them in large companies through his work.

he said were going to put one in that will not only protect the new theatre room in this house but also my audio/video equipment upstairs and everything else in the house by running a wire up there from the box he's going to install.

Recently I went shopping for aPlasma TV. The salesman tried to convince me that I should buy a Power Center to Plug my Monitor into. He recommended the Monster HTS1600 Power Center. He claims that it cleans up the current that runs into the TV and if you don't do this eventually your monitor will be corrupted. Does anyone have an opinion on this. Is a Power Center more then a surge protection device?

http://www.apcav.com

Even if you overlook the brand, read what they have to say.

Below is a list of recent threads on power conditioning, surge suppression and UPS's.
Let's try it this way until I can figure out how to post it on this page:

http://www.ohiospeedskating.com/Surge%20and%20UPS.htm

Has anyone seen right-angle BNC to RCA adaptors?

On the Panny 8UK/9UK plasma panels, we noticed in a store that the component cables stuck out past the bottom of the panel in clear sight. The above adaptors would do the trick, but we couldn't find any. Are their good BNC to RCA component cables available? We don't want to use two adaptors on each cable.

Thanks for any help...

I recently ordered HDMI Cables from Monoprice and am less than impressed with the picture quality on my panny HD plasma. The picture is grainy through the cable box, and looks worse through the DVD player. I even tried tweaking the settings but no change. Anyone have issues with these cables before?

I recently ordered HDMI Cables from Monoprice and am less than impressed with the picture quality on my panny HD plasma. The picture is grainy through the cable box, and looks worse through the DVD player. I even tried tweaking the settings but no change. Anyone have issues with these cables before?
I purchased HDMI and HDMI-DVI cables from Monoprice and have been happy with them, although the latest & greatest connection doesn't make for a tight-fitting, uh, connection. Is the picture better on your TV through components?

I recently ordered HDMI Cables from Monoprice and am less than impressed with the picture quality on my panny HD plasma. The picture is grainy through the cable box, and looks worse through the DVD player. I even tried tweaking the settings but no change. Anyone have issues with these cables before?
Unless you are seeing sparkles, streaking, or picture flashing, the PQ you are describing has nothing to do with the cables, it has to do with your source equipment or display calibration/picture settings.

It is not possible for digital cables to make a picture "grainy". If you said white dots the size of 1 pixel sparkling on the screen, then that would be something that could potentially be attributed to the cable.

If you have a Motorola 6412 DVR STB, those have been known to have poor analog mpg encoders and that could be why the picture is grainy. If that is the case, look for a Motorola 6412 phase 3 STB or get the 3412 all digital box.

Another possibility is you might have noise reduction or other picture settings that are different for your Panny HDMI input vs what you were using before. Make sure you check all the options to make sure the comparable setting in HDMI has been applied.

I'm not saying there can't be a problem with cables, just not the problems you are describing. Put another way, with your current setup you will see the same issues regardless of which HDMI cable you use.

I purchased HDMI and HDMI-DVI cables from Monoprice and have been happy with them, although the latest & greatest connection doesn't make for a tight-fitting, uh, connection. Is the picture better on your TV through components?

My experience with Monoprice has been positive. I have purchased several different cables from them including two HDMI (the upgraded ones with the net jacket) and they have all performed excellent.


Guys can I have recomendations for Surgeprotector/Power Conditioner in the $150 range and good places to buy these from? Thanks in advance

If you search this thread you will see several recommendation. I had good luck dealing with ProAdvantage, as have others. I got a PureAV PF40 from them for $125, although I understand that it is been priced lately in the $135 range. If they show out of stock you can still order it, and they should get more in within a week or so, based on past advice that I got.

As a newbie to this world I am not sure what to go after.

I am getting the 32" sony KDL-V2000 which from what I understand is the european version of this gamer review I am not allowed to link to has

component is that the same as vga? HDMI is essentially DVI from what I understood.

Do you need to buy super expensive cables for such or is it enough with those that supposedly ship with this tv...

Is there really any point in spending a lot of money on the cables?

VGA cables I can test myself but I am not sure it ship with cables for HDMI and the other connections. Since it has VGA there is litte point to run a VGA to composite connection I assume.

Also as for not having 1:1 in HDMI... It doesn´t matter if the game supports 1366x728 right? It doesn´t rescale the image to fit the monitor keeps the optimum scaling?

I've read a lot of questions about "top quality" DVI and HDMI cables.

Sister site Audioholics has reviews and links to online retailer dvigear which are reputed to be some of the highest rated DVI and HDMI cables out there.

Includes 1080p rating out to 10 meters on cable and further on fiber if you've got the bucks.

I've bought several cables from them and now begins the long wait for a 65" 1080p panny.

Hope this helps. Happy viewing.

oqvist,
Component is not the same as VGA. There are adaptors you can buy but that isn't the standard. As for your comment DVI is HDMI you are half right. DVI is a digital connection but it does not carry audio. HDMI is both video and audio. If you use a DVI to HDMI connection you will also need to use a separate audio cable, Pure HDMI connections do not need to do this.
As for cables, you do want a quality cable but this does not mean spending your next paycheck for them. There are several online sites that sell high quality cables for excellent prices. One of them, Monoprice, has an excellent reputation with many of this forums members. They are also a sponsor of this forum (see above).

Jim

The picture is superior through the component input. I have a sony DVD player upscaling to 720p and a SA8300 DVR. The picture from both sources leaves much to be desired. Colors are blocky and not uniform. Mpeg NR and Video NR are off as is color mgr. Not sure what is going on.

I am finishing up wiring my speakers using 12 awg in wall setup and now I would like to know what cables I should be running to a plasma that I have not purchased yet.

I was planning on using 5 RG-6 18 awg cables. My AV receiver does not have HDMI, but the next up grade probably will. The Hitachi has at least two HDMI inputs.

I am also going to bit the bullet and get the Panamax electrical in-wall plug up.

Should I include other cables while I have the wall open?

I am sure I am missing something here. But here is what I want to do.

I have cable from Dish, and I got a second dvr which is unused. The first is connected to my plasma.

I have a 20" lcd monitor that I attach to my laptop sometimes. I would like to attach this to the dvr, just so that I have a 'TV' in my bedroom.

What should I get? The monitor takes in VGA and DVI, none of which are output by the DVR box.

Thanks!

I have some coax cable here and I need to find out if it is RG-6 or RG-59?

The only numbers on it are 2000896 (ETL)us CATV 18 AWG 730732

Any ideas?

Thanks

The picture is superior through the component input. I have a sony DVD player upscaling to 720p and a SA8300 DVR. The picture from both sources leaves much to be desired. Colors are blocky and not uniform. Mpeg NR and Video NR are off as is color mgr. Not sure what is going on.
Can you post a picture of what you are describing?

Also is it possible to force a different colorspace, YCbCr or RGB to see if it makes any difference?

Ok. but if I connect through a computer I don´t need audio I figure since it goes through my soundcard. But then HDMI isn´t really the optimum from what I have heard apart from standard PC LCD monitors? there DVI is clearly better then VGA...

but damn forum I can´t even post normal texts??? I have no links yet I can´t post because to many url or image calls!!!!!

Whats wrong with this.

I am trying again. Is svga the same as composite? I want to describe more but then I guess the spam bot will nail me again :(

Anyone? Thanks!

I have cable from Dish, and I got a second dvr which is unused. The first is connected to my plasma.

I have a 20" lcd monitor that I attach to my laptop sometimes. I would like to attach this to the dvr, just so that I have a 'TV' in my bedroom.

What should I get? The monitor takes in VGA and DVI, none of which are output by the DVR box - which has SVideo and Composite.

Thanks!

Oqvist,

The Bravia S version in the States ships with one cable. I'm think it is for PC hook up. Supplied accessories or listed on Page 46 of the manual.
Here is the link for that manual.

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=KDL40S2000

Steve

Anyone know where I can get custom size cables? Not sure if it's possible but I'm hoping to get 1 foot coax cables (just need 2). Smallest Monoprice offers is 3ft. I rearranged my room a little and now my tv and modem are right next to the jack. The cables I'm using now are way too long and would prefer shorter cables

I am finishing up wiring my speakers using 12 awg in wall setup and now I would like to know what cables I should be running to a plasma that I have not purchased yet.

I was planning on using 5 RG-6 18 awg cables. My AV receiver does not have HDMI, but the next up grade probably will. The Hitachi has at least two HDMI inputs.

I am also going to bit the bullet and get the Panamax electrical in-wall plug up.

Should I include other cables while I have the wall open?


I have ordered the RG-6 cable and the In-Wall Panamax unit. So I should be able to close the wall up late next week.

Can anyone think of something else that should go in the wall?

I will also have moved my CATV run so it is with the rest of the cables.

I was wondering if it is worth it to spend over $100 on premium HDMI cables. Do you really get a better picture? I use cheap cables from monoprice and they seem to work fine. Is it true that since HDMI is digital, it doesn't really matter how expensive your cables are.

I was wondering if it is worth it to spend over $100 on premium HDMI cables. Do you really get a better picture? I use cheap cables from monoprice and they seem to work fine. Is it true that since HDMI is digital, it doesn't really matter how expensive your cables are.

Up to a point. For long distances, superior quality cables might be necessary. If things are working fine, you have a perfectly good cable. With a digital signal, errors tend to be obvious.

Blue Jeans has some good reading material in this area

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/

If I am using 5 cable componet setup when would I be wise to switch or install HDMI?

Hi Guys,

Back to the beaten topic, but please adv me. I cant read Technical info all that well.

For a Panasonic Plasma 600U and a basic 5.1 setup, whihc of the similar priced conditioner would you adv? Thanks a ton!

A. APC 1000VA H-Type A/V Power Conditioner
B. Belkin PF 40
C. Monster HTS 3500 MKII

The numbers seem overwhelming and incomprehensible to me. Thanks

SoCalSooner,

"If I am using 5 cable componet setup when would I be wise to switch or install HDMI?"

Answer - ??

I've read many many posts on video quality in the past few weeks. Several from people who claimed they got much better picture (DVD to TV) using component then they did using HDMI. Although they are a minority I'd guess certain DVDs and certain TV's just look better over component. In your shoes I'd try to be ready to deliver both without having to tear into that wall again.

good luck
tom

tommyy2

Thanks for your response. I agree on the HDMI cable. Better to install it while the walls are open.

Well, after researching the hell out of HDMI cable options for a 50' run and seeing the tests that had been done on the Monoprice, I now have it buried in my walls, and am finding I have dropouts at the higher resolutions. Due to timing of deliveries and what not, I hadn't given it a good test before running it.

Anyone have experience with the Gefen booster? I'm thinking that may be a better alternative than trying a different cable and having the same thing happen, since it could be that my SA Explorer 8300 STB may just not be able to push the signal that far..

Thoughts?

I have a laptop with 7 pin S video and a PC monitor output. I have a new LCD TV but it does not have a PC input. It does have HDMI, 4 pin Svideo and RCA. What is the best way to get the best picture possible. Maximum TV resolution is 1366x768. Maximum laptop resolution 1024x768.

Need one for a 5 speaker single gang wall plate. Might get the Atlona unit from http://www.lenexpo-electronics.com/

Also looking for a 5 RCA componet wall plate for a single gang box.

Has anyone seen anything that would work?

Well, after researching the hell out of HDMI cable options for a 50' run and seeing the tests that had been done on the Monoprice, I now have it buried in my walls, and am finding I have dropouts at the higher resolutions. Due to timing of deliveries and what not, I hadn't given it a good test before running it.

Anyone have experience with the Gefen booster? I'm thinking that may be a better alternative than trying a different cable and having the same thing happen, since it could be that my SA Explorer 8300 STB may just not be able to push the signal that far..
Is there anything between your source and the destination other than the cable?

Is there a switcher, receiver, DVI->HDMI adapter, etc. etc.?

Have you verified the cable is plugged in all the way on both ends?

What is your display device?

Have you tried any other source like PC? Which video card are you using?

I have now checked up Monoprice and what a jungle... seems to be no limit how much money you can spend on a cable...

But what advice can you get. Should I get a HDMI-HDMI cable and then use an adapter or does that totally ruin the point of buying a quality HDMI to HDMI cable? Thinking that would be more versatile then a HDMI-DVI cable... However I will mostly connect it to a PC... That is if that allows me to adjust all settings on this monitor I can´t in VGA mode...

But so many options I don´t need the most expensive one but a good bang for the buck cable for my Sony KDL 32V 2000 Bravia 32" LCD TV... It has a max res of 1366/768...

2 metres in length is about what is required....

Has anyone tried Steren cables?

I have now checked up Monoprice and what a jungle... seems to be no limit how much money you can spend on a cable...

But what advice can you get. Should I get a HDMI-HDMI cable and then use an adapter or does that totally ruin the point of buying a quality HDMI to HDMI cable? Thinking that would be more versatile then a HDMI-DVI cable... However I will mostly connect it to a PC... That is if that allows me to adjust all settings on this monitor I can´t in VGA mode...

But so many options I don´t need the most expensive one but a good bang for the buck cable for my Sony KDL 32V 2000 Bravia 32" LCD TV... It has a max res of 1366/768...

2 metres in length is about what is required....
The prices are very reasonable. I would suggest getting HDMI->HDMI and HDMI->DVI but if you had to get one, HDMI->HDMI with HDMI->DVI adapter.

Ok so what type would you choose bang for the buck? Does any gold plated do the job if you are not too picky?

Can anyone provide advice on the best method to set up a power conditioner/surge protector for a wall mount LCD? I am planning on having an outlet added about 4' above an existing outlet to power the panel, but was considering a component style device. Cable feed and others can be routed through the wall down to the cabinet beneath housing the device, but what about power protection? Thanks.

hello all i just got my order from monoprice which encluded a VGA a/b switcher with cables to connect to my PC, plasma and lcd monitor. do i need to turn every thing off before switching from A to B? if this question has already been answered,could you point me to it. thanks

You shouldn't need to.

I am nearly finished on replacing my Cable TV run with Quad Shielded RG6 cable.

I ran the cable thru a hole that the electrican's used for 120 vac romex when the house was built.

Would this cause interference between the 120 vac and the Cable TV RG6 cable?

I have not activated the line yet and I could pull the line back and drill a hole away from the 120 avc. Probably would take an hours time from cut the hole, pulling the cable black (need to cut the connector off), drill the hole, fish the cable to the box again, install a new connector, and patch the hole.

I have the time as I am retired, sort-of.

Any idea's?

i'm confused as hell as to what i need. i just got a panny 600u and live in an old prewar apartment. last month i had no power for a week and experienced brownout conditions in the days leading up to the blackout. brownout conditions scare the hellout of me now that i just got my panny. what do i need? i was looking at a belkin (?) AP11200-12 but is there anything on this unit that i would be missing? i don't really need a ups

quick specs i found from a retailer...

Level 3 Power Protection
Phase 2 PureFilter Circuitry with isolated Video, and Audio filters
Advanced Overvoltage Protection
Low profile, solid aluminum housing is a perfect fit with flat panel displays and the contemporary styling of today's home theater systems
HiCurrent Outlet for high-power amplifiers
Network Protection (RJ45) for Media Streamer Support
12 Outlets
2 Line telephone/pay-per-view protection with splitter
5310 Joules of Surge Protection
270,000 Amp Maximum Spike Amperage
3 Pairs of Gold Coaxial Connections for coaxial cable line protection
12' SD750 HiCurrent Power Cord with right angle plug
DC Remote Trigger
UL 1449 Rated

I finished the Quad Shielded RG6 run from the cable amp to the wall outlet, about 50'. There does not seem to be any issues with the RG6 running thru the same hole, in the floor joist blocking (1.5"), as the 120 vac.

The TV I am using is a 1988 27" Hitachi, so I am not sure what to expect when I get the Plasma.

garbagepyle,

"AP11200-12 but is there anything on this unit that i would be missing? i don't really need a ups"

Looks like it'll help on surges/spikes, but don't see where it will make any difference whatsoever on a brownout condition.

tommy

garbagepyle,
Hi I just bought a 600U I live in Chicago and I too get brown outs and my dumb neighbor keeps switching my breakers on and off. What I did was go to Best Buy in my area and bought a UPS - AP model 1500. This should get you apprx. 15 to 20 min. of shut down time. Be safe, not sorry. TommyRay

After having the panel for about 9 months, I just got my HR10-250 Directv Tivo hooked up, and now have a question about the best way to connect it, and my DVD player back to the panel. I just connected the Tivo via the component cables since I never got around to purchasing an HDMI blade/board.

My question (okay, okay, 5 questions) is, do I need to buy an HDMI blade? Can I leave the Tivo hooked up via component and then run the DVD player via component-to-VGA cable to the PC in slot? Will the PQ be better on the Tivo if I use HDMI instead of component? Is there any difference in PQ between straight component/component vs. component/VGA?

I don't mind purchasing the HDMI blade, but if I don't have to drop $140 on it, then all the better.

Hope my naivete is not coming through too strongly. Thanks for your help!

After having the panel for about 9 months, I just got my HR10-250 Directv Tivo hooked up, and now have a question about the best way to connect it, and my DVD player back to the panel. I just connected the Tivo via the component cables since I never got around to purchasing an HDMI blade/board.

My question (okay, okay, 5 questions) is, do I need to buy an HDMI blade? Can I leave the Tivo hooked up via component and then run the DVD player via component-to-VGA cable to the PC in slot? Will the PQ be better on the Tivo if I use HDMI instead of component? Is there any difference in PQ between straight component/component vs. component/VGA?

I don't mind purchasing the HDMI blade, but if I don't have to drop $140 on it, then all the better.

Hope my naivete is not coming through too strongly. Thanks for your help!


buddy, do yourself a favor and stay away from using HDMI with your HR10, it has a history of problems when connected through HDMI.

besides, component looks every bit as good anyway.

I have been a member for several months but have never posted a message. I have done a lot of reading and learned a great deal on some issues. However, I must admit there is so much stuff I can't retain it all. I lost everything in a house fire and I am starting over. Never owned a plasma before so all of this is new to me. I have some very basic questions and I know they have probably been addressed but if you guys/gals could help or point me to the right forum I would be very appreciative.

I have a new Panny TH50PX6U. I just picked up the TWC HD STB but have not hooked it up. I have to get cables first.

1. I need to split the coax signal to my Panny and a cable modem. Read somewhere on this forum I need a splitter with at least 5-1K MHz bandwith/24K gold connector/75 ohm. Where can I get a good quality one? Read that Regal makes a good one but I can't find it on the net.

2. For short runs of 10 to 12 feet would the RG-59 cables be okay or should I go with the RG-6.

Kenny Weaver

I just purchased bulk Quad Shielded 18 awg (gauge) RG-6 at Home Depot for $0.27/ft. They also carried the quad RG-6 connectors. Down side was the cost of the tool.

SoCalSooner,
Thanks for the reply. However, I only have two short runs, 12 and 10 feet so I don't really need bulk cable. If I end up rebuilding my house I will definitely consider Home Depot. Back to my original question:

1. I need to split the coax signal to my Panny and a cable modem. Read somewhere on this forum I need a splitter with at least 5-1K MHz bandwith/24K gold connector/75 ohm. Where can I get a good quality one? Read that Regal makes a good one but I can't find it on the net.

2. For short runs of 10 to 12 feet would the RG-59 cables be okay or should I go with the RG-6.

Anyone got any advice?

I buy splitters at Home Depot. Work fine. There are basically two grades: 1GHz (sometimes will say 900MHz) for cable and 2GHz for satellite. Pay $5 instead of $3 and you get sufficient quality.

In general I think all new wiring should be done with RG-6.

did the split last week, works great. ordered the splitter from monoprice with other cables and switch box, less than $3.david

Thanks martyj19 & dcgilbert for your reply. You answered my questions on the splitter and cables. I appreciate the help and will most likely need some more before I'm done. It's great to have this forum full of knowledgeable people that are willing to help us technically challenged individuals.

Over 700+ posts, and I cant find this answer? :) Tired of reading and searches :confused:

Running my own RG-6.......................

Need to know EXACTLY how to strip, and apply the connectors on the ends. Anyone have this info? I think I did it wrong the first time? :(

Thanks ahead :cool:

MD

I just did this. The black/white outer insulation is stripped 3/4" with out cutting the shielding.

The shielding is then cut 1/2" from the end, so there is 1/2" of center conductor and 1/4" of insulation.

I used some IDEAL #85-057 connectors, as I had Quad Shielded cable. The crimping tool is expensive, but I won't have to buy another one. The crimper is an IDEAL Crimpmaster.

Got everything at Home Depot including the Quad Shielded 18AWG wire.

I ran the cable from the CATV box on the side of the garage to the wall outlet, about 52'. The RG-6 is much stiffer than RG-59 so it can be an issue to get the cable inside a wall box.

For the sake of fairness/clarity, I want to provide an update on an earlier post where I was having significant dropout on a 50' HDMI run from a SA8300 STB to my Panny 509UK. I'm not sure what the initial problem was - probably just a bad connection given the design weakness of the HDMI connectors, but I am now running the signal over the 50' Monoprice cable with no problems. I had ordered a booster to go behind the screen, but have returned it...

All is well, and I wanted to remove any negative ifeedback on Monoprice's cables. The 50' cable cost less than a 6' monster cable I bought (and later returned) to isolate the problem, and provides the same PQ.

I'm a happy camper, and thank this forum for saving me hundreds of dollars on the set and cables... I think I'll use it for a Toshiba HD DVD ;-)
--
Jim

I recall some posts that included some discussion on grounding. At the time I was into some other problems and did ask any question about grounding.

I am going to have a Belkin PF40 or PF60 and I bit the bullet and purchased the Panamax In-The-Wall system. I changed the plastic re-work electrical box out for a metal box and use flex conduit for the romex so I will not have any interference with my speaker wires. Both run almost parallel for about 23'.

I am going to ground the conduit/box to a electrical ground that's in an outlet box nearby.

So I quess the question is have I covered the grounding issues or are there more?

Who Sells the best HDMI to DVI?

http://monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=2445

http://monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=2445

Only if you like to overpay for sub-quality cables.
I highly recommend MonoPrice. I have multiple cables as well as their HDMI switcher (5x1).
Great products.


http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&style=

Some here also recommend Blue Jeans Cable.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/dvi/index.htm

Only if you like to overpay for sub-quality cables.
I highly recommend MonoPrice. I have multiple cables as well as their HDMI switcher (5x1).
Great products.


http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&style=

Some here also recommend Blue Jeans Cable.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/dvi/index.htm


i would say "only if you like to over pay for quality cables."

monster makes good stuff, it's just over priced.

Who Sells the best HDMI to DVI?It's a simple adapter. I have three from three different sources (including Monster) and, aside from external appearance, they all function identically.

Kal

Not sure where I should post this, but since it's mainly for my new Pioneer 4271 I thought I put it up here. Can anyone recommend the Monster Power Home Theater Reference PowerCenter MP HTS 1600, or similar product? I was thinking of trading in my monster surge protector strip and upgrading to this instead. The saleswoman at BB said it regulates the power to ensure it constantly runs at 120 V.

Is this worth the $299 price tag?

Also, if anyone's interested, BB just lowered the price of the 42" plasma by about $800.

thanks-
d

Me thinks the salesman is blowing smoke up your leg. Looking at "monsters" web site they make no claims for voltage regulation on this unit at all. I'd doubt any realworld difference you'd experience between what you have now and this very big, very expensive surge/spike suppressor.

From the website:


Featuring:

Monster Clean Power™ Stage 2 v.2.1 circuitry filter dramatically reduces electronic noise.

T2™ automatic disconnect/reconnect protection circuitry.

Tri-Mode power protection circuitry with audible alarm and auto disconnect.

3618 joule rating provides a high level of surge absorption.

8 Surge-protected, color-coded AC outlets.

Digital meter monitors voltage.

2 pair surge protected coax connectors.

1 pair of surge protected phone connectors with splitter and 1 pair of surge protected network connectors.

1 RU tall design.

How did I know this thread was going to have somewhere written, BB salesperson... lol They tried the same junk on me when buying the SXRD last year.. I have to admit they gave it a good sell, but after a few questions I realized it was nothing more then snake oil, a good surge protector is all you need...

Blue Jean HDMI vs Monoprice HDMI...... Thoughts on which is better - both seem similar....? Thanks