I got an HDMI/DVI cable from monoprice but unfortunately I am getting lots of sparkles. I re-ordered the more expensive 24AWG with net jacket and hopefully that will take care of that problem.

I think you will find that this is not related to the cable. This is a product of the source and the display settings, and to some degree your sensitivity to the problem. Good Luck..

I think you will find that this is not related to the cable. This is a product of the source and the display settings, and to some degree your sensitivity to the problem. Good Luck..

I dont get it. If the picture doesnt have sparkles with the component cables then either the problem is the cable or the interface (HDMI). I thought sparkles was indicative of a faulty cable.

"I thought sparkles was indicative of a faulty cable"

For an analog signal perhaps, but HDMI is a digital signal so I don't believe it's possible.

"I thought sparkles was indicative of a faulty cable"

For an analog signal perhaps, but HDMI is a digital signal so I don't believe it's possible.

Exactly the opposite. Sparkles are indicative of errors in a digital signal. An analog signal simply gets fuzzier as it degrades.

Ok, I just got a Samsung SPS4243 EDTV. I was wondering what cables i need to get for the TV. Do I just need component cables, and thats it? Is there anything special I need to get to get HDTV since it is and EDTV?

Here is what is included with the TV if that helps:

New Samsung Generation 5 Panel
60,000 Hour Panel Life (27 Years @ 6 hrs a day)
13-Bit Processing (549 Billion Colors)
Built-in HDTV tuner (ATSC terrestrial tuner)
175°(H/V) Viewing Angle
3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter
Auto Pixel Shift (Burn In Resistant)
VESA Compatible
15-Watt Per Channel Built-in Audio Amplifier
Built-In 1-Way, 2-Speaker System
SRS TruSurround XT™
HDMI, 2 component video, S-Video and composite video

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Also, which kind of component cables do i need? It seems as there are many different kinds.

Also, which kind of component cables do i need? It seems as there are many different kinds.

OK, I'll bite. Maybe I am missing something here but I am not sure I understand your question. First, you do understand that an EDTV will not produce a HD picture, right? It will accept a HD signal and it will produce a picture but that picture will not be true HD. It will be in ED not HD.

having said that, your question on component cables...... the specific type of cable you use to transfer the video signal is dependent on the output options of the source of your programming. It sounds like you intend to use some type of set top box, either cable, sat, or FiOS, to get a HD signal. If so, all of these should have either a DVI or HDMI output that you can use to send the signal to the TV via HDMI cable. It will depend upon your carrier and the type of box they provide (and in some cases whether or not the output is activated, though most are now) If you can not access a digital output (DVI or HDMI), or if you prefer analog, then use component. All component cables are the same in that they consist of three RCA cables labeled red/blue/green. You just match up each input with the corresponding output. You can buy some new component cables (both Monoprice and Blue Jean Cables are forum sponsors and offer high quality for low price. They are good sources for the HDMI cables as well) or you can use the component cable provided with the TV. I would try that first to see if the picture is acceptable to you.

If you are using the EDTV for audio, you will need to run left and right RCA cables for that as well since component is video only. If you use a DVI to HDMI connection you will have to run the audio cable as DVI does not carry audio signals. If you use an HDMI to HDMI connection, it carries both video and audio so no other cable is needed.

If you are using nothing more than an over the air antenna to receive your signals, or just hooking the cable up direct to the TV, then there are no other connections needed. Unless you want to run the TV's audio out to a receiver, in which case you can use whatever output the TV offers (most likely either RCA L/R or fiber optic) and take the audio to the receiver

If you are using an external sound processor, such as an audio receiver, then run the audio from the source to that, using fiber optic or coaxil for DD 5.1 or regualr L/R RCA for simple stereo or Dolby ProLogic. Only send the video to the display.

OK, I'll bite. Maybe I am missing something here but I am not sure I understand your question. First, you do understand that an EDTV will not produce a HD picture, right? It will accept a HD signal and it will produce a picture but that picture will not be true HD. It will be in ED not HD.

having said that, your question on component cables...... the specific type of cable you use to transfer the video signal is dependent on the output options of the source of your programming. It sounds like you intend to use some type of set top box, either cable, sat, or FiOS, to get a HD signal. If so, all of these should have either a DVI or HDMI output that you can use to send the signal to the TV via HDMI cable. It will depend upon your carrier and the type of box they provide (and in some cases whether or not the output is activated, though most are now) If you can not access a digital output (DVI or HDMI), or if you prefer analog, then use component. All component cables are the same in that they consist of three RCA cables labeled red/blue/green. You just match up each input with the corresponding output. You can buy some new component cables (both Monoprice and Blue Jean Cables are forum sponsors and offer high quality for low price. They are good sources for the HDMI cables as well) or you can use the component cable provided with the TV. I would try that first to see if the picture is acceptable to you.

If you are using the EDTV for audio, you will need to run left and right RCA cables for that as well since component is video only. If you use a DVI to HDMI connection you will have to run the audio cable as DVI does not carry audio signals. If you use an HDMI to HDMI connection, it carries both video and audio so no other cable is needed.

If you are using nothing more than an over the air antenna to receive your signals, or just hooking the cable up direct to the TV, then there are no other connections needed. Unless you want to run the TV's audio out to a receiver, in which case you can use whatever output the TV offers (most likely either RCA L/R or fiber optic) and take the audio to the receiver

If you are using an external sound processor, such as an audio receiver, then run the audio from the source to that, using fiber optic or coaxil for DD 5.1 or regualr L/R RCA for simple stereo or Dolby ProLogic. Only send the video to the display.

Thank you so much for your response. I do know that ED tv will not produce an HD picture. However, isnt it true that the HD channels will look better than the regular channel (ex. ESPN HD will look better than ESPN)?

Also, I will be getting Comcast Digital Cable, so I am assuming that I will need the HDMI cable. And from what it sounds by your post, it will be provided, and I will not need to go get one? Again, thanks a lot for your response!

i was looking for a VGA cable for my Westinghouse 27" 27w7 to connect it to my PC and use it as a monitor.

i was looking at the different kind of SVGA cables and i realized there are some SVGA cables that's 19.99 and some that's 59.99........................ahhh

What's the difference between the
Gold Series PC Monitor Cable, 6 ft. (i can't post link so plz look at the one at belkins website)

and the

Pro Series High Integrity VGA/SVGA Monitor Replacement Cable - 6 feet

other than the price of course.

My 2 questions are:
what's the difference? (both are supposed to be SVGA cables)
which one do i need for my HDTV - PC? (i want the best result, but do i really need the 59.99 one?)

I don't know of anyone who got an HDMI cable from Comcast if that is what you are saying. You might get one with the TV, I can't answer that question. My Comcast box does not have a HDMI output, it has a DVI output. I bought a DVI to HDMI adaptor and plugged into it, and then a HDMI cable from Monoprice. I didn't want a DVI to HDMI cable and then be stuck with it someday if I got rid of the Comcast box. I got a HDMI cable with my TV but it was not long enough for my purposes, only about three feet I think. You can still use the component cables if you want to and I believe that Comcast will provide those. I suggest you try those first before you purchase any HDMI cables at all.

Yes, you should get a better picture than SD, but not as good as HD. But not all shows on the HD channel are in HD. A great deal of ESPN HD is not actually in HD format, it is just the same show that is on regular ESPN. However, it usually looks better because it is in a digital format, not analog, and the signal is usually better.

My 2 questions are:
what's the difference? (both are supposed to be SVGA cables)
which one do i need for my HDTV - PC? (i want the best result, but do i really need the 59.99 one?)

SVGA is an analogue signal, so cable and terminator quality can have an effect on the signal transmitted, especially over long distances.

You will probably find that the cables from site sponsor monoprice.com are cheaper and better than both Belkin cables, and that the cables from site sponsor blue jeans cable are even better than the monoprice, but at a higher price. In your shoes (6 foot distance into a 27" monitor) I would just buy the monoprice. - DR

I've perused this thread for a while now and see that there are great varieties for purchasing cables (monprice, Bluejeans...all good stuff) but back to page 1 of this thread and the HDMI vs Component cable debate. I'm awaiting delivery on a Panny TH-50PX60U and just picked up my HD cable box (Cablevision). Either HDMI or Component is available. I read some earlier (March, April timeframe) replies but would ask opinions on which cable I should choose. Thanks in advance!

I've perused this thread for a while now and see that there are great varieties for purchasing cables (monprice, Bluejeans...all good stuff) but back to page 1 of this thread and the HDMI vs Component cable debate. I'm awaiting delivery on a Panny TH-50PX60U and just picked up my HD cable box (Cablevision). Either HDMI or Component is available. I read some earlier (March, April timeframe) replies but would ask opinions on which cable I should choose. Thanks in advance!

If you say an HDMI connection is available I am assuming you are going with the HD DVR unit. Most of the non DVR boxes at Cablevision are SA 4200's and only have a DVI connection. That said I have the 42PX60 unit and currently am using the DVI connection. I had used the Component connection previously on this set. Either one will be a good choice. When I originally went from component to DVI the picture did seem a little different, hard to explain, and I wasn't sure I really liked it better, so the best thing to do is try the component cables you get from Cablevision (not a bad set) and then try a DVI or HDMI connection. Make the selection based on which appeals to you. The biggest advantage is simply less cables.

Jim

If you say an HDMI connection is available I am assuming you are going with the HD DVR unit. Most of the non DVR boxes at Cablevision are SA 4200's and only have a DVI connection. That said I have the 42PX60 unit and currently am using the DVI connection. I had used the Component connection previously on this set. Either one will be a good choice. When I originally went from component to DVI the picture did seem a little different, hard to explain, and I wasn't sure I really liked it better, so the best thing to do is try the component cables you get from Cablevision (not a bad set) and then try a DVI or HDMI connection. Make the selection based on which appeals to you. The biggest advantage is simply less cables.

Jim

Thanks! I just got the box and it does have DVR and an HDMI port. Before I bury cables in the wall I think I will give both a shot and see if there are any differences.

Is Belkin comming out with a new surge protector soon to replace the PF40 or PF60? It seems like a lot of places that have a good price on these don't have them in stock. I ordered from ecost because the site said they were available, but I got a email saying it is backordered.

Try this website

http://www.provantage.com/belkin-ap41300-12~7BELD011.htm

I have the monster power 3600 and everything was going great on Friday, I visited my parents for the weekend and when I came back the receiver (plugged into the appropriate outlet didn't work, so I tried plugging it in to the outlet below, still didn't work. Then I plugged it into the wall directly, turns on no problem. So the problem isn't with the receiver. At the same time my TV, XBOX and cable box are all getting power from the mosnter power center. Any ideas why 2 outlets aren't working? Do I need to reset? Any ideas?

Is Belkin comming out with a new surge protector soon to replace the PF40 or PF60? It seems like a lot of places that have a good price on these don't have them in stock. I ordered from ecost because the site said they were available, but I got a email saying it is backordered.

God I hope not! I just got my 60.

I have the monster power 3600 and everything was going great on Friday, I visited my parents for the weekend and when I came back the receiver (plugged into the appropriate outlet didn't work, so I tried plugging it in to the outlet below, still didn't work. Then I plugged it into the wall directly, turns on no problem. So the problem isn't with the receiver. At the same time my TV, XBOX and cable box are all getting power from the mosnter power center. Any ideas why 2 outlets aren't working? Do I need to reset? Any ideas?

Did you verify that your switched on light was lit. It mentions that the high current outlet is timed/switched. If you had a power inturuption all other outlets would automatically come back when power is restored.
The high current outlet will only come back on when you press the on button and the timer times out.

Everybody knows that component cables are better than S-Video Cables, but what would be better, a very good S-Video or an ok Component cable? :confused:

Try this website

http://www.provantage.com/belkin-ap41300-12~7BELD011.htm

Thanks for the link.

I ended up ordering from www.thetwistergroup.com today. A little more than ecost(due to me having to pay sales tax), but they had it in stock and it has already shipped.

Just a note on ecost.com ... I first ordered the PF60 from them when there site said it was in stock, and later my order was cancelled because the item was not in stock. I tried to press my luck and try for the PF40 since it was a very good price, and again it was backordered. Lesson: don't trust ecost.com's site for item availability. Also their response to email is a snail's pace slow.

RESSOM

That is such a good price I am going to get mine from

http://www.thetwistergroup.com/store/customer/search.php?substring=PF60

also.

Thanks for the link.

Everybody knows that component cables are better than S-Video Cables, but what would be better, a very good S-Video or an ok Component cable? :confused:

I'll go out on a limb and say the bandwidth of the Component (even a cheap set) should provide better detail and color.

Im pretty sure an S-Video signal maxes out at 480i (if that high) while that's the minimum a Component cable (set) will cary. IMHO :cool:

You are correct, S-video (and composite) is limited to 480i. Component can carry any signal.

you can't really compare s-video to component, s-video is the best possible connection for SD but falls short when used for HD.

i use both, s-video for SD and component for HD.

Im needing to buy longer component cable for running wires through the wall. Are these ok to get for comcast HD? http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023501&p_id=321&style=&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

Also, I use my onkyo tuner to switch between my DVD and comcast HD-DVR box and when im watching HD I routinely lose video and get the "ypbpr searching" message. It has happened a couple times while watching a dvd but that isnt HD. If I got a better component switcher would it help that? We have another plasma hooked up without any switching and it works fine so I dont think its the comcast feed because even when I lose video I still hear the audio that is using an optical cord.

If a better switch would work can you suggest one?

I need to run speaker cables underneath a rug. What would be your advice for flat/ribbon cables (good quality, low price)? Thank you.

Thank you so much for your response. I do know that ED tv will not produce an HD picture. However, isnt it true that the HD channels will look better than the regular channel (ex. ESPN HD will look better than ESPN)?

Also, I will be getting Comcast Digital Cable, so I am assuming that I will need the HDMI cable. And from what it sounds by your post, it will be provided, and I will not need to go get one? Again, thanks a lot for your response!

buy your cables @ best buy or future shop, maybe buy a few different levels of component cables and/or audio, put it all on your credit card so you won't even notice the money gone. take them home and test them out, switch the components and see if you can notice a difference in quality between the cheaper & more expensive ones. once you've found the cable that offers the most for the money, go and purchase it online or off ebay or something. those monster cables are marked up 500-600% @ BB & future shop. Practically any monster component/dvi/hdmi cable can be had for under $50 online if you look. I just got 4M lengths of DVI & DVI->HDMI for $60 CAD, less than half the price of one of those cables retail. now i know this seems like a scummy thing to do, but when those stores are buying these things for mere dollars then turning around and selling them off @ 10X the price and treating that LIKE ITS A GOOD DEAL, well then you tell me what the scummy thing going on there is?

dwalden: I have that monster hts 1600 right now. While it does its job, it does absolutely no more of a job than the power bar you have right now does. In fact the only thing this thing will do over that power bar is offer some extremely bright and glowy lights to annoyingly light up your entertainment area while the readout displays irrelevant voltage displays that are supposed to give you some sort of security and confidence in knowing you've got X amounts of volts running through your stack.
"Oh OK, shes at 117 now looks we're good to go with that DVD now hon"
If that appeals to you then by all means, Monster would love to have your $300 :rolleyes:

Alternatively, you can hide your power bar behind a DVD player, then put an alarm clock and a disco siren on top of the DVD player and you have the equivalent to the HTS1600, just less annoying.

Stick with what youve got, its all you need and shouldn't look at getting anything better unless you start getting into serious home audio. In which case you should forget the name Monster alltogether.

On a completely different note, you guys looking for cables of all sorts ought to check out BestDealCables.com because of the promotion going on with AVS right now.

The thread is here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8372637#post8372637

Pretty good prices, the Subwoofer Y-Cable looks very nice and I will buy 2 of them to save for future use.

I just got a 46" XBR2 and was wondering if there are any recommneded power conditioners. And what should I look for when getting one.

Thanks

On a completely different note, you guys looking for cables of all sorts ought to check out BestDealCables.com because of the promotion going on with AVS right now.

The thread is here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8372637#post8372637

Pretty good prices, the Subwoofer Y-Cable looks very nice and I will buy 2 of them to save for future use.

The component videos at that site are $60 more than what you pay at monoprice.

Also try www.cablesforless.com

"Oh OK, shes at 117 now looks we're good to go with that DVD now hon"

ahahah :p

monoprice and bluejeans are fine for the money.

some of us want better though. i just bought 2 DVI, 2 component, 1 sub and 1 s-video ultralink cables for my new theatre room and i'm very happy.

i bought them wholesale here in toronto and they set me back about 700.00

Has anyone tried the Tripp-Lite 1000VA for their HT?

I just brought a Pioneer 5070 and was supposed to have it installed over the weekend.
But the guy who came to Install suggested that I buy all my HDMI cables and Audio Video cables from MONSTER as they are definitely better than the other cables.
Is this a true statement is it worth spending 150$ on a 12ft Monster HDMI Cable.
Same question for the component cables also is it worth going for MONSTER cables
These are for INWALL wiring.

I just brought a Pioneer 5070 and was supposed to have it installed over the weekend.
But the guy who came to Install suggested that I buy all my HDMI cables and Audio Video cables from MONSTER as they are definitely better than the other cables.
Is this a true statement is it worth spending 150$ on a 12ft Monster HDMI Cable.
Same question for the component cables also is it worth going for MONSTER cables
These are for INWALL wiring.


you need good cables, and monster does make good cables, but you have to be careful, cainath.

first of all, monster cables are over priced, right across the board on all 3 of their grades. secondly, i recommend you stay away from their entry level grade cables (THX) altogether, they're not so great. meanwhile, the difference between their 2nd grade and their 3rd can't be seen with the naked eye.

so, if your going to buy monster, i recommend you buy their 2nd grade, but be aware that your going to pay through the nose for them, they're over priced.

Can you recmmoend me something similar to MONSTER 's 2nd grade cables that are available at MONOPRICE or BLUEJEANS

you need good cables, and monster does make good cables, but you have to be careful, cainath.

first of all, monster cables are over priced, right across the board on all 3 of their grades. secondly, i recommend you stay away from their entry level grade cables (THX) altogether, they're not so great. meanwhile, the difference between their 2nd grade and their 3rd can't be seen with the naked eye.

so, if your going to buy monster, i recommend you buy their 2nd grade, but be aware that your going to pay through the nose for them, they're over priced.

I pretty much lump Monster Cable as a company that is run like Bose. YOu are paying for the advertsing. Spend half the money on any other brand and you'll get the same quality.

I know it's a Monster product but try to keep the flaming to a minimum.

What do you think of or has anyone tried the Monster HTFS 1000/500? Seems like a good idea for a wall-mounted display with only a simple wall-plug behind it.

http://monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=1962&LastPage=Flat%20Screen%20Power

I need to pick up a surge for my 40 samsung lcd, yamaha receiver and dvd player.

Is the Belkein AP20800 a good buy. Budget is about $150 for this.

Thanks

I think i am going to go with the monster hts3500 -- cant beat the price at buy.com right now.

I just bot the Belkin PureAV Home Theater Power Conditioner PF40L . I wanted something compact and easily that would fit on floor behind AV rack. Does anyone have experience with this? I did not want the belkin power console as it would take up space and would essentially be another component. Here is link on the conditioner I bot..

http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV.process?Section_Id=202494

nice conditioner.. i see amazon has it for $150... not bad. ilike the compactness also.

hi,

i need some help in deciding which type of svga cables to get....i'm trying to connect my lap top w/ my infocus projector to watch movies...

well my question is what's teh difference between...

SVGA w/ ferrites and SVGA HD 15

i can't put links on here since this is my very first post, but both teh cables are at monoprice...just do a search for SVGA and they have both types....

thanks in advance for any info...

I'm in the same boat as jhch, currently undecided what quality of VGA cable to go for.
I will be using a 46" XBR2 as a PC monitor though, and given the high PQ of this set something inside tells me I may see benefits from a better VGA cable. For the time being I will need a 3-4M (approx. 11 ft distance to run it) cable, so what do you think, worth it?

dr0s, I got the most expensive cable, hehe.

My BetterCable SilverSerpent SVGA(UXGA rated) cable and I paid $200 for it. That was a year and half ago though. The price has dropped to under $100. What a bargain. :eek:

hi,

well my question is what's teh difference between...

SVGA w/ ferrites and SVGA HD 15
Ferrites cores keep from getting signal interference from other device source in the area. This results in minimal interference and high quality cable will ensure good connection and minimal signal loss.

So you need a cable equipped with ferrites and triple shielded. CL2 rated is a plus. Some serious players(including me;)) use high quality stuff like BetterCable, constructed with Nitrogen-injected HDPE dielectric insulation. The central conductor is silver coated for maximum conductivity and durability. The timing is virtually the fastest; upto 2.5ns per 100ft. The AViCcable SVGA GoldFinger comes second I believe... or wait.. is it AudioQuest? That used to be the best. I don't know about now. I think BetterCable tops out. Anyways, the AViC can shove it upto 2.7ns per 100ft in timing.

thanks for the info anoobiecheez...

so what's SVGA HD 15?

Ferrites cores keep from getting signal interference from other device source in the area. This results in minimal interference and high quality cable will ensure good connection and minimal signal loss.

So you need a cable equipped with ferrites and triple shielded. CL2 rated is a plus. Some serious players(including me;)) use high quality stuff like BetterCable, constructed with Nitrogen-injected HDPE dielectric insulation. The central conductor is silver coated for maximum conductivity and durability. The timing is virtually the fastest; upto 2.5ns per 100ft. The AViCcable SVGA GoldFinger comes second I believe... or wait.. is it AudioQuest? That used to be the best. I don't know about now. I think BetterCable tops out. Anyways, the AViC can shove it upto 2.7ns per 100ft in timing.

Is that with or without the flux capacitor cranked to 11? ;)

thanks for the info anoobiecheez...

so what's SVGA HD 15?
no prob... The SVGA simply means Super VGA which has the higher rating and does better job delivering higher resolutions.

The HD stands for High Density, is it? yea.

15 means D-sub 15pin connection.

i was looking for a VGA cable for my Westinghouse 27" 27w7 to connect it to my PC and use it as a monitor.

i was looking at the different kind of SVGA cables and i realized there are some SVGA cables that's 19.99 and some that's 59.99........................ahhh

What's the difference between the
Gold Series PC Monitor Cable, 6 ft. (i can't post link so plz look at the one at belkins website)

and the

Pro Series High Integrity VGA/SVGA Monitor Replacement Cable - 6 feet

other than the price of course.

My 2 questions are:
what's the difference? (both are supposed to be SVGA cables)
which one do i need for my HDTV - PC? (i want the best result, but do i really need the 59.99 one?)

I faced the same dilemna, figured I'd go cheap, if disatisfied, return for the more expensive cable. Here's the deal, all I'll be using the LCD for is web browsing, email, stuff like that, as a result, having perfect quality was not too important. The cheap cable looks fine. I don't see any degradation of image for the uses I mentioned. For photoshopping and other more quality applications, I stick to the display on my laptop which has more rez: 1600x1050.

Can anyone suggest a good Power Centre to go with my Pioneer 50" and B&W speaker sytem. My local bestbuy guy suggested me HTS1600.

of course he did. its overpriced and its what they sale. go online and look at provantage, www.provantage.com. they have several brands all at very resonable prices. I ordered mine there and will vouch for the service and price.

Can anyone tell how the AudioQuest HDMI cables are I am getting them for 90$ for
a 3meters.

If anyone's interested, there's a seller on eBay selling the Belkin PF40 for $149 Buy It Now, with $20 shipping!

Can anyone tell how the AudioQuest HDMI cables are I am getting them for 90$ for
a 3meters.
Look at monoprice.com for HDMI cables. Spend the money saved on nice TV or HD-DVD player.

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.

Based on the above quote: I have the HR10-250 DVR and will soon be buying the XBR2-46". I am confused as to which one to buy; HDMI or Component. I have seen what component looks like at a retail store being connected to all the HD TVs and they look good. However, I would like to improve my picture using HDMI if I can, if only if I don't have picture problems using it with my HR10-250 DVR.

What do you all think?

COMECTS H-series not only got Silicon Image HDMI ATC Testing in 12m and passed United Stated HDMI Benchmark, but also verified by SimplayHD in 2m.
Monoprice received Silicon Image ATC certification for their 36ft cable as well. Just as important, they've received the vote of confidence from large #s of AVS forum members.

Based on the above quote: I have the HR10-250 DVR and will soon be buying the XBR2-46". I am confused as to which one to buy; HDMI or Component. I have seen what component looks like at a retail store being connected to all the HD TVs and they look good. However, I would like to improve my picture using HDMI if I can, if only if I don't have picture problems using it with my HR10-250 DVR.

What do you all think?

good luck, Baukerman. i don't know what else to say.

I have just about finished my full setup and I am one component from finishing. I have Dish DVR, and a HTPC going to a monprice 2 X1 hdmi switch. Works great, but now I want to switch this output to either my westy 1080p moniitor or my panny projector. The monoprice is only 2 in 1 out it does not support one in two out. Surprised me, since I thought it was just switching the lines. Any idees on a switch that can switch from one hdmi input to one of two devices out.

Thanx
Chris

I have just about finished my full setup and I am one component from finishing. I have Dish DVR, and a HTPC going to a monprice 2 X1 hdmi switch. Works great, but now I want to switch this output to either my westy 1080p moniitor or my panny projector. The monoprice is only 2 in 1 out it does not support one in two out. Surprised me, since I thought it was just switching the lines. Any idees on a switch that can switch from one hdmi input to one of two devices out.

Thanx
Chris


Would this meet your needs?

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=2514

i have a question about voltage stabilization.

if the voltage drops below 120v to say 115-119v will you notice anything picture wise will the tv's refresh rate drop from 60hz or will my finely tuned HTPC slow down or even slow down video being played on it.

this is something i would like to know about since i would like the best for my set up and i already have a great conditioner for it already.

Doesn't seem like there's much discussion here on power cords and products so thought I'd share a little of what I've got.
Installed Hubbel (sp?) wall outlets to have a good tight contact on plugs. You can find them on Ebay for under $10 each. Might not be as good as PS Audio's but you ain't paying $50+ either! They're also hospital grade spec for what that's worth.
Also using a Tripplite LC1200 for my plasma. Provides regulated power for everything. If I'm not mistaken, using these over the ones specifically marketed for audio/visual will save you a bundle. Not sure if you're paying for much more with the more expensive ones.
I've also got a question about power cords, has anyoen found a reasonably priced one that's flexible enough to be used with stand mounted displays?
TIA!

Is there anything like a hdmi switcher for component cables so that im not having to use my reciever to switch between my DVD and HD Cable? HDMI is not an option right now.

Is there anything like a hdmi switcher for component cables so that im not having to use my reciever to switch between my DVD and HD Cable? HDMI is not an option right now.

here you go, Bents. (you have to hit the "switches" tab to the left.)

https://www.audioauthority.com/indexh.php

i have the 1154A and i love it.

hi,
guys i need some more help!!!

it seems that i didn't realize that my projector(infocus) has a dvi conn. and my lap top has a svga connection...so i can't use a reg. svga cable...i got a cable w/ the projector taht works fine but i just need a longer one.

this is the type of cable i need...http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&cs_id=1020905&p_id=602&seq=1&format=2&style=

but w/ a connector like this on the dvi side....
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&cs_id=1020901&p_id=2097&style=&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

if you guys know any ohter sites where i can find something like this please let me know...i need it to be about 25 ft.

thanks...

Hi Everyone,

I'm excited to be getting this TV set tomorrow. Quick question. I currently have a moster power bar (a cheap one, no flashing lights, etc, think I paid like $60). Should I upgrade it? Will it produce a better picture, or is it strictly a safety issue to protect against surges?

Hope that didn't sound to newbish!

Thanks,
Dan

I understand that if I want to get my flat panel mounted on the wall, I will have to get an electrician to come put an electric outlet behind the LCD. This is apparently due to building codes that prohibit running UL rated power cords behind walls. However, the gentleman also mentioned that there are some CL rated power cords that might be an alternative to having an electic outlet moved. Of course, he couldn't remember which ones.. figures :)

Anyone here have any thoughts on running electric cords along with the HDMI &/or component behind the wall to hid the mess? It isn't so much the cost of the electrician, as it is the pain in getting one to actually show up, never mind on time..

Muchas gracias!

Not much of an electrician if they don't know that CL is for low voltage (under 50).

I have search these forums and googled but cant seem to find much info about power strips or centers for plasma TV's.

Wondering if its really necessary to get one that filters the power or if a simple surge protector will do just fine? Why would you even need "clean" power for a TV anyways?


Edit : Oh, if having one will help a good bit can anyone list some of the better qualty and better priced ones?

Thanks! :)

A lot of people claim that they can see a difference. I have experimented extensively and cannot find it. I can see that the better filters have less noise on the output than the input when line noise is present, so the do filter noise. The question, IMO, is whether that noise ever show up in the pix. I have looked very carefully at the output of power supplies in many displays and cannot find it. All modern displays use SMPS that convert the power to switched d.c. at a frequency of 50-150Khz then rectify and filter it again with high speed diodes, then usually regulate and filter it again in another stage. I just can't find the noise after all that filtering of the signal looking at the outputs with a scope, nor in the pix.

That said, some more conventional power supplies may pass some noise, such as those found in audio equipment, and some dvd players, but unless there is a specific problem that needs filtering, I don't see the benefit. I use the cheapest surge suppressors that I can find that have protetion for all incoming lines, high energy dissipation, protection across all combinations of the a.c. lines, and a good reputation.

Currently the best value that I have found is:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812120408

Not sure about the comments on the cable modem issue. I use a panamax and have had no problem with this.

Thanks a ton for that information. :)

I just swapped out my media room plasma for Pio's new 5070HD (which I love, but that's another thread). I moved the 503CMX upstairs into the bedroom and plan (for a short while) to keep things simple by using the Pio speakers. (Truth be told, I never got the side speakers for the 503CMX because I have a nice 6.1 set-up in the media room, so I'm going to use the detachable speaker from the new 5070.)

In any event, my question focuses on how I use the 503CMX's speaker. Here's the rub. I currently use Input 1 (mini D-sub 15 pin to components) and Input 2 (BNC jacks to components) to source video from my HD Cable-box and DVD player, respectively. I had always dealt with the audio by going directly from the HD Cable-box and DVD player to my Onkyo receiver via optical and digital coax, respectively. Since I don't have a receiver in the bedroom, I want to source the audio from both the HD Cable-box and DVD player through the plasma, but Inputs 1 and 2 don't have corresponding audio inputs like Inputs 3 and 4. Instead, I think I need to use the Stereo Mini Jack input. Here's the problem - there's only one. Does that mean that I can only get audio for either the HD Cable-box or DVD player, but not both? Sure, I could always just switch my DVD player to Input 3 and run an S-Video connection, but what's the fun in that if I've got component capability in my DVD player?

Probably not a lot of people are familiar with this issue since most would presumably be using a set-up with a receiver. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Also, I thought one of the reasons I bought the 503CMX was because I could swap-out the PDA-5002 video card for new innovations - it would never be obsolete. Did they ever produce a new card with HDMI capability or digital audio?

I need to pick up some 8' video/audio cables (video - component, composite, F-Pin coax, audio - stereo composite) today. I'm located in NYC. I was going to stop at J&R to pick them up, but they are closed today (as is B&H photo).

Any recommendations on locations in Manhattan or Brooklyn where I could pick up cables at good prices? I'm looking something in the range of low-end Monster THX cables like the THX V100 CV-8.

Thanks!

I'm purchasing a full set of cables for my new PDP5070 and would like some experts here to confirm I'm not missing anything. I am not going to use HDMI or DVI for the moment so I am going to use component.

I have a simple set up of:

DVD player
HD-PVR
PS2
Laptop (Dell D620)

I am planning on getting the following from monoprice:

[components to reciever]
3 x PREMIUM 3FT 3-RCA Component Video Coaxial RG-6 18AWG 75Ohm

[reciever to PDP5070]
1 x PREMIUM 6FT 3-RCA Component Video Coaxial RG-6 18AWG 75Ohm

[components to reciever]
3 x PREMIUM 6FT Optical Toslink 5.0mm Cable w/Fancy connector

[laptop to PDP5070]
1 x 25 Ft SVGA Super VGA M/F Monitor Cable w/ ferrites

[laptop to PDP5070]
1 x PREMIUM 2 RCA Plug/2 RCA Plug M/M 22AWG Cable - 25ft


Does this look ok? Am I missing anything?

I found a brand new one on Craigslist for $5. It is made by GE, its 8' long.
I paid 125 for my 6' long monster cable. Will I notice any difference on my Panasonic 50" 60u?

www.monoprice.com

Quoting another poster here, "friends don't let friends buy Monster."

(Sorry, I forgot whom to credit. :o )

ummm in my personal opinion, return the Monster and buy a quality but rightly priced cable at Monoprice.com

EDIT: Ha! someone beat me to the punch.

Don't buy Monster cable. They are crap quality and just expensive. Go with a quality name brand with descent price. With HDMI/DVI cables you don't have to cutting-edge. Some mid $40~ 50 range will do. For analog cables like SVGA I would go higher.

I found a brand new one on Craigslist for $5. It is made by GE, its 8' long. I paid 125 for my 6' long monster cable. Will I notice any difference on my Panasonic 50" 60u?There would be virtully no difference between the $150 and $5 cable. I use 6 ft cables (item # 2412) from Monoprice dot com - and someone here thoroughly tested Monster against sub-$10 cables and noted no difference.

Return that Monster !

Don't buy Monster cable. They are crap quality and just expensive. Go with a quality name brand with descent price. With HDMI/DVI cables you don't have to cutting-edge. Some mid $40~ 50 range will do. For analog cables like SVGA I would go higher.


I wouldn't consider Monster cable crap. Overpriced for sure, but they are good quality.

Regarding Monoprice - So what exactly is a Net Jacket anyway?

Will I see any difference between a 6' length of say their High-Quality 24AWG HDMI Cables with Net Jacket and the cheaper 28AWG HDMI Cables?

Net Jacket is a more durable covering on the exterior of the cables. It doesn't affect performance but could be helpful if you pull the cables around a lot.

IMO anything 15ft and under just get the 28AWG. You won't notice any difference.

I buy all my cables from my local computer store... they are a lot cheaper in price and work just as well as the 5 to 10 times more expensive cables sold at the local B&M

forgive me if this is addressed elsewhere on this gargantuan thread, but:

i happen to have the good fortune of having a 220v outlet right next to the 110v outlet i've got my gear plugged in to. considering that i've got a 42PHD8UK, AVR-4306, DVD-2910 and 8300HD drawing their juice from a pananmax M5100-EX, i'm feeling a bit too close to my electrical ceiling for comfort. things work fine, but i can't help but want to put that dedicated 220v bad boy to use. as it stands, it seems as though the circuit that powers the gear is sharing other duties around the house - ceiling fixtures and such.

the question is (and i'm sorry to belabor this): does anyone know of a 220v power conditioner that sends only 110v current to it's child outlets, thus staying well above the electrical demands of it's connected appliances?

i , uh, may be adding some new, fancy, quite possibly power-hungry devices (read: PS3) in the next month or so...and god knows what they draw.

many thanks for whatever advice may follow, fellas.

I don't have any experience with any device like the one you're describing but you might try something like this.... http://www.starkelectronic.com/st500.htm

But, I think the question isn't what voltage you have to work with but the amperage. Trace back the circuit (the 110v) to the box and see what size breaker you have. Mostly likey either a 15a or 20a. Now, check the back of each unit you have plugged into the outlet. it should have a label somewhere telling you the operating amperage. Add these up. If it's less than the circuit breaker you're fine. You should also add up any other devices plugged into the same circuit.

Lastly, if you only have a 15a breaker on that circuit you should be able to upgrade it to a 20a if you have 12ga wiring on it. If its only 14ga you're most likely limited to 15amps per local codes but you could check them.

As for the 220v line, theygenerally run in the 30a - 40a range.

(Disclaimer, I'm not an electrician, electrical engineer, or soothsayer. The above is simply my simple opinion on the matter )

hey, thanks for the thoughtful reply, erik.

i'm fairly familiar with electrical jargon given my profession (photography), so i took it as given that the associated amperage headroom provided from the kick-up to 220v was part and parcel of waht i was looking for - this is a residence, so the doubled voltage is typically acheived by doubling up circuits, thus doubling the amps.

in this case, the 110 outlet has 20amps and the 220 has 40.

and that does me a whole world of good is you say there's no such machine...ah, me.

*EDIT: just now saw the item you linked to. nah, a step-down would just be pointless bulk (those suckers can get heavy, fast) in this case. less is more. thanks, though.

Could somebody tell me the difference between this cable: http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=2412&x=0&y=11

and this cable:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&cs_id=1023102&p_id=2218&seq=1&format=2&style=

One is with Ferrite cores and 28AWG the more expensive one is with net jacket and a heavier 24AWG.

Is one better than the other?

24AWG uses thicker wires which presumably carries signals with less loss.

In reality for anything under 15ft, just get the 28AWG, you won't get enough loss to make a difference.

netjacket is a more durable jacket on the cable. It doesn't affect performance of the cable. Some of the higher end cable companies use this type of jacket to differentiate themselves.

Since a surge protector only plugs into one outlet, and can have up to 10 plugs, how do you know if it can power all 10 components you have hooked up?

Add the power ratings of each somponent and compare them to the rating for the surge suppressor.

Since a surge protector only plugs into one outlet, and can have up to 10 plugs, how do you know if it can power all 10 components you have hooked up?It depends on:
1. The line 15A, 20A, 30A
2. The capacity of the surge protector
3. The current demands of the 10 components
4. The other components/devices on this same line

monoprice.com ....ROCKS!!!!!

Ordered cables on Monday... received them coast to coast via Priority mail on Wednesday

Very pleased with their prices, quality and service!

It depends on:
1. The line 15A, 20A, 30A
2. The capacity of the surge protector
3. The current demands of the 10 components
4. The other components/devices on this same lineHow about an Xbox 360, PS3, DLP TV, 900 watt amp, A/V receiver, equalizer, DISH Network STB, an HD-A1, a computer, a computer monitor, a separate computer power supply, and a Sega Dreamcast on a Tripp Lite HT1010SAT3 (http://tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2809)?

Since a surge protector only plugs into one outlet, and can have up to 10 plugs, how do you know if it can power all 10 components you have hooked up?
Usually 15 amps or 1800 watts is the max or make it a dedicated curcuit. From manual on my 8 outlet powerconditioner-Belkin.

How about an Xbox 360, PS3, DLP TV, 900 watt amp, A/V receiver, equalizer, DISH Network STB, an HD-A1, a computer, a computer monitor, a separate computer power supply, and a Sega Dreamcast on a Tripp Lite HT1010SAT3 (http://tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=2809)?How can I know? You need to find out what each of them draws and add it up. Each should have a wattage rating on the back. The Tripplite is spec at 1800W. Of course, anything else on the same AC line (lamps, air conditioners, microwave, popcorn machine, etc.) will also be a factor but not for the surge protector.

How can I know? You need to find out what each of them draws and add it up. Each should have a wattage rating on the back. The Tripplite is spec at 1800W. Of course, anything else on the same AC line (lamps, air conditioners, microwave, popcorn machine, etc.) will also be a factor but not for the surge protector.Thanks. Generally, how much will something like an Xbox 360/PS3 draw? I know the Xbox 360's power brick says it draws 203w. Would that mean the 360 draws 1.691 amps?

What about TV's (DLP)? How much power do they draw?

My amp for my sub is 900 watts, so I guess that would mean it would use 8.5 amps?


Also is it possible that this (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1660265444.1161227180@@@@&BV_EngineID=cckdaddjediiklecefecemldffidfjg.0&pid=00924031000&cat=Power+Tool+Accessories&subcat=Tool+Safety&vertical=TOOL&ihtoken=1) could restrict powerflow somehow to my components? What it does is when it see's that the component connected to the "power tool" outlet is on, it let's power flow to the 2 "accessory" outlets.

I will have my receiver hooked up to the "power tool" outlet and my amp and EQ hooked up to the "accessory" outlets.

Thanks Kal.

Hoping for a couple answers....

Equiptment:

Vizio 46" LCD HD.. Brand new
Comcast HD cable box...

I set the TV up this week using the comcast composite cables.. I'm noticing now, that there is a very faint red and then following it, a very faint green bar that traverses the screen from bottom to top.

This does NOT happen with the Xbox 360 hooked up through composite cables... Do you think this is a cable issue? Box issue or TV issue? The fact that only happens through the HD box makes me think it's not a TV issue.. The box has a DVI port, and the TV has 2 HDMI ports. I was thinking of getting the DVI to HDMI cable. Think this would fix the problem or should I get a higher quality composite cable?

Thanks. Generally, how much will something like an Xbox 360/PS3 draw? I know the Xbox 360's power brick says it draws 203w. Would that mean the 360 draws 1.691 amps?

What about TV's (DLP)? How much power do they draw?

My amp for my sub is 900 watts, so I guess that would mean it would use 8.5 amps?


Also is it possible that this (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1660265444.1161227180@@@@&BV_EngineID=cckdaddjediiklecefecemldffidfjg.0&pid=00924031000&cat=Power+Tool+Accessories&subcat=Tool+Safety&vertical=TOOL&ihtoken=1) could restrict powerflow somehow to my components? What it does is when it see's that the component connected to the "power tool" outlet is on, it let's power flow to the 2 "accessory" outlets.

I will have my receiver hooked up to the "power tool" outlet and my amp and EQ hooked up to the "accessory" outlets.

Thanks Kal.Read the back panels and/or the user's manuals for the power draw. Do not go by the so-called power output of amps; these are often overly optimistic and, besides, output is not input. As for the Xbox, I have no idea as I've never touched or seen one. The spec on the power supply is probably correct.

Note that these specs are maxima, not regular draw. OTOH, maxima are what you want to know.

I don't know if this exists or even if it can be done, i'm electronics wizard. I was wondering if there is out there somewhere a composite or svhs cable TO vga ? The reason is that i have 2 satellite providers and i now use a switchbox to go between the 2. But if i could use the VGA input of my Pany plasma 7UY, i would remove the switchbox and use the PC input of the plasma wich isn't used right now. Both sat receivers use composite or svhs outputs.

thansk for the help

I don't know if this exists or even if it can be done, i'm electronics wizard. I was wondering if there is out there somewhere a composite or svhs cable TO vga ? The reason is that i have 2 satellite providers and i now use a switchbox to go between the 2. But if i could use the VGA input of my Pany plasma 7UY, i would remove the switchbox and use the PC input of the plasma wich isn't used right now. Both sat receivers use composite or svhs outputs.

thansk for the help

i doubt you'll be able to find one because there's such a huge difference in picture quality between composite and VGA, Cholerabob.

i doubt any body's bothered to even try but that's just my opinion.

i use my VGA input on my 8UK's but i do it with ultralink component to XVGA cables. the PQ is astounding but were talkin about an expensive cable though.

I don't know if this exists or even if it can be done, i'm electronics wizard. I was wondering if there is out there somewhere a composite or svhs cable TO vga ? The reason is that i have 2 satellite providers and i now use a switchbox to go between the 2. But if i could use the VGA input of my Pany plasma 7UY, i would remove the switchbox and use the PC input of the plasma wich isn't used right now. Both sat receivers use composite or svhs outputs.

thansk for the help

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=4354

this (http://www.audio-direct.com/item.aspx?ItemID=5bc21379-99a3-4804-9828-0299e86f269a) is what i was talking about.

pricey but very good.

this (http://www.audio-direct.com/item.aspx?ItemID=5bc21379-99a3-4804-9828-0299e86f269a) is what i was talking about.

pricey but very good.

Just some more info:

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5fid=2028&sku=40333

you may also want to look at the above site's rapidrun system.

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=4354


Exactly ! Thanks . I knew i could count on you guys ! :)

what's the same quality as the Monster Cable top of the line - M Series (M1000) HDMI cable? I'm sure these aren't worth the price, but I'd like to hear what others think.

Same question for the HTS 1600 power conitioneer.


I was in BB today just to grab an HDMI cable, and got kinda side tracked. thought i'd just buy something and think about it later, rather than research something for months then finally pick something lol

the guy in the store took 10% off on these, so i figured why not try em

Monoprice and Blue Jeans Cable, both forum sponsors and with links at the top of the page, offer high quality at a fraction of the cost of Monster. As for power conditioner and surge equipment, I use the Belkin PureAV which can be bought online at resonable prices. Try Provantage (www.provantage.com) for Belkin, APC, and other brands. Good prices and service.

Monoprice and Blue Jeans Cable, both forum sponsors and with links at the top of the page, offer high quality at a fraction of the cost of Monster. As for power conditioner and surge equipment, I use the Belkin PureAV which can be bought online at resonable prices. Try Provantage (www.provantage.com) for Belkin, APC, and other brands. Good prices and service.


being a business man myself, i can and do really appreciate the sponsors of this forum. they make great cables for the money, but to say or insinuate they're the same quality as monster or ultralink's flagship lines is going too far, way too far.

now, if you want to argue that the markup on these cables is off the hook, then i'm right there with you, but they ARE better.

being a business man myself, i can and do really appreciate the sponsors of this forum. they make great cables for the money, but to say or insinuate they're the same quality as monster or ultralink's flagship lines is going too far, way too far.

now, if you want to argue that the markup on these cables is off the hook, then i'm right there with you, but they ARE better.


That is an opinion many in this forum do not agree with. There have been tests done on some of these sponsors cables in some of the threads here that show that some of the cables are the equal of or better than Monster cables, can't speak for ultralink. Price doesn't always equal performance. I'm not saying they're junk but they aren't the end all either.

being a business man myself, i can and do really appreciate the sponsors of this forum. they make great cables for the money, but to say or insinuate they're the same quality as monster or ultralink's flagship lines is going too far, way too far.

now, if you want to argue that the markup on these cables is off the hook, then i'm right there with you, but they ARE better.

This statement is as incorrect as those who say that there are no differences in any cables. The fact is that there are differences in SOME cables, but for the most part, there are much better values than Monster and many cables that perform better for less. Monster products are generally well made, but you can find others that are equally so in most cases. To say that they are better in general, however, is simply not true. I have tested, both objectively, and subjectively , many cables in the past three decades and found that in very rare cases do Monster products rate better than average. Some are excellent, such as their optical cables, which are the most reliable that I have found. They do NOT, however, perform any better at all than anything else that works adequately to get the signal from one component to another. The same is true for any of the digital cables. There are differences in shielding than can affect digital transfer in longer runs, but for the most part, the mechanical construction of the cables is of more importance for digital interconnection.

This statement is as incorrect as those who say that there are no differences in any cables. The fact is that there are differences in SOME cables, but for the most part, there are much better values than Monster and many cables that perform better for less. Monster products are generally well made, but you can find others that are equally so in most cases. To say that they are better in general, however, is simply not true. I have tested, both objectively, and subjectively , many cables in the past three decades and found that in very rare cases do Monster products rate better than average. Some are excellent, such as their optical cables, which are the most reliable that I have found. They do NOT, however, perform any better at all than anything else that works adequately to get the signal from one component to another. The same is true for any of the digital cables. There are differences in shielding than can affect digital transfer in longer runs, but for the most part, the mechanical construction of the cables is of more importance for digital interconnection.

talk to people in the know, lcaillo, people that have spent umpteen thousands of dollars on their home theatre, tell them there's no difference in quality between cheap cables and expensive cables.

let me know how you make out, lol. :rolleyes:

FYI, monster and ultralink make different grades of cables. if your using the monster THX cables for comparison, then yes, you won't see a difference.

move up to their 2nd grade, or ultralink's 2nd grade, and you'll see a difference.

go any higher and your wasting your money. unless your going with really long cables, the difference between 2nd and 3rd grade can't be seen by the naked eye.

talk to people in the know, lcaillo, people that have spent umpteen thousands of dollars on their home theatre, tell them there's no difference in quality between cheap cables and expensive cables.

let me know how you make out, lol. :rolleyes:

FYI, monster and ultralink make different grades of cables. if your using the monster THX cables for comparison, then yes, you won't see a difference.

move up to their 2nd grade, or ultralink's 2nd grade, and you'll see a difference.

go any higher and your wasting your money. unless your going with really long cables, the difference between 2nd and 3rd grade can't be seen by the naked eye.

This particular person you are disagreeing with happens to do this for a living. Perhaps you would care to share what type of business you are in that results in your being expert on cables.

talk to people in the know, lcaillo, people that have spent umpteen thousands of dollars on their home theatre, tell them there's no difference in quality between cheap cables and expensive cables.

let me know how you make out, lol. :rolleyes:

FYI, monster and ultralink make different grades of cables. if your using the monster THX cables for comparison, then yes, you won't see a difference.

move up to their 2nd grade, or ultralink's 2nd grade, and you'll see a difference.

go any higher and your wasting your money. unless your going with really long cables, the difference between 2nd and 3rd grade can't be seen by the naked eye.

Read my post. I stated clearly that assumption that there is not a difference in cables is false. It IS overstated and many of the statements, impressions, assumptions, and hype are just plain wrong. But there are differences. It is just hard to quantify them and the manufacturers intentionally confuse the matter to skew perceptions their way.

I have designed, sold, and installed systems into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have also auditioned and tested more different cables than you have likely ever seen.

Read the what I said and the context in which I carefully framed my remarks. The bottom line is that if you believe that Monster products are, ingeneral, a good value, you are mostly wrong. If you believe that there is a difference in cables and you like what you hear for what you are paying, then be happy with that. Just don't try to create a context that is not accurate. monster products are generally well made and in some cases perform better, but at least as often you can find better for less.

lcaillo, whats your opinion on the quality of Monster's M Series HDMI cables? That is their flagship line. Are there others you think are comparable to these specifically?

8' is what i have, and now i'm concerned that i might actually notice a difference by switching to a basic monoprice cable. i'm all for saving money, and by no means brand loyal when it comes to cables

lcaillo, whats your opinion on the quality of Monster's M Series HDMI cables? That is their flagship line. Are there others you think are comparable to these specifically?

8' is what i have, and now i'm concerned that i might actually notice a difference by switching to a basic monoprice cable. i'm all for saving money, and by no means brand loyal when it comes to cables


I would buy one and try it, its under $10......should be a good cheap test...

Read my post. I stated clearly that assumption that there is not a difference in cables is false. It IS overstated and many of the statements, impressions, assumptions, and hype are just plain wrong. But there are differences. It is just hard to quantify them and the manufacturers intentionally confuse the matter to skew perceptions their way.

I have designed, sold, and installed systems into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have also auditioned and tested more different cables than you have likely ever seen.

Read the what I said and the context in which I carefully framed my remarks. The bottom line is that if you believe that Monster products are, ingeneral, a good value, you are mostly wrong. If you believe that there is a difference in cables and you like what you hear for what you are paying, then be happy with that. Just don't try to create a context that is not accurate. monster products are generally well made and in some cases perform better, but at least as often you can find better for less.


it now seems to me that were actually saying the same thing, caillo.

in no way do i, or have i ever, thought that monster products are in general a good value. they're over priced, well over priced.

i've found lately though that allot of people have transformed monster's reputation from overpriced to inferior, and that's simply not the case.

personally, i much prefer ultralink over monster. they're every bit as good, if not better, but cost less.

sorry for any misunderstanding on my part. ;)

it now seems to me that were actually saying the same thing, caillo.

in no way do i, or have i ever, thought that monster products are in general a good value. they're over priced, well over priced.

i've found lately though that allot of people have transformed monster's reputation from overpriced to inferior, and that's simply not the case.

personally, i much prefer ultralink over monster. they're every bit as good, if not better, but cost less.

sorry for any misunderstanding on my part. ;)

Actually, at times they have been better and at times worse. My favorite demonstration a few years ago to show that cables could make a difference in video was to pass a composite multiburst through a monster video cable and through a similar length of RG6. The RG6 was virtually flat and the Monster had a nasty peak at about 3mHz and a low frequency roll-off, both properly terminated at 75 ohm. This is, fo course, atypical, but it illustrates that there are other issues considered in the design of Monster products than performance in at least some cases. Most video cables make little difference unless they are particularly bad.

One of the worst sounding speaker wires in the mid 80s was Monster cable. I have not auditioned them recently so I cannot comment on recent versions. The early stuff was also very bad about oxidizing. This seems to be less of a problem with recent MC speaker wire, however.

The point is, they have deserved much of the criticism that they have received, but one should be open minded in comparing the products.

lcaillo, whats your opinion on the quality of Monster's M Series HDMI cables? That is their flagship line. Are there others you think are comparable to these specifically?

8' is what i have, and now i'm concerned that i might actually notice a difference by switching to a basic monoprice cable. i'm all for saving money, and by no means brand loyal when it comes to cables

The whole point behind the TMDS system used in DVI and HDMI transmission is to minimize errors and EMI, and make possible the use of simple twisted pairs instead of coax (as is used for SDI). The system is very robust out to about 50 feet without shielding and much farther with it. There should be very little effect of the cables on the transmission. much more of an issue is the fit of the connectors, which has been a issue on some products, but newer connectors should be adhering to the standards that were introduced when the issue was discovered.

IOW, use the cheaper cable if it fits well into the connectors. Buy the sexy looking ones if that is important to you.

Monoprice and Blue Jeans Cable, both forum sponsors and with links at the top of the page, offer high quality at a fraction of the cost of Monster.

It seems that my innocent statement has elicited a lot of comment. If you read what I said, I simply stated that both Monprice and Blue Jeans Cable offered good products at a price lower than Monster. I did not say that they were any better or worse than Monster, just less expensive.

Having said that, I personally own cable from all three and have never seen or heard any difference in their performance. I can personally vouch for the customer service at Monoprice and Blue Jeans, but not for Monster. Based on my experience I would never buy any cable from a retail establishment again, and would only buy A/V cable online from the two sources referenced above based on cost, quality, appearence, and past experience. But that is just my opinion.

Just bought a Pio 5070. New house, had them do a prewire to put it over the fireplace. I just called the guy to get it installed, and mentioned I wanted to use the HDMI for an upconverting DVD player as well as the cable.

I was told "our prewire did not include HDMI. You don't want it anyway. Component is just as good and besides, Comcast doesn't support HDMI anyway." Well, I know the last part is wrong -- I have a Comcast HDMI box in my hands. I have assumed from reading this forum that HDMI was the current standard for HDTV and I am upset that my prewire only included component cables. I specifically asked if I would be able to use HDMI with the prewire and he told me yes at time of install. I asked him about that, and he told me that well, you have 2 cat 5 wires and those can be used for HDMI, but you have to use both for 1 HDMI line and you'd have to buy an expensive converter. IT would be cheaper to run 2 new HDMI lines. Well, the house is finished and I even have insulation now in that interior wall (for sound dampening between the great room and the master). I think it will be hard to add HDMI after the fact with insulation.

My question is this: is component acceptable for my new tv or will I be missing something without HDMI? Any recommendations are appreciated. By the way, the charge was $350 to run some wires, pre=drywall, from the wall to the side of the fireplace over the fireplace. Seemed high to me, but it was the price of tea in China so I didn't complain. Now that it seems I need it redone to have up-to-date wiring, I'm not very happy, but I don't want to be unreasonable, so please tell me if he is right and I'm wrong. Many thanks in advance.

$350 sounds pretty high to me for just that one run. You probably could have done the work yourself, even the drywall. However, if you felt uncomfortable doing that, you could have hired some drywall guys to come in behind you and do the work.

Now that it is done, I don't think you will see a signficant difference in picture quality. Biggest issue might be future upgrades, if you stay that long and change out equipment. I would say live with it for now, unless you can get them to come back and make the change.

Just recieved my cables from monoprice.

4x 6' premium component
3x 6' premium optical
2x 25' premium 2-RCA
1x 25' SVGA
100' 12AWG speaker wire


Total cost was ~200$ Canadian including shipping/duty/taxes and it took 10 days to deliver.


Considering to get the same quality cables at a local retailer would have cost me ~500-600$ I'd say I'm pretty happy :)

Thanks to this forum and everyone here for your help in convincing me monoprice was the way to go.

Cheers

I was told "our prewire did not include HDMI. You don't want it anyway. Component is just as good and besides, Comcast doesn't support HDMI anyway." Well, I know the last part is wrong -- I have a Comcast HDMI box in my hands.

well, i have the sony 2500 (costco version actually) and i have the motorola 6412 comcast STB. i switched from component to HDMI and it was a notable improvement.


I specifically asked if I would be able to use HDMI with the prewire and he told me yes at time of install. I asked him about that, and he told me that well, you have 2 cat 5 wires and those can be used for HDMI, but you have to use both for 1 HDMI line and you'd have to buy an expensive converter. IT would be cheaper to run 2 new HDMI lines.

if you said you wanted HDMI, and he said he said he'd do it, then i'd insist that they come back and do what you paid them to do. they may want to make adjustments with payment. don't pay for anything except difference of materials. hell, i'd argue they owe you for the error and inconvenience of having to resolve THIER ERROR.


Dry wall work and insulation is trivial if you don't mind getting your hands dirty. cut the wall, do the wiring, insulate, tape and bed new wall board, texture, paint. looks good as new. the guys at a place like home depot can walk you through it, or maybe you could find a contractor to just do it while you're there :)

Just got Comcast Digital Cable with SA 3100HD STB using component. It does not have an HDMI option. Comcast tells me the only HDMI box available to me is the SA 8300HD DVR. Is the PQ with HDMI really worth the extra cost to upgrade to DVR. I realize the other features of DVR, but PQ is my concern. This forum has been a great help. Thanks.

I just switched my SA8300HD DVR to use the component outputs, experimenting with the various connections on the STB and DVD and I have noticed that the component output is softer than the HDMI. This is actually OK on some of the worst NTSC and SD channels, but sucks for the HD stuff. I suspect that any conversions that you can avoid in the STB will benefit the image. I have never found much about any of the SA boxes to like in pix quality.

It seems to make much more difference on the STB than on the DVD. In fact, I could not tell much difference between HDMI and component on the DVD player (LG) at all, on any resolution.

The DVR is the one thing that I do think works well from SA. Not that the pix is very good, but it is well integrated with the guide and easy to use. We end up actually using it quite a bit.

I have called a second installer, recommended by a friend, who is going to assess the situation. I was unhappy with the group that did my prewire before I even had them do it, but I built a new house through a mass builder and you don't have control of the house until after you close when it's done. So my only choice was to use their sub - who was difficult to work with.

I have done some drywall work before -- but I'm not going to cut into the drywall on the brand new house in the main great room. I may be able to go under the crawl space - dropping the new HDMI cables straight through the open area where the gas fireplace is housed, down into the crawlspace, underneath the floor, then back up to the wall where my wiring now ends up. What a mess.

I have called a second installer, recommended by a friend, who is going to assess the situation. I was unhappy with the group that did my prewire before I even had them do it, but I built a new house through a mass builder and you don't have control of the house until after you close when it's done. So my only choice was to use their sub - who was difficult to work with.

I have done some drywall work before -- but I'm not going to cut into the drywall on the brand new house in the main great room. I may be able to go under the crawl space - dropping the new HDMI cables straight through the open area where the gas fireplace is housed, down into the crawlspace, underneath the floor, then back up to the wall where my wiring now ends up. What a mess.


just a heads up, Volfo, before you start. if your going to go with HDMI, make sure you get the 3rd generation connectors and not the 2nd. the 2nd generation HDMI connectors have "handshake" problems with some sources.

also, HDMI will not always look better than component, different for sure, but not always better. i've found that more often than not, there's no improvement in PQ, at least nothing visible to the naked eye.

another thing to consider is that HDMI isn't a very secure connection compared to DVI or component.

i prefer DVI over HDMI myself, with digital optical cable for audio.

This topic seems to be all about cables, but "power conditioners" was also mentioned in the title, so:

When I called the online dealer where I'm buying my new HDTV to order it, a HD-DVD player, and a power conditioner, the salesperson insisted that I should buy the Digicom 6900 instead of the Monster H2000 I was going to buy. Unfortunately, his fast talking made me order it, and I now know this was probably a bad decision. Is the Digicom a quality product, or should I cancel the order and get the Monster?

Okay, I have a question about the HDMI cables on Monoprice. They have 24AWG and 28AWG cables, among others. I've done a search and most posts say that with a run under 15ft, 28AWG would be fine, but with a run over 15ft, get the 24AWG.

What about at 15ft? I'm asking because that's one of the cable lengths they have, and the one shorter is 10ft (which of course would be fine for 28AWG since it's quite lower than 15ft), while the one longer is 25ft (well past 15ft, so it's into the 24AWG territory). I'm wondering if most people who said under/over 15ft were going by the next available lengths.

I won't be carrying audio on the cable right now, if that makes a difference.

BTW, I think a cables (interconnects?) sub-forum would be a good idea, although I have no idea where it should go.

You can't go wrong by getting the heavier gauge (smaller number). It will be a little stiffer.

I just returned my Monster Cable hdmi cable back to Best Buy and got one from Monoprice
I ordered it on Wednesday night and it came in today

very fast delivery

Hey guys, I've been browsing through this thread and the component to VGA cables caught my attention but is too pricey. Are there any cheaper solutions? Or can you guys recommend a decent component switch for a reasonable price?

How many posters in here are with Bell Canada and getting an HD signal via HDMI? If so, what are your thoughts?

Hey guys, I've been browsing through this thread and the component to VGA cables caught my attention but is too pricey. Are there any cheaper solutions? Or can you guys recommend a decent component switch for a reasonable price?

Try Monoprice. I think I paid about 10 bucks for 6' cable..

I'm looking for a good speaker switch where I can switch between 2 amps for one set of speakers, must have at least 200 amps capability, any help would be Great....Thanks

Try Monoprice. I think I paid about 10 bucks for 6' cable..

Damn. Why are their prices so cheap? Is this a good HDMI cable to get? :

Link (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=2283&seq=1&format=2&style=)

Damn. Why are their prices so cheap? Is this a good HDMI cable to get? :

Link (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=2283&seq=1&format=2&style=)
It is a very nice cable that works great at 1080p @ 60Hz. No sparkles, perfect picture. Monoprice is just one of those great companies that combines quality products, reasonable pricing, fast shipping and great customer service.

Damn. Why are their prices so cheap? Is this a good HDMI cable to get? :

Link (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=2283&seq=1&format=2&style=)


Read the user reviews.

Read the user reviews.


Ahhhh...never saw that. Thanks! :)

This topic seems to be all about cables, but "power conditioners" was also mentioned in the title, so:

When I called the online dealer where I'm buying my new HDTV to order it, a HD-DVD player, and a power conditioner, the salesperson insisted that I should buy the Digicom 6900 instead of the Monster H2000 I was going to buy. Unfortunately, his fast talking made me order it, and I now know this was probably a bad decision. Is the Digicom a quality product, or should I cancel the order and get the Monster?
i'm curious about this too. my janky power in this old house is not too be trusted - i've lost about 3 or 4 good camera batteries that i attribute to the circa 1960's wiring.

I'm slowly inching towards replacing my 4-year-old 36" CRT with a 50" plasma. I'm getting my HD feed from Comcast and have a Motorola 6412. The 6412 lacks a HDMI port, having only a DVI-D one. I'm assuming I need a DVI -> HDMI cable. Is this what I need?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&cs_id=1023102&p_id=2284&seq=1&format=2&style=

And if I understand correctly, DVI is video only so I'll need to run an audio cable, correct?

Thanks for any help. New technology is great but often confusing.

Try Monoprice. I think I paid about 10 bucks for 6' cable..

I see a VGA to component, that won't work will it? I think I'll do a search.

I'm slowly inching towards replacing my 4-year-old 36" CRT with a 50" plasma. I'm getting my HD feed from Comcast and have a Motorola 6412. The 6412 lacks a HDMI port, having only a DVI-D one. I'm assuming I need a DVI -> HDMI cable. Is this what I need?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10231&cs_id=1023102&p_id=2284&seq=1&format=2&style=

And if I understand correctly, DVI is video only so I'll need to run an audio cable, correct?

Thanks for any help. New technology is great but often confusing.


if your saying that the TV your getting has HDMI but not DVI then yes, you either need a cable converting from DVI to HDMI or just a converter connector, like this...

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041902&p_id=2029&seq=1&format=2&style=

I just picked up a Comcast (Motorolla - not sure of the model #) Dual Tuner HD DVR. They supplied me with an HDMI cable when I picked up the box (just a plan black HDMI cable in a clear plastic bag). Currently I am running this HDMI cable to connect the STB to my Samsung 4695D.

Is this HDMI cable OK - I have nothing to compare it too (the PQ looks great to me). Not sure if I should go out and buy a better cable (I was told at a few stores that I won't see a difference, and a few other stores said to spend the extra money and get a good HDMI cable).

I'm looking for a good speaker switch where I can switch between 2 amps for one set of speakers, must have at least 200 amps capability, any help would be Great....Thanks

Bump......anyone have a idea....thanks

Might look at

www.parts-express.com

they have a lot of speaker items.

I just picked up a Comcast (Motorolla - not sure of the model #) Dual Tuner HD DVR. They supplied me with an HDMI cable when I picked up the box (just a plan black HDMI cable in a clear plastic bag). Currently I am running this HDMI cable to connect the STB to my Samsung 4695D.

Is this HDMI cable OK - I have nothing to compare it too (the PQ looks great to me). Not sure if I should go out and buy a better cable (I was told at a few stores that I won't see a difference, and a few other stores said to spend the extra money and get a good HDMI cable).
If you aren't seeing anything obviously wrong with the picture like sparkles, streaks, flashing, static, etc. then a new cable will not offer you any better picture. Given what you described, I would just stick with what you got and spend the money on something more worthwhile.

I'm looking to buy 2 surge protectors, one for my plasma TV and one for the LCD TV.
All I want is to protect the TVs from power spikes or whatever else might happen. I searched this forum, but can't really find any recommendations on specific surge protectors.

I don't really want to buy a $6 surge protector in my local HW store, but have no idea how to choose between a million protectors offered on the internet

anyone have feedback about the PowerSquid (http://www.powersquid.net/) ?

i have regular Squid (no surge protection, just outlets), and i love it because none of the plugs get in the way of another.

anyone have feedback about the PowerSquid (http://www.powersquid.net/) ?

i have regular Squid (no surge protection, just outlets), and i love it because none of the plugs get in the way of another.

I don't have any info on PowerSquid, but my local electronics store stocks 1 ft grounded extension cords which, when combined with a power strip, accomplish the same thing as the regular Squid at a lower cost. Radio Shack also stocks non-grounded 6" extension cords.

Personally, I wouldn't rely on the PowerSquid for surge protection. It almost definitely uses sacrifical parts, which will wear out over time and you probably won't know it until some supposedly protected equipment gets hit. If you want reliable surge protection, look for Brickwall, ZeroSurge, or other manufacturers who use better technology that is reliable over multiple surges.

I'm trying to extend my power cable for my new Panasonic Plasma, I ordered a 15 foot power cable from monoprice, it appears to be non-shielded but the one that came with the TV is shielded, should I be concerned with using the unshielded cable and instead try to get the shielded cable?

I just picked up my Panny 42PX60U and am hooking it up to a Motorola Digital Cable Box with HDMI. The set has a digital audio out and my received does not have an HDMI input. Can I run the HDMI from the cable box to the TV and the digital audio out from the TV to the receiver and get the 5.1 effect that the digital cable box supports. Second issue would be DVD player has HDMI and I will use 2nd HDMI on TV for this. Would I have to use the digital audio out on the DVD to go directly to the receiver or would the digital out on the TV accomplish this so all I would need is one audio connection for the entire system.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Some Motorola boxes have a firmware bug where whatever is negotiated on HDMI also affects the digital audio out. When connected to a TV, the HDMI connection negotiated 2-channel and that forces 2-channel on the digital out. There is a firmware fix from Motorola regarding this problem, but not all cable systems have deployed. So the answer is it depends.

If you connect the DVD players HDMI to the TV then you should also connect the digital audio out from the DVD player to your receiver to get 5.1 sound. Whatever is sent from the DVD player to the TV over HDMI will end up negotiating as 2-channel and from that point on the audio will be 2-channel even if you route it back to your receiver from the TV.

Some Motorola boxes have a firmware bug where whatever is negotiated on HDMI also affects the digital audio out. When connected to a TV, the HDMI connection negotiated 2-channel and that forces 2-channel on the digital out. There is a firmware fix from Motorola regarding this problem, but not all cable systems have deployed. So the answer is it depends.

If you connect the DVD players HDMI to the TV then you should also connect the digital audio out from the DVD player to your receiver to get 5.1 sound. Whatever is sent from the DVD player to the TV over HDMI will end up negotiating as 2-channel and from that point on the audio will be 2-channel even if you route it back to your receiver from the TV.


Thanks so much, I'll check it out tonight when I am hooking it up.

Some Motorola boxes have a firmware bug where whatever is negotiated on HDMI also affects the digital audio out. When connected to a TV, the HDMI connection negotiated 2-channel and that forces 2-channel on the digital out. There is a firmware fix from Motorola regarding this problem, but not all cable systems have deployed. So the answer is it depends.

If you connect the DVD players HDMI to the TV then you should also connect the digital audio out from the DVD player to your receiver to get 5.1 sound. Whatever is sent from the DVD player to the TV over HDMI will end up negotiating as 2-channel and from that point on the audio will be 2-channel even if you route it back to your receiver from the TV.

Would that also apply to running HDMI from my Motorola 3416 STB to my Samsung LN-S4695D - and then an optical out from my Samsung to my Bose Life Style Series 2.

I ask because that is how we have it setup and it appears we are getting 5.1 surround (we hear different sounds often coming from the back two speakers, than we hear coming from the front - surround effects)...

I tried running HDMI from the STB to the Samsung, and also an Optical Cable from the STB straight to the Bose - but then I had no audio?

I ended up hooking up the motorola STB to the TV with HDMI and then using the digitial audio out from the STB directly to my Sony STRDA555ES receiver. I didn't have a problem getting 5.1 with ESPN last night but while watching CSI, which is broadcast in 5.1 my receiver played the audio in 2.0, maybe it was a CBS problem but I also had it with HBO HD on something that should have been 5.1. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks

Would that also apply to running HDMI from my Motorola 3416 STB to my Samsung LN-S4695D - and then an optical out from my Samsung to my Bose Life Style Series 2.

I ask because that is how we have it setup and it appears we are getting 5.1 surround (we hear different sounds often coming from the back two speakers, than we hear coming from the front - surround effects)...

I tried running HDMI from the STB to the Samsung, and also an Optical Cable from the STB straight to the Bose - but then I had no audio?

it could be that i'm not understanding your problem, RW, but i'll ask anyway. :)

since HDMI carries both audio and video, why are you using an optical cable for audio?

Joe - below is my current setup:

1. Motorolla 3416 STB to Samsung LN-S4695D LCD - HDMI Cable (both video and audio)
2. Samsung LN-S4695D LCD to Bose Lifestyle Series 2 - Optical Cable (Get the audio to my stereo since I don't use the TV audio).

I have read quite a few posts saying that I should not be getting 5.1 surround if I pass the audio through the TV to get it to my stereo using HDMI to the TV then the Optical to the Stereo - it appears to me however that I am getting it...?

I did however try running audio straight from the Motorola 3416 straight to the Bose with an Optical cable (and still used the HDMI to get the video to the TV) but for some reason I was getting no audio at all when I did this?

PS - For those of you running optical cables - how good does the connection feel when you plug them in - mine feel very loose, almost as if it could fall out - the audio sounds great so it must be connecting OK...

RW: so #1 is fine then, the question is really #2, right?

if so, the lifestyle series II has a DVD/CD player so i'm assuming that's your source. you should have HDMI only running from the bose system to your screen. having two audio sources is most probably the reason your not getting any audio at all.

does your screen have two HDMI inputs, or just one?

also, optical connections feel a bit loose but they do plug in, if they're put in right.

Joe,

Sorry so confusing.

When my system is working I am running HDMI from cable box to TV, then Optical from TV to Bose (this is the way many are saying I will not get 5.1 surround though - although it appears to be working as far as I can tell).

If I try to go straight from the cable box to the Bose with the optical (not running to the TV first) I lose the sound (might be something that needs to be configured in the Motorola 3416). When I am doing it this way I am running HDMI from the cable box to the TV (just like the situation above), but rather than then going from the TV to the Bose with the optical, I just go straight from the cable box to the Bose with the Optical.

In both cases above I am only using 2 cables - an HDMI and an Optical.

Not sure if that makes more sense.

This goes with my post above.

Just got off the phone with Comcast - they are telling me that in addition to running the optical cable from my cable box (3416) to my Bose Stereo, I also need to use an RCA cable and connect the SPDIF out (located right about the optical out) to the digital input on the bose stereo.

Does this sound right that I would need to run both an optical cable, and an RCA cable to my bose from the cable box?

Would that also apply to running HDMI from my Motorola 3416 STB to my Samsung LN-S4695D - and then an optical out from my Samsung to my Bose Life Style Series 2.

I ask because that is how we have it setup and it appears we are getting 5.1 surround (we hear different sounds often coming from the back two speakers, than we hear coming from the front - surround effects)...

I tried running HDMI from the STB to the Samsung, and also an Optical Cable from the STB straight to the Bose - but then I had no audio?
Are you hearing simulated surround from the rear speakers or is it really 5.1 sound.

5.1 has distinct channels for front (left, center, right), back (left, right), and LFE (Low Frequency Effects). Your receiver should say 5.1 or DD 5.1 or DD or DTS as the input signal. If it says Dolby Prologic then that is simulated surround from a 2-channel source.

If your Samsung negotiates real 5.1 with the 3416 STB, that is the first I've heard of a TV doing that (though there is nothing stopping TV designers from doing so) Since most TVs only have 2 speakers internally they almost always negotiate 2-channel sound over HDMI. The better design would have them negotiate 2-channel or 5.1 channel sound (based on user selection) and then internally downmix 5.1 if necessary for the TV speakers then send 5.1 to your audio receiver, encoding as DD or DTS if necessary.

Regarding why the digital audio out from the 3416 doesn't work, I don't know. Is there some signal and your receiver isn't compatible with or is there no signal at all? I mean signal on the cable, which is not necessarily the same as sound from the speakers.

I ended up hooking up the motorola STB to the TV with HDMI and then using the digitial audio out from the STB directly to my Sony STRDA555ES receiver. I didn't have a problem getting 5.1 with ESPN last night but while watching CSI, which is broadcast in 5.1 my receiver played the audio in 2.0, maybe it was a CBS problem but I also had it with HBO HD on something that should have been 5.1. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
I think the bug affect 6412 and maybe 3412 PVR/STBs. Something about tuner 1 sending out 5.1, but tuner 2 downmixing to 2-channel. There was a 12.?? firmware to fix the problem. I don't know if the bug affected the non-PVR STBs but it might have.

The CBS 5.1 problem could be CBS-side also. If all the other channels give you 5.1, I would observer the behavior a little longer and see if you detect a pattern.

This goes with my post above.

Just got off the phone with Comcast - they are telling me that in addition to running the optical cable from my cable box (3416) to my Bose Stereo, I also need to use an RCA cable and connect the SPDIF out (located right about the optical out) to the digital input on the bose stereo.

Does this sound right that I would need to run both an optical cable, and an RCA cable to my bose from the cable box?
That makes no sense because the RCA digital audio port carries the same data as the optical digital audio port. In one case the digital is carried as electrical signals while the other uses optical signals. The data is the same. It would only make sense if they are saying the optical port is disabled or not functioning correctly.

I think first thing you need to determine is whether you are getting true 5.1 from Samsung to Bose or simulated 5.1 from a 2-channel source. I'm unsure your level of expertise with this stuff so I don't want to sound offensive asking simple questions like that. I know my friend thought for a long time he was getting 5.1 sound because he heard sound from the back speakers but in reality he was just getting the front channel sounds out all the speakers with some slight delay to simulate the surround sound effect. This is completely different than 5.1 sound where the rear speakers have separate audio tracks that were recorded on disc. In fact many people think surround sound is broken with real 5.1 sound because often the rear speakers don't have any sound until a scene where they are used like airplane running overhead or some other action scene. Also many times the speaking voices come from the center speaker only. The front 2 speakers are instead used for sound effects. It depends on the movie of course.

If your Samsung really is sending 5.1 to the Bose (rather than the 2-channel LPCM I suspect), then why worry about it. It works so leave it in that config.

Oh, one other thing, if you use the internal QAM tuner on the Samsung, then you will get 5.1 audio from the TV optical/rca digital audio out. It is just the audio from the STB that gets sent over HDMI to the TV then resent to the receiver that is in question.

This goes with my post above.

Just got off the phone with Comcast - they are telling me that in addition to running the optical cable from my cable box (3416) to my Bose Stereo, I also need to use an RCA cable and connect the SPDIF out (located right about the optical out) to the digital input on the bose stereo.

Does this sound right that I would need to run both an optical cable, and an RCA cable to my bose from the cable box?

This is complete hogwash. those bozos have no idea what they are speaking about. Typical cable idiots. As previously stated, it makes no difference if you use the coaxial SPDIF or the optical to get the 5.1 to the receiver, either should work. You do not have to use both.

I also agree that it is highly unlikely that you are receiving 5.1 via an optical fromt he TV to the receiver. It is probably 2.0 that your reveiver is converting to DPL and providing a rear sound field.

You should be able to run the video to the display via HDMI or component, or even S Video ro Composite for that matter. Then you can connect the audio to the receiver via optical for 5.1. If this is not working, it is in the STB. My first suggestion woudl be to check the set up menu on the STB to be sure that, since using HDMI, you do not have to redirect the audio to another output source. I have the same STB and did not have to do this, but maybe mine was configured differently than yours to start with. All I know is that I had been using component cables and an optical out and then I got a new display and went to HDMI and optical out, and it all worked fine from the get go.

Go to the setup in the STB first and see what you can accomplish there.

You should be able to run the video to the display via HDMI or component, or even S Video ro Composite for that matter. Then you can connect the audio to the receiver via optical for 5.1. If this is not working, it is in the STB. My first suggestion woudl be to check the set up menu on the STB to be sure that, since using HDMI, you do not have to redirect the audio to another output source. I have the same STB and did not have to do this, but maybe mine was configured differently than yours to start with. All I know is that I had been using component cables and an optical out and then I got a new display and went to HDMI and optical out, and it all worked fine from the get go.

Go to the setup in the STB first and see what you can accomplish there.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Tarheel72 - I can't find anything in setup that seems to make a difference. Would you mind taking a look in your audio setup on the STB and tell me if yours says it is outputting to the TV speaker or to Stereo...

Thanks

The 3416 has an SPDIF Optical Out, and then above it an orange RCA jack which also says SPDIF digital out. I ran an RCA cable from that to the RCA digital in jack on my Bose and the audio works fine (although I do hear an occassional little pop sound when I change channels - probably the quality of the cable I am using). So I am thinking that maybe the Optical Out on my 3416 is just not working (I spoke with a Comcast rep who said it should be working fine and they thought it was just the box).

Can anyone tell me if I am losing sound quality by using this Orange SPDIF (RCA Connection) rather than the Optical SPDIF - they both seem to be digital. I do seem to be getting surround using this connection.

I also noticed that when I plug the optical cable into my Bose it has a loose connection, but pretty much stays put, and when I plug it into the TV I get the same feel - but when I plug it into 3416 it is practically falling out and never feels like it is plugged in....

* Edit - I picked up a decent Digital Coaxial cable and the sound is very clean with not little pops or crackle sounds when I change channels. I was told that the sound quality of this Digitial Coaxial will be the same as if I used the Digital Optical cable - if that is true then I won't bother swapping my DVR box for one that the Optical output might work (if they are incorrect in the sound quality being the same please let me know). Thanks

The 3416 has an SPDIF Optical Out, and then above it an orange RCA jack which also says SPDIF digital out. I ran an RCA cable from that to the RCA digital in jack on my Bose and the audio works fine (although I do hear an occassional little pop sound when I change channels - probably the quality of the cable I am using). So I am thinking that maybe the Optical Out on my 3416 is just not working (I spoke with a Comcast rep who said it should be working fine and they thought it was just the box).

Can anyone tell me if I am losing sound quality by using this Orange SPDIF (RCA Connection) rather than the Optical SPDIF - they both seem to be digital. I do seem to be getting surround using this connection.

I also noticed that when I plug the optical cable into my Bose it has a loose connection, but pretty much stays put, and when I plug it into the TV I get the same feel - but when I plug it into 3416 it is practically falling out and never feels like it is plugged in....

* Edit - I picked up a decent Digital Coaxial cable and the sound is very clean with not little pops or crackle sounds when I change channels. I was told that the sound quality of this Digitial Coaxial will be the same as if I used the Digital Optical cable - if that is true then I won't bother swapping my DVR box for one that the Optical output might work (if they are incorrect in the sound quality being the same please let me know). Thanks
When you are plugging in the optical cable it should snap into place. It shouldn't be very loose like you are describing. You can tell if an optical port is active or not by using a pen cap to move the cover out of the way on the 3416. You should see some red lights that is the optical transmission.

One possibility is the optical connection is broken since it shouldn't be so loose.

Another possibility is the Bose needs configuration to choose the optical connection as active. Some receivers have default mappings from the digital ports to specific inputs on the receiver. Optical might be mapped to DVD and coax SPDIF might be mapped to CableTV.

The cracking might be the cable, but I have also observed that many receivers will crackle a little when they lose the digital stream (ie when you change channels) , so it is a property of your receiver.

RW_2006: It sounds like you have solved your problem. It appears that you have a faulty optical output. As I said, I did not change any settings on my STB and apparently you don't have to do that either. And you seemed to have fixed the popping by using a quality coax audio cable designed for the digital audio connection. So I would say you are covered and not worry about it anymore, as the quality of the optical and the digital coax are comparable.

Thanks again everyone for all the help.

Oh - and I am now pretty sure that I was not getting True 5.1 when running through the TV but just a simulated 5.1 like some of you had suggested (still sounded pretty damn good).

Are you hearing simulated surround from the rear speakers or is it really 5.1 sound.

5.1 has distinct channels for front (left, center, right), back (left, right), and LFE (Low Frequency Effects). Your receiver should say 5.1 or DD 5.1 or DD or DTS as the input signal. If it says Dolby Prologic then that is simulated surround from a 2-channel source.

When I go to the Bose Status screen while playing TV it definately says something like Dolby 5.1, or sometimes DD1+1 (not sure what this means) depending on what channel I am on.

When I go to the Bose Status screen while playing TV it definately says something like Dolby 5.1, or sometimes DD1+1 (not sure what this means) depending on what channel I am on.
DD1+1 is probably what they are calling 2-channel.

You'll see that on analog and traditional SD channels without DD5.1 track.

Usually the movie channels and many HD channels will have DD5.1 either all the time or during specific shows.

I got a Westy 32w6 and want to try it our with my MacBook. So, I ordered a mini-DVI to VGA adapter, now just need to order the correct cable from MonoPrice. Does it matter if I order a Regular VGA or SVGA cable? Which one do I need? Should I see a pretty good difference between the VGA connection and an S-Video?

I have the same box but can't play the TV signal with the hdmi cable. Any ideas?

I recently bought by first HDTV, a Panasonic 42PH9UK(Industrial version), and a HTIB Panasonic SC-HT940. Now I am looking to get the needed surge protection.

I know there is too much of sales pitch at the local CC, BB or any store, so I was wondering what is the level of surge protection which is really needed and which power supply would the gurus in this forum recommend.

Thanks

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812120408

Got questions for you guys.Im Buying a Lc46d62u(2-HDMI)

1-
Want to know the best way to hook up my pc,dvd,cable box to LC46D62u.
Setup will be as follow :
1 - SAMSUNG HD-960
2 - HD CABLE BOX

PC has a Radeon 9600xt,with DVI AND VGA CONNECTOR,+ i think it supports 1920x1080 - 1080p 60hz



2-Whats the best setup
a) input both dvd player and hd cable with hdmi and output optical sound from lcd to HK AVR-125 receiver
b) input both dvd player and hd cable with hdmi and output optical sound from both devices to HK AVR-125 receiver.

3-Is using a PC UPS(APC BACK-UPS ES 650) for my A/V as good as real power conditionner(like monter power,etc.)???

Thankz

Please read post 917 above as well as this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=747243

You will not get DD 5.1/DTS if you loop the audio through the TV to the receiver from your DVD or STB, even with HDMI.

I need to make a connection between the digitial audio output jack on my DISH ViP622 to connect into a port on my TV. I am not familiar with the proper terminology for this (something like PCM?). The digital out port is the optical one, kind of squarish with a plastic flap cover. The other end of the cable (digital audio in to the TV) looks like a regular RCA connector? I am just trying to get my head around the proper names for the type of cable/connector. Would appreciate your help. Thanks.

The squarish optical is called TOSlink. The RCA digital jack is, probably, S/PDIF. You cannot directly connect one to the other. Are there no matching jacks on the two devices? If not, you need to buy a convertor from one to the other.

I need to make a connection between the digitial audio output jack on my DISH ViP622 to connect into a port on my TV. I am not familiar with the proper terminology for this (something like PCM?). The digital out port is the optical one, kind of squarish with a plastic flap cover. The other end of the cable (digital audio in to the TV) looks like a regular RCA connector? I am just trying to get my head around the proper names for the type of cable/connector. Would appreciate your help. Thanks.

PCM (pulse code modulation) is one of the signal formats over a digital audio link. It's the same as the way CD audio is recorded. The other will be Dolby Digital, which comes in stereo 2.1 and surround 5.1 forms.

The optical connector we usually just call optical but its proper name is TOSLINK. (the "TOS" is for Toshiba.) The other end is "digital coaxial" S/PDIF (the "S/P" is for Sony/Philips). There are adapters between these, but they are a little bit expensive. Usually you would connect one of optical to optical or digital coaxial to digital coaxial, when both are available. First, make sure you don't have a digital coaxial output on your Dish receiver. It would have an orange jack (not yellow). Also make sure you don't have optical on the TV.

Digital coaxial is a plain old 75 ohm RCA termination, so a regular old composite video cable can be used.

If you need the adapter (without recommending this particular brand or vendor), on this page

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&style=

you'll find a start at seeing what your adapter looks like.

Ive seen a lot of TVs (plasmas and projections) that strangely look better with component cables, (you would think HDMI would rock the house being digital and all) but au contraire. It depends on your TV, your source (cable, dvd, video game, etc.) and also the cables. If you are using really bad component cables or hdmi cables, they can make or break you essentially. I use Monster THX Ultra component cables and they work fabulous. Now granted, component cables are only going to get you a max res. of 480p (progressive)

Ive seen a lot of TVs (plasmas and projections) that strangely look better with component cables, (you would think HDMI would rock the house being digital and all) but au contraire. It depends on your TV, your source (cable, dvd, video game, etc.) and also the cables. If you are using really bad component cables or hdmi cables, they can make or break you essentially. I use Monster THX Ultra component cables and they work fabulous. Now granted, component cables are only going to get you a max res. of 480p (progressive)
The component cables themselves don't control the max res. The source and display devices control that. xbox does 1080p over component. Upconverting SD DVD player will not upconvert over component. HD-DVD and BluRay will do 1080i over component.

Similarly, HDMI cables do not control whether the picture looks better or not. Their job is just to get the bits from the source to the display accurately and without error. What the source device does to process the HDMI signal prior to hitting the cable, and what your display does with it afterwards is not controlled by the HDMI cable. Some things that could go wrong include different color calabration on HDMI input, different video processing on HDMI input, more accurate display of source flaws on HDMI, etc. etc.

That is the reason it is difficult to answer the question of whether HDMI will look better or not. I can say 100% that properly functioning HDMI cables will get the data from source to display as or more accurate than component cables. Whether it looks better depends on too many factors to make any blanket statements and will depend on the combination of source, display, and settings.

Just so no one else is confused, component will carry anything from 480i to 1080p.

Ive seen a lot of TVs (plasmas and projections) that strangely look better with component cables, (you would think HDMI would rock the house being digital and all) but au contraire. It depends on your TV, your source (cable, dvd, video game, etc.) and also the cables. If you are using really bad component cables or hdmi cables, they can make or break you essentially. I use Monster THX Ultra component cables and they work fabulous. Now granted, component cables are only going to get you a max res. of 480p (progressive)

this post has so many bad assumptions in it, it is not worth disecting.

Is using a PC UPS(APC BACK-UPS ES 650) for my A/V as good as real power conditionner(like monter power,etc.)???

PCM (pulse code modulation) is one of the signal formats over a digital audio link. It's the same as the way CD audio is recorded. The other will be Dolby Digital, which comes in stereo 2.1 and surround 5.1 forms.

The optical connector we usually just call optical but its proper name is TOSLINK. (the "TOS" is for Toshiba.) The other end is "digital coaxial" S/PDIF (the "S/P" is for Sony/Philips). There are adapters between these, but they are a little bit expensive. Usually you would connect one of optical to optical or digital coaxial to digital coaxial, when both are available. First, make sure you don't have a digital coaxial output on your Dish receiver. It would have an orange jack (not yellow). Also make sure you don't have optical on the TV.

Digital coaxial is a plain old 75 ohm RCA termination, so a regular old composite video cable can be used.

If you need the adapter (without recommending this particular brand or vendor), on this page

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&style=

you'll find a start at seeing what your adapter looks like.

Thank you much for the info and URL reference. I have checked and my TV does not have an optical input, and the DISH ViP622 does not have a digital audio coax output, so it looks as if I will need the converter. The monoprice URL you suggested does not specifically say it includes the external power supply needed for the converter; some reviews at monoprice say it came with power supply, but one review says it did not. I am inquiring about this, because the monoprice price is about half the price of the unit at another online source at

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/audio_toslink_adapters.html

does show the converter with an external power supply.

Anyway, you got me started in the right direction.

I'm going to be getting a 50" plasma (prob panny) and a Dish 622 DVR in the next couple weeks. I would like to order the cables so I have them before the tv arrives. I'm using a Yamaha RX-V1300 receiver (no HDMI).

What's the best way to set this up? I was thinking of running HDMI to the tv from the sat receiver/DVR and optical from sat/DVR to receiver. Would that enable sound to come from the tv (for news, etc.) as well as receiver/surround system when desired? My understanding is that if I just run optical out from tv to receiver that surround won't work.

I would also need to connect a DVD player or potentially a PS3. Would it be better to connect this to the receiver and then to the tv (with component) to make sure that sound is fine?

I would like some recommendations so I can get to ordering. Probably Monoprice. Thanks!

Ive just found a good alternative to monoprice for canadian custumers:

http://www.onlybestrated.com

Theyre located in Ontario,seem to have decent price.They dont have as much choice as monoprice,but should fill the avg user needs.

Is using a PC UPS(APC BACK-UPS ES 650) for my A/V as good as real power conditionner(like monter power,etc.)???
I was hoping someone would answer your question.

I considered using a computer-style UPS to protect my plasma. Not for battery backup, of course, but for its excellent surge protection. I ended up with a Monster surge protector, after learning I could get one from one of my vendors at work for significantly less than the retail price.

stone_lcd,

Is using a PC UPS(APC BACK-UPS ES 650) for my A/V as good as real power conditionner(like monter power,etc.)???

Look for a unit that provides continous (usually through a "gel cell") power. Most of the units you see in Circuit City, Staples, etc. are units that "switch" to battery backup and as you probably know batteries are DC power and circuits inside the UPS "clip" the square wave to supply power. Really what you are buying (APC BACK-UPS ES 650) is a Surge protector (a.k.a. Voltage Regulator) that has the capability to switch to a battery backup. These units are designed mainly for Computers and small networks that give users time to shut down equipment. These units are not the same thing as "Power Conditioning" units. If you can find one that provides continous power (and a true "sine wave"), where the cell is always feeding the equipment on the front end and constantly recharging on the back end I think you will get better protection for Home Theater use. I probably didn't explain that very good but I tried, wish I could draw a picture in a post.

Here is the type of unit I'm referring to: http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=310

Later...

Why, exactly, do you need such filtering and regulation? Do you understand how modern power supplies work? With modern SMPS you will not see small fluctuations or noise in the a.c. line affecting the output to the various circuits in your set at all. A good surge suppressor that protects all incoming lines for the rare significant damaging event is all you need unless you have a specific problem that needs filtering. The value of a UPS is questionable,a nd they tend to create problems in some systems.

Thank's for the advice guys. I had already looked into the power consumtion of an lcd(about 250-300 watt) and of my receiver(540watt). A normal basic computer ups does 350-500 watt maximum output,so i was kinda obvious i couldnt use that kind of hardware for my A/V equipment.

Instead i bought an Monster HTS 1000 MKII PowerCenter™ with Clean Power™ Stage 2 v.2.0
http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=1901&LastPage=Home%20Theater%20Power

It's not a UPS but should do the job for the kind of use i do and since i didnt want to spend a anourmus amount of money on power protection.

The component cables themselves don't control the max res. The source and display devices control that. Upconverting SD DVD player will not upconvert over component.

My Westinghouse monitor says it auto "upconverts" SD DVD signals. Would component leads work for that?

My Westinghouse monitor says it auto "upconverts" SD DVD signals. Would component leads work for that?
Yes, because the DVD player will be sending 480i or 480p to the TV.

The restriction I was describing is on the source device upconverting SD DVDs prior to sending it to the TV. Due to licensing, players are not supposed to do the upconverting unless you are using a digital connection with HDCP. Don't worry that it doesn't make sense, these are studios we are talking about.

Hello, i am not sure if this is the place but after trying and failing to locate the information i thought i would just ask here. Due to the room constraints of my home theater i have discovered that i will need both HDMI and component cables that will reach about 30 feet. Can anyone recomment a good CHEAP place to buy such cables? i realize HDMI doesn't have to be particularly shielded but i am looking for a component cable that will not act as a 30ft antenna, any suggestions? thanks

monoprice.com has good, inexpensive HDMI cables.. not sure about component


beware tho - the 22AWG are very stiff, fat cables. i just got mine today and i can't use it. it won't fit between the TV input and my wall mount :(

luckily, i bought lighter guage too. i'll call monoprice tomorrow to see if they'll let me return this other cable.

anyone else run into this problem?

I'm about to pull the trigger on a boatload of cables from monoprice, what gauge should I be looking at for in wall runs?

I only have to run about 13-15 feet but need some slack for connecting to the wall mounted LCD. Looks like I'm stuck with 25' lengths, will that cause a problem?

Thanks!

Why, exactly, do you need such filtering and regulation? Do you understand how modern power supplies work? With modern SMPS you will not see small fluctuations or noise in the a.c. line affecting the output to the various circuits in your set at all. A good surge suppressor that protects all incoming lines for the rare significant damaging event is all you need unless you have a specific problem that needs filtering. The value of a UPS is questionable,a nd they tend to create problems in some systems.

I concur. When I and my other EE friends walk through Best Buy and see the Monster power conditioner they have there, we all have to burst out laughing even though we have seen it week after week.

It is amazing the number of people that trust the TV manufacturer to design high quality electronics for the rest of the set but seem to assume the power supply designer was an idiot.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a boatload of cables from monoprice, what gauge should I be looking at for in wall runs?

I only have to run about 13-15 feet but need some slack for connecting to the wall mounted LCD. Looks like I'm stuck with 25' lengths, will that cause a problem?

Thanks!

anyone? I'm trying to get this fooking thing set up before turkey day!

monoprice.com has good, inexpensive HDMI cables.. not sure about component


beware tho - the 22AWG are very stiff, fat cables. i just got mine today and i can't use it. it won't fit between the TV input and my wall mount :(

luckily, i bought lighter guage too. i'll call monoprice tomorrow to see if they'll let me return this other cable.

anyone else run into this problem?
Will this monoprice port saver help?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=2891&seq=1&format=2&style=

I concur. When I and my other EE friends walk through Best Buy and see the Monster power conditioner they have there, we all have to burst out laughing even though we have seen it week after week.

It is amazing the number of people that trust the TV manufacturer to design high quality electronics for the rest of the set but seem to assume the power supply designer was an idiot.
I wouldn't say idiot, and I don't know about all industries, but in some of the ones I've been involved with the power supply design was relegated to the guy out of college because it wasn't seen as sexy but basically grunt work. That's more a comment on the reliability of design and *not* a comment supporting a need for filtering ala monster.

I'm about to pull the trigger on a boatload of cables from monoprice, what gauge should I be looking at for in wall runs?

I only have to run about 13-15 feet but need some slack for connecting to the wall mounted LCD. Looks like I'm stuck with 25' lengths, will that cause a problem?

Thanks!
i'm assuming you want to know about HDMI, but monoprice has all the 22AWG at the top of the page (http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&style=) . they are very thick and these are the same ones i just bought. note my caution about the stiff cables from a few posts above.


and thanks SFHUB - i think that port saver is exactly what i need.

I wouldn't say idiot, and I don't know about all industries, but in some of the ones I've been involved with the power supply design was relegated to the guy out of college because it wasn't seen as sexy but basically grunt work. That's more a comment on the reliability of design and *not* a comment supporting a need for filtering ala monster.

It is true that some power supplies are poorly designed. In fact, one is MUCH more likely to get noise from the SMPS itself in the video circuits than from noise on the a.c. line. Obviously, power conditioners do NOTHING for these problems. Anyone who understands how a SMPS works understands that low level noise on the line will not survive the conversion. Conventional power supplies that are found in some high end sources and most amps/receivers are another matter, but the noise on the a.c. line rarely finds its way through better power supplies in these units either.

I do not suggest that power conditioners do not clean up noise on the a.c. line. They often do, and I have seen and measured the effect many times. I have also tried to identify noise after the power supply in many units and tried to identify noise differences post ps with and without the power conditioner on my bench and have never found any benefit.

Ne1 know if one product is better thant the other or what are the differences:

-Home Theatre PowerCenter™ HTS 2000 MKII with Clean Power™ Stage 2 v.2.0
http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=1900

-Home Theatre POWERBAR® 2100 with Clean Power™ Stage 2 v.2.0
http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=1219

plz no "Conditioners aint worth sh*t" posts.

Also,ne1 vouching for the monoprice 5x1 hdmi switch??
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=2777&seq=1&format=2

Ne1 know if one product is better thant the other or what are the differences:


Better/worse in what way? What are you trying to accomplish? What problem are you trying to solve or prevent?

Ive got to buy one or the other,let say they are the same price,they seem like pretty similar product,maybe one is superior,wich one should i buy?(i want to use it on my av equipement)

Hello There,

I am in the process of mounting my LCD to the wall, therefore, my original cables will not reach from my HD cable box to back of the LCD. I went to buy longer cables but did not realize there are so many choices. My question is...what kind of cables do I need to buy?

Thanks in advance,

psrome

I've got basically this set up as a final result when I'm done. I am asking about how I have to run my cables.

To the right of the fireplace in between the window and mantle there is a 4.5" void that goes straight down to the basement which is where the electrician ran the electric for the outlet that is behind the set itself. I need to run speaker wire for the left front, right front and center channel down the same void along with HDMI, Component and DVI cables.

I'm guessing that if I do that I will get interference off the electric wire that the electrician ran? How can I "protect" or shield the wire from that? Is that even possible?

I would run the video cables down the left side but I found out the void isn't replicated on the left. Thoughts?
http://home.rochester.rr.com/cvaisey/Misc/Wall%20Mount.JPG

word of caution: make sure you know exactly what you want when you order from monoprice.com - they're customer service is terrible and it's just much easier to work with them if you never have to communicate with them. they don't return emails & the lady who works the phone is ignorant of the product (and curt for that matter).

does anyone here know how much you can bend the Product ID: 2841, "HDMI Tin-Plated Copper Cable (26AWG) - 25ft (Gold Plated)". i want to know how many inches are required between the input and when the cable can make a "non stressful" 90 degree turn. monoprice has no idea

thanks

here's my dilemma - i need 25' of cable. bought the 22 guage but its too stiff. at this point i can either return the 22 guage and get a lighter guage, or i can buy male-to-female 8" port savers.

it seems kinda weird having to have a nice 25' 22 guage cable with 8" 28 guage adapters at the endpoints, no? wouldn't it make more sense to just have a single cable that is more flexible? the only problem with returning and getting 25' of a lighter guage (26 AWG for example) is that it's out of stock until 11/30/2006 :(

any advice/recommendations would be appreciated since i can't seem to get any from monoprice

word of caution: make sure you know exactly what you want when you order from monoprice.com - they're customer service is terrible and it's just much easier to work with them if you never have to communicate with them. they don't return emails & the lady who works the phone is ignorant of the product (and curt for that matter).
Don't know what happened in your case. In my experience they seem to have some of the best customer service. They return emails and are courteous and seem to care about their customers. I haven't spoken to a lady though. Maybe you called when they were out to lunch?

I have only personally tested the 22, 24, and 28AWG cables. I thought I tested the 26AWG but I can't find it in my cable pile anymore. I've curled the 22AWG 90 degrees, but never did a straight bend like the corner of square. It worked fine.

For 25ft, if it were me, I would have gotten the 24AWG because it is more flexible than the 22AWG. However it isn't strange at all to have the heavy cable in the middle with the port savers on the ends. What is important is they work. Usually people want to install the lower AWG in their walls because it is more permanent and a pain to replace.

In your case, I would probably just get the port savers. It makes working with cables easier in general.
does anyone here know how much you can bend the Product ID: 2841, "HDMI Tin-Plated Copper Cable (26AWG) - 25ft (Gold Plated)". i want to know how many inches are required between the input and when the cable can make a "non stressful" 90 degree turn. monoprice has no idea

thanks

here's my dilemma - i need 25' of cable. bought the 22 guage but its too stiff. at this point i can either return the 22 guage and get a lighter guage, or i can buy male-to-female 8" port savers.

it seems kinda weird having to have a nice 25' 22 guage cable with 8" 28 guage adapters at the endpoints, no? wouldn't it make more sense to just have a single cable that is more flexible? the only problem with returning and getting 25' of a lighter guage (26 AWG for example) is that it's out of stock until 11/30/2006 :(

PCM (pulse code modulation) is one of the signal formats over a digital audio link. It's the same as the way CD audio is recorded. The other will be Dolby Digital, which comes in stereo 2.1 and surround 5.1 forms.

The optical connector we usually just call optical but its proper name is TOSLINK. (the "TOS" is for Toshiba.) The other end is "digital coaxial" S/PDIF (the "S/P" is for Sony/Philips). There are adapters between these, but they are a little bit expensive. Usually you would connect one of optical to optical or digital coaxial to digital coaxial, when both are available. First, make sure you don't have a digital coaxial output on your Dish receiver. It would have an orange jack (not yellow). Also make sure you don't have optical on the TV.

Digital coaxial is a plain old 75 ohm RCA termination, so a regular old composite video cable can be used.

If you need the adapter (without recommending this particular brand or vendor), on this page

http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&style=

you'll find a start at seeing what your adapter looks like.

Just a followup on this: I did order the TOSLINK to Coax adapter from Monoprice, along with the relevant cables, and it was delivered with the power supply within a couple of days. I have now used it to connect the TOSLINK digital audio output from my DVD player to the RCA input on my Philips 50PF9631D plasma, and along with the component video cables, it all works fine. Thanks again for help.

Just a followup on this: I did order the TOSLINK to Coax adapter from Monoprice, along with the relevant cables, and it was delivered with the power supply within a couple of days. I have now used it to connect the TOSLINK digital audio output from my DVD player to the RCA input on my Philips 50PF9631D plasma, and along with the component video cables, it all works fine. Thanks again for help.

Another happy ending. Enjoy your setup.

Is monoprice.com a good place to purchase component cables? The THX Monster Cables at Future Shop and Best Buy are so over prices. I want ones with shielding, and good connectivity. Why are they so cheap at Monoprice.com?

Can someone please comment on the quality of these? http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023501&p_id=2773&seq=1&format=2&style=
They are for my PVR to new 1080p Sharp LCD. Thanks.

Is monoprice.com a good place to purchase component cables? The THX Monster Cables at Future Shop and Best Buy are so over prices. I want ones with shielding, and good connectivity. Why are they so cheap at Monoprice.com?

Can someone please comment on the quality of these? http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023501&p_id=2773&seq=1&format=2&style=
They are for my PVR to new 1080p Sharp LCD. Thanks.
The premium ones are pretty nice. RG6-based, solid conductor and very good shielding. I'd have no problems recommending them.

Just use the search function on this thread and do a search on Monoprice and I think you will see all you need to know. They are excellent and customer service is second to none.

The premium ones are pretty nice. RG6-based, solid conductor and very good shielding. I'd have no problems recommending them.


Any thoughts on their Toslinks?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=2765

Went to order (2) 12' lengths and they were out with an ETA of 12/5.
PREMIUM 12FT Optical Toslink 5.0mm Cable w/Fancy connector

For the price $5.90 per pair, it sounds almost too good to be true.

Bluejeans for similar cables (or are they):
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/digital-audio/index.htm
Optical Digital Audio Cable: Mitsubishi Eska POF
are $19.50 per.

Both Bluejeans and Monoprice are good places with high ratings. But why this difference and is it worth a $30 difference?

Any thoughts?

I haven't personally tested the optical cables from monoprice, but in general I've never had problems with any optical cable from any manufacturer so i wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm sure they work fine.

I have the optical cable you describe. Same answer as above. Excellent quality

Thanks Tarheel 72 & sfhub,

I guess, I will wait.

I am putting a 50'' plasma into a wall unit that is being build with a cantellever mount for the plasma --thus access and added length. The components will be below. The toslinks will be from the plasma through the wall direct to the avr (no interconnects inbetween but plenty of extra that will be hidden without overkill and more overkill) --that's why the 12' lengths.

The current connection is a 6' direct that will be replaced once the units are complete. Can't beat the price. Your comments on the quality sort of answered the questions.

Thanks,
..Mark

i've seen a lot of recommendations for the pf40...i see the pf40 and the pf40l, which one?
it's going to be connected to a 40inch xbr2, xbox, pc, dish set top box, logitech z5500 etc....

thanks :)

i have the pf40 and it workd great. don't know about the other one, maybe a new model?

Does anyone have any experience with or know where to buy extensions for RCA cable types like component and/or analog audio? I'm asking because I don't know what to do about my situation with the projector and a game console.

The component cable that comes with the Xbox 360 is only eight feet long, so that's not going to reach my ceiling mounted projector. I guess the solution (apart from hanging the console up in the air ;)) is to extend the cables by about 6 feet.

If I get a Wii as well, that's going to be even more involved, because not only will the cable likely be too short, but thanks to Nintendo's less enthusiastic embrace of technology I'll need extensions for the two audio channels as well, since their ends are likely close to the video ends. That's a problem when your display and receiver are 10-15 feet away from each other (with the 360 you just run a short toslink cable from the connector on the back of the console to the nearby receiver).

So, does anyone know where to get extensions for these kinds of cables, and how is your experience with them? Will the signal be noticeably degraded?

I just purchased a Sammy LN-S4095D for my son. He wants to run a DVI-HDMI cable from his PC's video card (Radeon 256MB X800 Pro) to the HDMI input on the set. We are dealing with distance of almost 37 feet. I would hate to opt for a 50 foot cable and we are currently trying to arrange the furniture layout in his apartment so that a 35 foot cable from Monoprice will work.

Basically I have a 2 part question:
1) On a 50 foot distance do we order the 24AWG or do we need the 22AWG?
2) On a 35 foot distance is the 24AWG ok or do we need 22AWG?

I also noticed on their site that they don't offer a 50 foot DVI-HDMI 24AWG. Does another company make a reasonably priced one if I don't need the 22AWG or should I just pay up for the 50 foot 22AWG if I need the longer cable?

Also I have another question regarding the connection from the PC's video card. We hooked up an S-Video cable last night and naturally we could not get a HD signal transmitted to the Sammy. Once we connect the DVI-HDMI cable will we be able to see 1080i on the LCD? The video card has 4 screen resolution settings that I was considering to use for the second monitor (the Sammy):
2048x1536
1920-1440
1920-1200
1920-1080
My gut instinct is saying 1920-1080.
Is that the right choice to receive a true 1080i feed?
Will I experience any overscan?
Do I need any new drivers for the Radeon video card as it already has HDTV settings that support 720p & 1080i?

I've got basically this set up as a final result when I'm done. I am asking about how I have to run my cables.

To the right of the fireplace in between the window and mantle there is a 4.5" void that goes straight down to the basement which is where the electrician ran the electric for the outlet that is behind the set itself. I need to run speaker wire for the left front, right front and center channel down the same void along with HDMI, Component and DVI cables.

I'm guessing that if I do that I will get interference off the electric wire that the electrician ran? How can I "protect" or shield the wire from that? Is that even possible?

I would run the video cables down the left side but I found out the void isn't replicated on the left. Thoughts?


anyone?

I just bought a Sony 40XBR3. I picked up the monster 800 Ultra HDMI cables. Does anyone know if the 1000 Ultra cable is worth the extra money? Will I notice a difference from the 800?

I just bought a Sony 40XBR3. I picked up the monster 800 Ultra HDMI cables. Does anyone know if the 1000 Ultra cable is worth the extra money? Will I notice a difference from the 800?

you should return those Monster cables and get an HDMI cable from monoprice.com for way cheaper.

To answer your question....the only difference you will notice is how empty your wallet is.

2 panther. you really think the monster cables are not worth the extra money? i don't mind spending a little extra to get the best. if i did stick with the monster cables are you saying that the ultra 800 is good enough? i don't need to upgrade to the ultra 1000?

2 panther. you really think the monster cables are not worth the extra money? i don't mind spending a little extra to get the best. if i did stick with the monster cables are you saying that the ultra 800 is good enough? i don't need to upgrade to the ultra 1000?

I'd say you don't even need the Ultra 800 cable. I was going to post some links to what everyone here thought of Monster Cables in general but searching is disabled right now. In a nutshell most from what I've read believe Monster to be severly over priced. I will agree too, as a I just bought an HDMI cable click me (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=2283&seq=1&format=2&style=) and my image looks beautiful and it only cost me $14.97.

2 panther. one other question. what is a power conditioner? can you recomend a good one. someone told me to look at belkin.

also what is the difference between a power conditioner and a power console? belkin sells both.

2panther. thanks for the response.

are you saying that these cables at monoprice are actually better than monster or just cheaper in price? if you can post some links on what people think about the monster cables later i would appreciate it.

because i was thinking of future installations i ordered some 10ft hdmi cable from monoprice. i really only need like 6 ft with my current installation. will the extra footage affect performance at all? by coiling it? no 90 degree bends, or crimps...

because i was thinking of future installations i ordered some 10ft hdmi cable from monoprice. i really only need like 6 ft with my current installation. will the extra footage affect performance at all? by coiling it? no 90 degree bends, or crimps...
I'll tell you right now it will be fine, but you can see for yourself when you install it. If there aren't sparkles, static, streaks, screen blanking, or other obvious problems, you are getting the best picture you can and no shorter cable or different brand will make any difference.

thanks sf. i look forward to recieving them.

just as a heads up, u can currently get a pf30 from buy.com for $79 shipped if you use Google checkout...i just picked one up.

2panther. thanks for the response.

are you saying that these cables at monoprice are actually better than monster or just cheaper in price? if you can post some links on what people think about the monster cables later i would appreciate it.


"are they actually better"
they do what they are intended to do just as good as monster but cost way less...i know i feel better when i can get a product that works and still have a fat wallet. of course some people insist on spending extra bucks so the dust bunnies can enjoy the monster logo. :D

"are they actually better"
they do what they are intended to do just as good as monster but cost way less...i know i feel better when i can get a product that works and still have a fat wallet. of course some people insist on spending extra bucks so the dust bunnies can enjoy the monster logo. :D

word up, my 25ft HDMI cost me $30 from monoprice and I don't know how my picture could possibly look any better/clearer/sharper to my eyes.

A quick hop over to monstercables.com shows the following...
6 m. piece - 19.68 ft. M1000HDMI-6M 123143-00 400.00 ea.

I will sleep tonight knowing I didn't spend that much :cool:

i just found the monster cable ultra 800 on ebay for $55. has anyone bought cables on ebay?

Where can you get a high quality HDMI wall plate?

i just found the monster cable ultra 800 on ebay for $55. has anyone bought cables on ebay?

i've bought 200 ft roll of monster in wall 14/2 from e-bay. it was way cheeper than anywhere else. and even cheaper than the same amount of cable of any other brand at the local homedepot. other wise i wouldnt have bought it. but my experience with buying wire from e-bay was good.

what is the difference between a power console and a power conditioner? i'm looking to buy a belkin product. i'm not sure what i need. any advice would be appreciated.

I am hoping someone can answer a couple questions on the Belkin PF60 PureAV.

Is the unit's housing plastic or metal?

I see an Ebay seller has these units in Black or Silver. I thought they only came in Silver. Can anyone confirm the BLACK color option?

Thanks much!

I have the PF40 which I believe is cosmetically identical to the PF60. The housing is silver metal. I think I did read somewhere that you can get them now in black or silver, but check the PureAV webpage to verify that. Alos, the best prices I found were at Provantage.com.

Just about ready to pull the trigger on a PDP5070 from Invision :D and planning to wall mount. I want to run all of my cabling (exception:power cable) in the wall. Are you guys sticking strictly to CL2 rated in-wall cables or not worrying about that too much? It seems bluejeans is the only place that specifically sells CL2 cables in lengths less than 25'. I don't need anything longer than about 12 feet. Can you recommend where to buy? Looked at monoprice and again the wall rated HDMI is like 35' and longer.

Also for those of you running in-wall component video cables, would you recommend a bundled cord or running 3 individual wires to make it easier to fish the wire.

Any other in-wall cabling advice you can give me? Thanks!

Is it worth spending Alot more for Monster Cables in HDMI and others or
is it the same as buying cables like the ones I see at cablesforless.com?

IS this worth spend or throwing money away on will you see or hear anything better?

Or is there a Other site or other cables I should be looking at as well?

Thanks so much for any input. :)

Monster is way overpriced.

BlueJeansCable.com or MonoPrice.com

Users here swear by both and they are both forum sponsors.