My component cabinet will be around 12 feet from the TV. I have mostly composite cable running to it and 1 S-video. Now mind you I’m not MADE of money but I don’t want to have a crappy picture either. Is it really necessary for me to spend 100+ bucks on each cable? I see that BetterCables has some really beautiful stuff but way out of my price range. Or is there an alternative to this?
Question for a long run on video cable.
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I'm putting my equipment in a completely different room. It will cost me less than $5/cable to run RG-6 quad shield from Home Depot and some F to RCA adapters that I'm putting in the wall plates. This will be used for component video, composit video and analog audio.
-Robert
-Robert
But how is the quality? I mean I know how to make my own cables. I wired my entire house in Cat5e and make the connecters myself. I just see all these REALLY expensive cables and am thinking to myself there MUST be a reason they cost 300 bucks for 15 feet of cable. My question is would the regular Joe notice it? I'm spending alot of time doing my basement and dont want to skimp at the very end with the very thing the entire basement is being done for you know. I dont own a 300 buck set of cables so I have nothign to base as test on you know.
If it matters at all I have a 65 inch Rear Screen Projection TV.
If it matters at all I have a 65 inch Rear Screen Projection TV.
I answered that entire argument with myself by simply saying:
What does the studio use?
The way I figured it, a studio isn't going to pay $300 for 15 feet of wire when they have to run several thousand feet minimum to get their work done. Yet they are producing the very content that I am viewing on a DVD, so any degredation from bad cable was already done at the source, there's little I can do to improve it.
Turns out, they tend to use some good quality RG-6, around $0.35/foot. I chose to go with Canare L5-CFB, a good RG-6 cable. Lots of folks also use Belden 1694A, a slightly better RG-6 cable (almost the same price). Lots of studios wire with these. Terminate with some good RCA connectors, not a F-RCA adapter.
For a 12 foot svideo run, I'd recommend you break the svideo line into two coax cables, and recombine it on the end. bluejeanscable.com sells svideo breakout cables, as well as premade coax bundles. They use the same stuff the pros use, at a good price, so I see little reason to go higher.
What does the studio use?
The way I figured it, a studio isn't going to pay $300 for 15 feet of wire when they have to run several thousand feet minimum to get their work done. Yet they are producing the very content that I am viewing on a DVD, so any degredation from bad cable was already done at the source, there's little I can do to improve it.
Turns out, they tend to use some good quality RG-6, around $0.35/foot. I chose to go with Canare L5-CFB, a good RG-6 cable. Lots of folks also use Belden 1694A, a slightly better RG-6 cable (almost the same price). Lots of studios wire with these. Terminate with some good RCA connectors, not a F-RCA adapter.
For a 12 foot svideo run, I'd recommend you break the svideo line into two coax cables, and recombine it on the end. bluejeanscable.com sells svideo breakout cables, as well as premade coax bundles. They use the same stuff the pros use, at a good price, so I see little reason to go higher.
Thanks very much spearce for your comments. I think I'm going to be making my own cables then. The cable is easy enought to get at HD. However they lack the quality connectors I think are needed. Whats a good place to get them at?
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Sungen, look at Dayton cables (parts expresses own brand), pretty cheap, look real nice too (though still not as cheap as making your own) but you won't have to worry about making a bad crimp or buying / borrowing a $300 canare crimper, seem to be pretty nice picture quality too from what I've seen so far.
Wildhunter thanks so much for that link. I really don’t know the quality difference between the Dayton and the Belden I do know that I can completely re-wire my system now at a reasonable price. I’m sure that I WILL notice that. This is only my first dedicated home theater and I really don’t plan on being in this house for more than 5 years. Perhaps in the next one I will step up to the really good stuff when I get a real projection TV and all.
sungen, I use Canare connecters, but I also have invested in the Canare tool and die to properly strip the coax and crimp these connectors. I love the tools, as they are very easy to work with and darn near impossible to make a mistake. However, they are pricey.
If you do get your own connectors, make sure they are 75 ohm, not 50 ohm. If you make any sort of length of cable run, the difference may be enough to cause ringing in the video. On very short cables, I think the impedence mismatch is difficult to notice.
Parts Express is a great shop, lots of wonderful goodies for a low price. I'm not familiar with their brand of connectors, but I do use them for supplies.
For what its worth, I had a pricey >$100 cable for 3 feet of length. I "upgraded" to a 30 foot long Canare L5-CFB cable that cost me about $250 in materials+taxes. The Canare cable is a better quality cable, but cost a fraction per foot.
Given what you've said, I think your best off heading to HD and getting some good quality RG-6 there, and perhaps getting the house-brand crimp style connectors at Parts Express. They also sell an inexpensive crimp tool (~$16 I think) in case you don't have one yet.
If you do get your own connectors, make sure they are 75 ohm, not 50 ohm. If you make any sort of length of cable run, the difference may be enough to cause ringing in the video. On very short cables, I think the impedence mismatch is difficult to notice.
Parts Express is a great shop, lots of wonderful goodies for a low price. I'm not familiar with their brand of connectors, but I do use them for supplies.
For what its worth, I had a pricey >$100 cable for 3 feet of length. I "upgraded" to a 30 foot long Canare L5-CFB cable that cost me about $250 in materials+taxes. The Canare cable is a better quality cable, but cost a fraction per foot.
Given what you've said, I think your best off heading to HD and getting some good quality RG-6 there, and perhaps getting the house-brand crimp style connectors at Parts Express. They also sell an inexpensive crimp tool (~$16 I think) in case you don't have one yet.
Quote:
Because someone will pay $300 for it. It doesn't take too many suckers customers at $300 a throw to pay for a lot of marketing and glossy spec sheets.
They (the overpriced brands) are for the most part, high quality cables, but you can equal their quality at a much lower price by buying and building your own cables (or letting any of a number of DIY-for-others-for-money places do it for you).
---Jim
| Originally posted by sungen99 But how is the quality? I mean I know how to make my own cables. I wired my entire house in Cat5e and make the connecters myself. I just see all these REALLY expensive cables and am thinking to myself there MUST be a reason they cost 300 bucks for 15 feet of cable. My question is would the regular Joe notice it? |
They (the overpriced brands) are for the most part, high quality cables, but you can equal their quality at a much lower price by buying and building your own cables (or letting any of a number of DIY-for-others-for-money places do it for you).
---Jim
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If you wanted to make your own cables (all cables, not just the one) using Canare coax, here is a page that you might find useful: DIY Cables
I previously was using Belden / Canare for all my cables, but when I built my HT I decided that it was going to be too pricey to use for the whole setup, so I purchased the Partsexpress compression crimp and connectors
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...=360-046&DID=7
And leviton RG6QS from HD...works great so far, and the PE compression connectors and crimp work great. Price is a little better than canare, and are much easier to install...probably not as "good" as canare, but a hell of a lot easier to put on. The tool is cheaper too....
The tool includes the "die" for RG6, bnc, and RCA...I've used all 3.
Rich
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...=360-046&DID=7
And leviton RG6QS from HD...works great so far, and the PE compression connectors and crimp work great. Price is a little better than canare, and are much easier to install...probably not as "good" as canare, but a hell of a lot easier to put on. The tool is cheaper too....
The tool includes the "die" for RG6, bnc, and RCA...I've used all 3.
Rich
Quote:
Because:
1.) Most people haven't been to engineering school, and have no idea how cable works,
2.) But, they want something that won't degrade their sound/picture,
3.) The "boutique cable" business is too small potatoes for the FTC to go after,
4.) Vendors can get away with statements that have no basis in fact.
Example: My local Home Depot carries a roll of really nice, Carol RG-6QS, for about $60. They also have rolls of Carol RG-6 "professional quality" or some-such name cable. Looking at the specs on the General Cable website, the two perfrom identically. The "professional quality" cable has a cool-looking transparent blue jacket. It goes for about $150.
And as you note, there are examples that are far, far worse than this.
FYI, 12 ft. isn't very long. RG-59 would work fine.
| Originally posted by sungen99 But how is the quality? I mean I know how to make my own cables. I wired my entire house in Cat5e and make the connecters myself. I just see all these REALLY expensive cables and am thinking to myself there MUST be a reason they cost 300 bucks for 15 feet of cable. |
1.) Most people haven't been to engineering school, and have no idea how cable works,
2.) But, they want something that won't degrade their sound/picture,
3.) The "boutique cable" business is too small potatoes for the FTC to go after,
4.) Vendors can get away with statements that have no basis in fact.
Example: My local Home Depot carries a roll of really nice, Carol RG-6QS, for about $60. They also have rolls of Carol RG-6 "professional quality" or some-such name cable. Looking at the specs on the General Cable website, the two perfrom identically. The "professional quality" cable has a cool-looking transparent blue jacket. It goes for about $150.
And as you note, there are examples that are far, far worse than this.
FYI, 12 ft. isn't very long. RG-59 would work fine.
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