Cable Quality

[tonymac]

Does it really make a difference if you use expensive svideo cables to capture your video? I bought a gold plated capture set from Maplins in the UK very cheaply. I am now being told my captures would be visibly improved if I use Thor av cables at 5 times the price, but I am too tight to check it out myself.

[sej7278]

Does it really make a difference if you use expensive svideo cables to capture your video? I bought a gold plated capture set from Maplins in the UK very cheaply. I am now being told my captures would be visibly improved if I use Thor av cables at 5 times the price, but I am too tight to check it out myself.

I've never really found that cables matter that much - the source is more important.

In fact, in the past I have found that the gold cables pickup more interferance as they're TOO sensitive!

I'm currently using el cheapo RCA phono cables as my gold SVHS cables aren't long enough, and I really can't see any difference.

I've even heard people swear by coax, personally I swear at it!

[jbenj01]

yes, source is very important/key. But i also firmly believe that cable/interconnect quality make a noticeable difference--moreso on average-quality equipment/sources..

cables have made a very noticeable improvemtn/difference on my audio setup. i don't think it has to be the most expensive cable either.. for example, i went from basic/generic interconnects from my Adcom cd player to a set of $50 PBJ's (made by Kimber Kable) and instantly heard the difference.. then when i upgraded my cheap/generic speaker cable to Kimber... let's just say that i'm a happy camper.. although this is audio, i'd guess same would hold for video.. maybe not.. ??

haven't read but this seems like a good read:

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/interconnects/ComponentVideoCables.php

[Gazorgan]

Properly grounding your equipment will help you 10x more than goldplated cables.

You have your computer, then your cable box. These are typically on different outlets. This causes ground loops. If they are on different legs (homes are typically wired with 2 different legs of voltage, whereas business typcially have 3), then the problem is worse.

Now throw in your cable connection is grounded (cable box and cable modem) and you get a lot of ground loops.

Ground loops are when current flows through your connection cables, and it's a bad thing. Ground loops can exceed 200 volts in some bizzare cases. If you ever get a shock or see a spark when hooking up your equipment, then you ahve problems.

Side effects of ground loops include: low audio, audio hum, lines in video, 'noisey' video, irregualr tearing in top/bottom of video, vertical sync issue. Other side affects include dropped frames when the washer or dryer kicks in, audio problems when certain lights go on/off, etc.

Do a goodle search.

[sej7278]

Connectors are vital too - I hate 3.5mm jacks, they almost always break or only work in stereo if you wiggle the socket a bit. Does it really cost much more to use two RCA phono sockets?!

Euro SCART is nice, audio and video all in one solid connector, better than the 3 phono solution they seem to use in America, bloody thick cable too, none of that ribbon crap.

Re. the ground loop thing - I once had that with a computer that had a HUGE gold cable running around the room from the graphics card to the TV - if you touched the cable connectors (or even the computer case) you would get quite a shock! I guess the cable was acting as an aerial too.