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DEL.ICIO.USThe dangers of being wired
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve enjoyed the rise of HDTV for a reason that has nothing to do with watching the programs.
Reader interest in the topic takes me back to 1993, when I started writing about computers. The topic was still so esoteric that people couldn’t get enough plain talk about it.
HDTV might not be as mystifying as an old DOS operating system, but a lot of folks are pretty confused. So today we’ll try to provide some plain talk on just one aspect - the cables and wires you’ll need to get the most out of an HDTV system.
First, lets look at coaxial cable. It often is used to connect your set to the signal source: satellite dish, cable box and, in some cases, the over-the-air antenna.
It’s not a glamorous role. Coax is just a supporting actor, but an important one. Coax can also be a bad actor. Homes with old coaxial cable - perhaps installed with the house’s first cable service - are often like a house with leaky plumbing. When coax goes bad a huge hunk of your signal literally leaks out of the cable.
Outdoor coax, often used to connect to a satellite dish, or to connect your home to the cable company, starts to wick up water inside the cable. Old cable inside your home or cable damaged by water can make a huge difference in the image you see on the screen.
What can you do about it? Replace really old cable inside your home if you can. Also, check the connectors at the end of the cable to see that they are securely attached.
For cable runs are outside your home, make sure the place where the connector joins the cable is watertight. You can get a special gummy tape - it feels like clay - to help. This Web site lists outlets that sell the sealant: http://www.coaxseal.com/
That’s not the end of what bad wires and cables can do to you. Other cables and wires connect your set to cable boxes, satellite receivers and DVD players.
When you can, use HDMI cables for these connections. If you can’t do that, use component cable connections. Don’t know an HDMI cable from component? This Web site will help you understand the various methods of connecting and their virtues and faults:
For those of you who like to know the downside, here’s a page that notes one problem with HDMI: (My recommendation to use HDMI when you can still stands).
Size counts when it comes to cables. The signal is transmitted on the outer surface of the wire or cable. So the bigger the surface, the more efficient the wire or cable. That’s why those giant cables are so popular. There’s solid science behind them.
Monster (monstercable.com) was one of the pioneers. They’re fine cables. But you’ll pay a monsterous price, $150 or more for the very best of the HDMI cables.
That’s more than I can afford. So I use large cables, but a cheaper brand. Browse the cable selection at a big store that sells a lot of HDTVs or check out a Web site such as mycablemart.com. Unless you’re running a video studio, you probably won’t see the difference in image quality.
Unlike with that fancy big HDTV set, your friends won’t be impressed by your wires and cables. But if you follow my advice, they will be impressed by the picture on that set.
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By Michael
February 3, 2008 5:56 AM | Link to this
That was a nice link to the drawback(s) of HDMI, something I didn’t know before (I honestly didn’t even know they were digital and component was analog). My main preference for HDMI is simple: one connector vs. five. When hooking up home theaters in the past, even the composite cables were annoying enough with their 3 connections. Component made HD possible, but you either have 4 (3 video, optical or coax audio) or 5 (3 video, 2 composite audio) cables to plug up. With HDMI, you’ve just got one. Less clutter on the back of an A/V receiver.
My hope is that one day computer companies will start using HDMI for their video output. Apple has DVI in all their Macs, but that doesn’t help when it comes to audio. I’d love to hook up my MacBook Pro to my HDTV to watch movies I have rented, but hooking the audio up wasn’t quite as easy as the video.
And if those media companies do decide to start with more copyright protection on cable/satellite boxes, count me in as someone that will get very very angry.
By Steven Rave
February 3, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
I have just finished your article on Customer Service and had this experience myself. I mistakenly installed Vista on my computer, only to realize that even though it says Windows Vista Capable on the sticker, that does not mean your computer is. After searching the net for drivers and spending almost 12 hours with Vista & HP service reps from India, I was told that if your computer is preloaded with Windows XP you are better served not ever upgrading to Vista, as some drivers for hardware might never be available. My HP is a Pavilion a1648x, I hope that my dabbling in Vista will help someone else, “Don’t Do It!!!!”
By Norm
February 4, 2008 6:38 PM | Link to this
Can you explain in more detail your comment about the signal being carried on the on the outside surface of the cable. HDMI cables as others have many conductors and sheilding which to a great extent determines the diameter of the cable. The insulation between the sheild and the center conductor on coaxial cable determines the diameter of the coax. A fat cable doesn’t mean it’s better if the manufacture just adds more insulation which is cheaper than copper. The quality of the copper and diameter of the conductors contribute more to performance of a cable than how big around it is.
By Bill
February 4, 2008 7:26 PM | Link to this
I think we’re talking about the same thing - and truth is you may be saying it clearer than I did. The signal is carried by the wire or wires in a cable. And, with skin effect, the signal is carried on the outside surface of the wire. The more surface the better.
There’s also a second nit to pick - what I said holds up nicely with component cables (the wire part of them) since they are carrying an analog signal.
But if I wanted to argue with myself - hey I do it all the time - I’d say that, with a digital signal (as is carried over HDMI) then it would be pass or fail. So any wire that carried the signal successfully would be just fine.
However, despite the pass or fail thing, most of us have seen a digital signal that somehow fell inbetween because the signal was weak. For instance, with HDTV you’ll see pixel blocking or even see the image freeze on the screen. I guess, technically, that’s not really ‘in between’ pass or fail, but you see what I mean.
Anyway, we agree that fat wires - inside those cables - do a better job of conducting the signal.
And, even with HDMI, if you buy el cheapo cables then quality control isn’t gonna be as good as it would be with brand name cables. So I’d also contend that it’s safer to buy sturdy - non-el cheapo - HDMI.