component cable comparison

[holymacro2004]

<font color='#000000'>Hi,

    Was recommended to TriangleCables.com from another site and this was one of their listings for the cables I would like to purchase. After reading the long &quot;component video cable&quot; article on this site, which was really informative, I'm still at a loss to tell whether the cables are any good from their product description. They say they only purchase their products from quality vendors and supply a lifetime warranty on the product--etc., but how do you know what you are really getting--whether the RCA plugs are really the 75-ohm plugs as stated, etc.

    The price is too cheap compared to Monster, etc., that the old &quot;you pay for what you get&quot; adage comes to mind, but then so does the article about BS and outrageous prices.

    Any help on this matter would be appreciated.

    Thanks in advance,


Component RCA video offers a superior method of interconnecting your DVD player, high resolution TV, monitor or other video device. These component video cables with dual Stereo Audio feature three shielded 75-ohm coaxial lines and molded RCA connectors. Component video is often identified by red, green and blue RCA jack marked as Y, Cr, and Cb. Applications include: Serial Digital Video (SDI), DTV and HDTV, multi-channel digital video, component video, RGB video, RGBS video, RGBHV video, high resolution projectors, computer graphics and CAD workstations.




Features:



Precision 75 Ohm Impedance for Maximum Signal transfer
Extended 1 GHZ Bandwidth
EMI-RFI Protected Double High-Density Shield
Five  RG-59 95% Copper-Braid Shielded Conductors
95% Spiral-Wound-Shield Audio Conductors
24K Gold Plated Heavy Duty Connectors</font>

 

[Audioholics]

<font color='#000080'>Wow. $7 for component video cables! No wonder you are worried. I'll let Gene know about these and maybe he can get them to send him some. If they test well, this may be a great resource for starter cables.

They look fine, by the way - just have no idea what they'll do on the bench.</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Precision 75 Ohm Impedance for Maximum Signal transfer
Extended 1 GHZ Bandwidth
EMI-RFI Protected Double High-Density Shield
Five  RG-59 95% Copper-Braid Shielded Conductors
95% Spiral-Wound-Shield Audio Conductors
24K Gold Plated Heavy Duty Connectors</td></tr></table>

3 problems with the above:
1) Even if the 1GHZ claim is correct, the best RCA crimp plugs (connectors) I've seen will yield 200MHz bandwidth. So, it's like having a V12 engine with a toothpick sized exhaust.
2) EMI-RFI protected??? If you spend some $$$ on one of the better line conditioning units, they'll do their best to get the EMI and RFI to a minimum. I'd love to see a cable protect itself.
3) It's an RG59 cable. You owe yourself an RG6. The difference in price is negligible.</font>

 

[holymacro2004]

<font color='#000000'>Hi,
&nbsp; &nbsp;Thanks for your comments. Here is another site that has the price at $85.00 but Tiger Direct has them for 39.99



Component Video &gt;&gt; Component Video + RCA Audio
12ft VELOCITY COMPONENT VIDEO + AUDIO INTERCONNECT
Component video + composite audio all-in-one cable
Product# : 29167
Availability: In Stock
List Price:


Qty to Buy:
Product Specifications
Warranty:  Lifetime
Color:  Blue
Size:  12ft
Manufacturer:  Cables To Go
Weight:  1.69lbs
Cable Connectors
Connector A
RCAM Connector B
RCAM
Product Features
Velocity™ Component Video Interconnects from Impact Acoustics offer high-quality vivid detail and color for today’s video and home theater applications. These cost-effective performance cables give you maximum picture and sound quality compared to ordinary &quot;out of the box&quot; cables. Low-loss 75ohm oxygen-free copper center conductors and foam dielectric provides improved picture quality and performance. Twisted pair oxygen-free copper wire and foam dielectric provide optimized audio clarity. The 100% Mylar® foil and OFC braid shield protects against unwanted noise and interference. The color-coded molded connectors attach to an ultra flexible jacket allowing for easy installation and identification. The 24K gold plated, durable connectors ensure long lasting, corrosion-free connections. Component Video Interconnects connect video equipment with component video output jacks to televisions, projectors with component video input jacks.

By using Component Video Cables, you bypass the TV’s Y/C separator and Color Decoder, routing the color (Y Pr Pb ) information directly into the TV's matrix decoder. By sending the pure DVD component video signal directly to a component video input-equipped display device, the DVD signal forgoes the extra processing that normally would degrade the image. The result is a vastly increased image quality, with incredibly lifelike colors and crisp detail.

* Connectors: RCA Plug x5 to RCA Plug x5
* Bonded construction design for neat, easy connection of component video and audio
* 75-ohm oxygen-free copper center conductor delivers exceptional video detail, color and brightness
* Twisted pair construction reduces distortion for greater sound clarity and imaging
* Corrosion-resistant, precise 24K gold-plated connectors ensure long lasting quality
* Fully molded connectors provide excellent strain relief that keeps your cable intact
* Mylar® foil and oxygen-free copper braid shield provides clear, noise-free, vivid picture quality
* Ultra flexible PVC jacket for easy installation
* Connects video equipment with component video output jacks to televisions, projectors with component video input jacks

Don't see too many descriptions that give RG59 or RG6 specs. Are these worth the $39.00 compared to the first set at $9.00

&nbsp; &nbsp; Thanks again</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>These don’t say a whole lot, do they? You still don’t know if it’s RG6 or RG59? You don’t know the bandwidth of the cable, and in most cases cheaper RCA plugs are rated at 20-30ohm, instead of being a true 75ohm plug. &nbsp;These $39 ones spend too much time describing stuff that doesn’t matter, and I’m guessing it’s because they don’t want you to know the specs. Probably not worth it. &nbsp;The $9 actually sound better, but are still not performance cables. &nbsp;If you are just buying 1 cable then I wouldn’t recommend you to build your own b/c of the cost of tools (cable and plugs are cheap). Then go to bluejeanscables.com and get one of their cables made using Canare wire (skip Belden stuff). Bluejeans uses one of the best plugs on the market, a true 75ohm plug form Canare.</font>

 

[gene]

<font color='#000000'>Hollymacro;

Having a 75ohm connector is really not that critical, nor is it acheivable giving the form factor of the RCA plug. &nbsp;The electrical length of this connector is infinitely short compared to the highest wavelengths of video signals even up to 100MHz. &nbsp;

As long as the characteristic impedance of the cable is 75 ohms and well shielded as described in our articles, the cables should be fine. &nbsp;I will take a look at the Triangle cables you mentioned and provide some feedback soon. &nbsp;Thanks.</font>

 

[holymacro2004]

<font color='#000000'>Hello again,

   I'd just like to thank you for taking your time to help educate the newbies to the video world.

   After reading the information on &quot;bluejeanscables&quot; I can see where the extra money is probably well spent. The L-5CFB (RG6, 18AWG) seems to be the cable I would need. It states that it is a lot stiffer than the R59--how would this compare to the cable used from our Comcast cable system? If this has the same flexibility as the Comcast cable then I can't see any problems.

    Also, is there that much difference between an S-video hookup and component? A new RCA DVD/HDD 40Gig recorder with progressive scan started all this. The S-video plug supplied with the machine was too short, so I needed either a 12-foot S-video or 12-foot component video cable. At the price range I was originally looking there wasn't than much difference, so I opted for the component cables.

    To spend $60 on video cables for a $183 DVD/HDD player seems a little out of proportion, but if you think it will really make that much difference, then possibly I will part with the cash. I can see your point on the quality of the Canare cables compared to the $39 ones and for the extra $20 seems more than worth the cost.

    Again, thank you for your information and direction toward bluejeanscables.com. After seeing some of the prices on MONSTER cables at BestBuy and Circuit City, bluejeans seems like an exceptional deal. Can the components used in these Monster cables be that good to warrant upwards of $60-$300??

    At least now if someone asks me about hooking up component cables I'll know where to refer them.

    Again, Thanks</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>I really don't buy into monster stuff that much. They do have a spotty build quality at best, and although some of their stuff is pretty good, you can find better at lower prices.
The difference between the S video and component connection will also depend on the rest of the equipment you have. If you have a 19&quot; Funai Tv, then I'd say don't worry about it. If you have a front or rear projection TV, the you may see a difference. I would use an S-video cable if you alreday have one, and see if you like the picture. If it look fine to you, then you're done. If not, see if you can find a high end component cable that you can actually return. That way you don't waste your money on it. Cobaltcable.com has excellent cables assembled with Canare wire and plugs. They are pricey, but have a 90 day return policy. &nbsp;It would be a way for you to try a cable out for free. I am not sure what the return policy for bluejeanscables is, so you may want to check that out as well.</font>

 

[holymacro2004]

<font color='#000000'>Hi,
    Received my video/audio cables from Trianglecables (3 video, 2 audio, banded together $15 + shp) and hooked them up from my RCA Scenium DVD/PVR with Progressive Scan to my 65-inch Mitsubishi 65-inch HDTV and to my eye, could not notice any difference between the S-video and the Component cables. I was ready for somethinhg just short of HD, somewhat of a letdown. I thought that progressive scan was really going to be a large improvement compared to the S-video.

    I'm glad I didn't invest in the big $$$ name brand cables if I couldn't notice any difference.

    I hope you will still do your bench test on these cables so we can find out the real dope on them.

    Thanks again for everyone's opinion.</font>

 

[Audioholics]

<font color='#000080'>Pause your DVD and then flip back and forth. Let us know if you see a difference. Pause on a closeup of a face or a detailed BG image with trees.</font>

 

[PaulF]

<font color='#000000'>Clint,

With progressive scan you will actually see the most difference with non-static images. Vertical movement in interlaced scanning reduces picture resolution. Holymacro should be looking for artifacts such as staircased edges, combed edges and fine details that should look straight but appear curved ( a kind of moire effect).

Also some cheaper progressive scan DVD players will only show a single field when paused. This is to avoid the back and forth jitter motion if paused on a video frame consisting of fields created from two different film frames in the 2:3 pulldown process.</font>

 

[Unregistered]

I just got a sony 42" lcd projection tv and hooked everything up with component cables. I bought the $50 monster cable from circuit city and compared it to my old dinky rca cables (not even "component" cables, just the yello, red, white cables for video and stero audio). I could not tell any difference at all. I think the whole "high quality" cable thing is a scam unless you have unusual circumstances where you're running it a long distance or across florescent lights or something. It's pretty amazing how you can use a regular video/stereo audio composite cable as a component cable with no noticeable video degradatoin. You just have to live with the color coding not matching