Coax or Cat5?

[psbfan9]

My cable set top box will accept both coax and cat5. I have been switching back and forth and can't tell a difference when going from one to the other. Is one better than the other? Or is this a personal preference issue?
I have read that cat5 pushes information through faster, but has interference issue's.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!
Barry

 

[highfigh]

My cable set top box will accept both coax and cat5. I have been switching back and forth and can't tell a difference when going from one to the other. Is one better than the other? Or is this a personal preference issue?
I have read that cat5 pushes information through faster, but has interference issue's.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!
Barry

That's not even close to the amount of information needed to answer your question. What cable box- U-Verse? What TV? Is the cable box connected to a receiver and then to the TV?

 

[MDS]

Wires are passive and neither coax nor cat-5 'push' information so the notion that cat5 is 'faster' is non-sensical. The cable head-end is what is pushing the signal down the pipe and it's going to come at whatever speed (the 'bit rate') the company chooses to provide, although it is usually sufficient to get the image there intact and not cause smearing or stuttering of the image.

 

[psbfan9]

That's not even close to the amount of information needed to answer your question. What cable box- U-Verse? What TV? Is the cable box connected to a receiver and then to the TV?

Does this really matter? It seems that no matter how or where the connection is made, the question is still which performs better, cat5 or coax. What I mean is, no matter if I have cables hooked up to the receiver or directly to the tv that shouldn't make a difference. Should it? Or am I missing something?

I'm not being argumentative just wanting more clarification.

 

[highfigh]

Does this really matter? It seems that no matter how or where the connection is made, the question is still which performs better, cat5 or coax. What I mean is, no matter if I have cables hooked up to the receiver or directly to the tv that shouldn't make a difference. Should it? Or am I missing something?

I'm not being argumentative just wanting more clarification.

Does what matter- the amount of information given before asking the question? Yes, it matters, if you want an accurate response. Also, yes, it matters if you have the receiver between the source and the TV. If the distance to the TV is very long, using the receiver as your switching device is a good thing because a lot of receivers act as a repeater for the digital signal, which corrects errors and restores the signal level. This shouldn't be confused with an amplifier, though. Digital signal is on/off, not high and low amplitude.

Also, I would still like to know what kind of set top box you're using. I haven't seen one with Cat5e video input/output and it seems odd that they might install the needed circuitry if most people won't use it. I asked if you're using U-verse and I still haven't seen an answer. They're the only ones (or some other FIOS provider) I know of that use Cat5e for anything other than just network connections.

 

[JaBear]

My guess he is talking about Uverse or Fios...IMO there really is no difference for the signal and that data that he being sent to and from your boxes. The signal is still compressed. And most your house is already wired for coax unless you live somewhere new than you might also have cat5, I would go with whats already in the wall.

However if we are talking about uncompressed data than cat5 every time.

 

[jinjuku]

My guess he is talking about Uverse or Fios...IMO there really is no difference for the signal and that data that he being sent to and from your boxes. The signal is still compressed. And most your house is already wired for coax unless you live somewhere new than you might also have cat5, I would go with whats already in the wall.

However if we are talking about uncompressed data than cat5 every time.

Still don't know what is being talked about. Did the service provider put a wall plate in with both Coax and RJ45 that goes to the DVR?

If you can't see/hear a difference: Who cares?

It's like the TOSLink vs S/PDIF. I have a $100 if you can pick it out blind 14 of 15 times.

 

[psbfan9]

Does what matter- the amount of information given before asking the question? Yes, it matters, if you want an accurate response. Also, yes, it matters if you have the receiver between the source and the TV. If the distance to the TV is very long, using the receiver as your switching device is a good thing because a lot of receivers act as a repeater for the digital signal, which corrects errors and restores the signal level. This shouldn't be confused with an amplifier, though. Digital signal is on/off, not high and low amplitude.

Also, I would still like to know what kind of set top box you're using. I haven't seen one with Cat5e video input/output and it seems odd that they might install the needed circuitry if most people won't use it. I asked if you're using U-verse and I still haven't seen an answer. They're the only ones (or some other FIOS provider) I know of that use Cat5e for anything other than just network connections.

Okay.
Uverse. It's a run of 15 to 20 feet from the RG (rg=residential gateway, it's a modem router combo. this is also where the cable that comes into the house goes, then splits to the STB). The coax is going straight to the STB. Then HDMI out from STB to receiver. Then HDMI from receiver to the tv. This may change later today if I get time. I'm going to run HDMI straight to the tv then out to the receiver via toslink.
I have had service issues. One tech unhooks the coax, the next tech unhooks the cat5.

 

[jinjuku]

Okay.
Uverse. It's a run of 15 to 20 feet from the RG (rg=residential gateway, it's a modem router combo. this is also where the cable that comes into the house goes, then splits to the STB). The coax is going straight to the STB. Then HDMI out from STB to receiver. Then HDMI from receiver to the tv. This may change later today if I get time. I'm going to run HDMI straight to the tv then out to the receiver via toslink.
I have had service issues. One tech unhooks the coax, the next tech unhooks the cat5.

What is this thread about exactly? And what goals are you attempting to obtian?

Why would you introduce TOSLink into the mix when HDMI caries the audio?

You are potentially chasing your tail around in circles here. Sit back, collect your thoughts and if you're looking for help with a problem (not sure of that as yet) then lay it out.

 

[highfigh]

Okay.
Uverse. It's a run of 15 to 20 feet from the RG (rg=residential gateway, it's a modem router combo. this is also where the cable that comes into the house goes, then splits to the STB). The coax is going straight to the STB. Then HDMI out from STB to receiver. Then HDMI from receiver to the tv. This may change later today if I get time. I'm going to run HDMI straight to the tv then out to the receiver via toslink.
I have had service issues. One tech unhooks the coax, the next tech unhooks the cat5.

The Cat5e is being disconnected from the gateway, or the STB? The STB is supposed to communicate with the gateway wirelessly if no cable exists.

Re: "this is also where the cable that comes into the house goes, then splits to the STB"- are you saying that the cable comes into the house and there's a splitter that feeds the gateway AND the STB? I thought U-Verse used a big gateway that distributed everything- TV to the STBs and acted as a wired & wireless router. I have a customer who uses U-Verse and that' what he has. The original installer used an ethernet cable from STB to the laptop for internet (not the way it's supposed to be) and I don't remember how the video gets to the living room STB (the gateway is sitting next to the master bedroom TV) but I can check into that. I think it's wireless.

 

[psbfan9]

Thanks for the replies. I've decided on cat5.