HDTV Cables Question

[Adidas410s]

so I bought a new TV today...won't have it until tomorrow though. Anyways...what cables should I buy for it? I wasn't going to pay $100-150 for a 4 ft cable to run from my DVD to my TV when I don't have to. I did buy the DVD player that will enhance the DVD's into HD beacuse the guy at Best Buy gave me half off on a new one.

Also, is a HD surge protector necessary or will a good, solid "regular" surge protector work? I don't have any home theater stuff that will be plugged into it so it's not going to be running a ton of power other than my plasma screen.

[big daddy russ]

Unless you have a high-end audio setup, you don't need anything more than a $40 surge protector. The other ones (Monster Power, etc.) are actually designed to regulate power, not just protect. They keep the power from going both too high and too low, especially when you have quite a bit of equipment running.

Cables- Monster are good, so are Daytons (my dad uses Daytons in his setup), but I'm just as happy with my Direct Connect cables and I only spent about $40 on mine. Of course, these are just component cables, not HDMI /HDTV. I have a 32" TV (old school-- I'll get a flat screen when I have some money) connected to a Denon 2900-series receiver and DVD player. Both are on the high end range of receivers/DVD players, and those cables do great justice for both.

If you're looking into something a little more high-end for a reasonable price, check out Ram Electronics' (http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/comp-video.html#av) stuff. Their Canare cables are a great deal, and their HDTV line (so I'm told) are also a great value.

Good luck. Sounds like you're almost set up.

[TMer25]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
so I bought a new TV today...won't have it until tomorrow though. Anyways...what cables should I buy for it? I wasn't going to pay $100-150 for a 4 ft cable to run from my DVD to my TV when I don't have to. I did buy the DVD player that will enhance the DVD's into HD beacuse the guy at Best Buy gave me half off on a new one.

Also, is a HD surge protector necessary or will a good, solid "regular" surge protector work? I don't have any home theater stuff that will be plugged into it so it's not going to be running a ton of power other than my plasma screen.

Acoustic Research cables are just as good as the Monster stuff, and alot more affordable. The Radio Shack branded cables aren't bad either

[Adidas410s]

One other question. Is buying the DVD player that "enhances" a DVD into "HD quality" really worth the money? I bought a Samsung one at BestBuy that they sell for $100 but when I rejected it the guy said "how about if I sell it to you for $50" so I bought it. I haven't opened it so I can still get 100% of my money back if need be. Any thoughts on them??? Right now I have a Sony Progressive Scan that works very well for me.

[SintonFan]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
One other question. Is buying the DVD player that "enhances" a DVD into "HD quality" really worth the money? I bought a Samsung one at BestBuy that they sell for $100 but when I rejected it the guy said "how about if I sell it to you for $50" so I bought it. I haven't opened it so I can still get 100% of my money back if need be. Any thoughts on them??? Right now I have a Sony Progressive Scan that works very well for me.
.
I understand that the "up" conversion to near HD TV is better than standard progressive scan. But I haven't actually seen it myself.

[TMer25]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
One other question. Is buying the DVD player that "enhances" a DVD into "HD quality" really worth the money? I bought a Samsung one at BestBuy that they sell for $100 but when I rejected it the guy said "how about if I sell it to you for $50" so I bought it. I haven't opened it so I can still get 100% of my money back if need be. Any thoughts on them??? Right now I have a Sony Progressive Scan that works very well for me.


Your plasma is going to convert what ever the dvd player sends it to it's native pixel count anyways, so in this case an upconverting player's benefits would probably be minimal at best

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

i still say go with a projector and stereo system for your television enjoyment. you get a literal life size screen and is really clear. but wait, theres more...its a heckuva lot more portable than ANY plasma piece-o-crap, no where near the weight. and cost is alot better for you buck imo. you can also use it to play video games, make a slide show for your dogs birthday party or other various assorted tasks. but seeing as you bought your tv already, i have no idea about cables. i usually get someone to do it for me. i can be lazy sometimes.:D

[Gp83]

I work in this industry. You'll need an HDMI cable from your tuner box to your TV. Second choice would be component cable by Monster Cable. HDMI is the best route though. You will also need a surge protector higher than $40. Monster Cable makes a nice one for $100 that knocks down most interference and noise. Get you an HD or up conversion DVD player also connected with HDMI or component cable. Radio Shack sells Monster Cable which is what I use. Good luck

[Cameron Crazy]

Get the enhanced progressive scan dvd player we have one of those and have a 42 in plasma and the picture is awsome

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by Gp83
I work in this industry. You'll need an HDMI cable from your tuner box to your TV. Second choice would be component cable by Monster Cable. HDMI is the best route though. You will also need a surge protector higher than $40. Monster Cable makes a nice one for $100 that knocks down most interference and noise. Get you an HD or up conversion DVD player also connected with HDMI or component cable. Radio Shack sells Monster Cable which is what I use. Good luck


Originally posted by TMer25
Acoustic Research cables are just as good as the Monster stuff, and alot more affordable. The Radio Shack branded cables aren't bad either


Originally posted by TMer25
Your plasma is going to convert what ever the dvd player sends it to it's native pixel count anyways, so in this case an upconverting player's benefits would probably be minimal at best

Glad to see that two people that do this for a living give conflicting information. Now what do I do??? :thinking: My biggest concern with the more expensive stuff is "I'm NOT running any home theater stuff on my TV so do I REALLY need it?" I don't feel that the average person sitting 10-12 ft from the TV can tell a significant difference just through the wiring but I have found both sides of the story in various articles that I have read. :thinking:

[TMer25]

The reason I say not to go with the upconversion player is basically your signal is going to be scaled twice which can introduce artifacting into the picture. The DVD player will be taking the 480i info on the disc and scaling it once to 720p or 1080i, then your plasma will take that picture, and scale it to whatever it's native resolution is, which can introduce artifacting.

As far as both of us working in the industry, i'm a certified calibrationist by the Imaging Science Foundation and the Home Acoustics Alliance. You can search for me on either of their websites (www.imagingscience.com, www.homeacoustics.net) go through the dealer listings in Texas and look for Terrell Mercer, or business name ISF Consultants.

[Snyder_TigerFan]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
Glad to see that two people that do this for a living give conflicting information. Now what do I do??? :thinking: My biggest concern with the more expensive stuff is "I'm NOT running any home theater stuff on my TV so do I REALLY need it?" I don't feel that the average person sitting 10-12 ft from the TV can tell a significant difference just through the wiring but I have found both sides of the story in various articles that I have read. :thinking:

I thinking that you are probably right. Your "home theater" stuff will mostly be audio anyway. And, I believe, you would want to go with fiber optic for the sound when you get to that going.

My father-in-law just got a DVD player with the HDMI and I wasn't able a big difference in the quality, but then again, I wasn't watching it on a tv that I was used to watching. Component cables will probably be sufficient.

I know that they are coming out with new DVDs that will be capable of HD, Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/) and HD-DVD. When and if these come out, you would probably have to buy a new player anyway.

[Snyder_TigerFan]

Originally posted by TMer25
As far as both of us working in the industry, i'm a certified calibrationist by the Imaging Science Foundation and the Home Acoustics Alliance. You can search for me on either of their websites (www.imagingscience.com, www.homeacoustics.net) go through the dealer listings in Texas and look for Terrell Mercer, or business name ISF Consultants.

That's cool....I'd probably trust what this guy tells you, Adidas.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by Snyder_TigerFan
That's cool....I'd probably trust what this guy tells you, Adidas.

he has provided superb information over the past few weeks as I have looked into this purchase. The other guy is quoting the exact same stuff that the guy with the unabrow at Best Buy was saying last night. I think I said earlier the only reason I bought the "upconverter" DVD player was because he gave me 50% off when I initially shot it down.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by Snyder_TigerFan
I know that they are coming out with new DVDs that will be capable of HD, Blu-ray (http://www.blu-ray.com/) and HD-DVD. When and if these come out, you would probably have to buy a new player anyway.

Another thing to remember with all of the new technology is that it will be a few years before most movies are converted over to these technologies. I believe I read that the initial launch of HD-DVD will have 25 titles...oh which maybe 5 or so I will care to see. Now if those players can also play regular DVD's (which I'm assuming they will be able to) then I will buy one...otherwise I can wait a few years for most movies to be available in HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray. Heck...just recently were VHS products discontinued so it will be a long while before DVD's are off the market...

[Snyder_TigerFan]

Originally posted by TMer25
The reason I say not to go with the upconversion player is basically your signal is going to be scaled twice which can introduce artifacting into the picture. The DVD player will be taking the 480i info on the disc and scaling it once to 720p or 1080i, then your plasma will take that picture, and scale it to whatever it's native resolution is, which can introduce artifacting.


So, the upconversion player/HDMI is overrated? It is best to just go with a progressive scan DVD player with component cables?

I am facing the same delima as Adidas, as I am considering purchasing a new DVD player (and recorder) and was trying to decide wether or not to get the HDMI. After see one recently, I wasn't really impressed with it.

[TMer25]

Originally posted by Snyder_TigerFan
So, the upconversion player/HDMI is overrated? It is best to just go with a progressive scan DVD player with component cables?

I am facing the same delima as Adidas, as I am considering purchasing a new DVD player (and recorder) and was trying to decide wether or not to get the HDMI. After see one recently, I wasn't really impressed with it.

Really depends on your display device, if it's a fixed pixel display, like a DLP, LCD, or Plasma, those devices convert the signal to their native pixel count anyways, so they are doing what the upconverting player is doing already. With a regular CRT TV, there are some benefits to the upconverting players.

[Txbroadcaster]

One thing about the HDMI...It is not just video. What makes the HDMI so neat is that it carries the video AND audio digitally on one cable.

And I have to disagree, I have a DLP and have seen a DVD with progressive scan on it and an upconverter DVD thru HDMI and IMO the HDMI quality was far better, but it really just what ever each person's preference is

Also you can get a DVD player that is not an upconverter that still has the HDMI output, again for the reason that it carries both the sound and video digitally on one cable.

and for the record I dont have the creds as the one guy, but I do have a degree in radio/television

[TMer25]

It's definitely all about personal preference. With HD Dvd and Blu Ray coming up on us, I just can't see buying a new upconverting DVD player when he has a display that is going to upconvert to it's native resolution as it is, and then turning around in a year or two after the upcoming format war is over, and buying another new player.

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by TMer25
It's definitely all about personal preference. With HD Dvd and Blu Ray coming up on us, I just can't see buying a new upconverting DVD player when he has a display that is going to upconvert to it's native resolution as it is, and then turning around in a year or two after the upcoming format war is over, and buying another new player.

I agree to an extent, but as stated, we all know the HD-DVD or Blue ray will first be pricey, and second until one actually wins the battle between the two, how will you decide which one to buy?

HD-DVD has certain movie studios it has signed, while Sony( Blue-Ray) has other movie companies signed, so if you go out and buy the first one, you will only get a minimal selection of movies.

The BEST thing might be to get a HTIB that has the reciever and DVD seperate so the DVD player can be upgraded as needed

[TMer25]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
I agree to an extent, but as stated, we all know the HD-DVD or Blue ray will first be pricey, and second until one actually wins the battle between the two, how will you decide which one to buy?

HD-DVD has certain movie studios it has signed, while Sony( Blue-Ray) has other movie companies signed, so if you go out and buy the first one, you will only get a minimal selection of movies.

The BEST thing might be to get a HTIB that has the reciever and DVD seperate so the DVD player can be upgraded as needed

It is pricey, the first players HD DVD are hopefully shipping this morning, at $799, with a $499 player shipping next week. Blu Ray will probably be the format war winner being the only studio they don't have on board is Universal. It's VHS and Beta all over again lol.

[Txbroadcaster]

Originally posted by TMer25
It is pricey, the first players HD DVD are hopefully shipping this morning, at $799, with a $499 player shipping next week. Blu Ray will probably be the format war winner being the only studio they don't have on board is Universal. It's VHS and Beta all over again lol.

your right it is Beta and V HS all over again..sad thing was that Beta( sony) was a better format, but they would not budge and try to work to come up with a compromise....Same thing is happening now, they could compromise the two but they wont.

Also HD DVD has these studios New Line Cinema, Paramount, Time Warner, Universal Studios

Sony has Warner, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM and Lionsgate

[TMer25]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
your right it is Beta and V HS all over again..sad thing was that Beta( sony) was a better format, but they would not budge and try to work to come up with a compromise....Same thing is happening now, they could compromise the two but they wont.

Also HD DVD has these studios New Line Cinema, Paramount, Time Warner, Universal Studios

Sony has Warner, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM and Lionsgate

You have to remember, New Line's home video products are distributed by Time Warner, so they too are in the Blu Ray camp.

[Txbroadcaster]

I honestly think all studios will sign with both if there is not a compromise, because why would the movie industry exclude a certain group.

[TMer25]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster
I honestly think all studios will sign with both if there is not a compromise, because why would the movie industry exclude a certain group.

Because Universal owns NBC, who has a partnership deal with Microsoft. Microsoft is a heavy HD DVD backer, so much that they have excluded any kind of Blu Ray support from the early builds of their upcoming Vista software. I think what will truly end up happening is we end up with Blu Ray for movies, and HD DVD ends up becoming used more for data storage and software. That was the thinking of most that I spoke with that attended CES this year.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by TMer25
It's definitely all about personal preference. With HD Dvd and Blu Ray coming up on us, I just can't see buying a new upconverting DVD player when he has a display that is going to upconvert to it's native resolution as it is, and then turning around in a year or two after the upcoming format war is over, and buying another new player.
Adidas, take the DVD player back. While I don't work in the industry and don't have as much technical knowledge as TMer, I can tell you that these "upconverting" DVD players aren't true HD players.

The only true HD players out there are Sony Blu Rays and the Toshiba HD DVD players. Both are still very new. Blu Rays are (to my knowledge) only sold by Sony while the HD DVD players have only come out within the last month-- and only Toshiba sells them.

My advice would be to save your money, stick with your progressive scan player for now and wait for the newer stuff to come down. That upconverting player will look like a dinosaur in about 2-3 years.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Gp83
...You will also need a surge protector higher than $40. Monster Cable makes a nice one for $100 that knocks down most interference and noise...
My surge protector is Monster Power. The HT200 (http://www.monstercable.com/power/lineHTPower.asp).

I guess I should've clarified... you don't really need an out and out LINE CONDITIONER at this stage in the game. If you get a high-end system (talking about Parasound, Krell, Belles, McIntosh, etc.) you might look into it, but as you stand right now you're fine with just a Monster surge protector.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
My surge protector is Monster Power. The HT200 (http://www.monstercable.com/power/lineHTPower.asp).

I guess I should've clarified... you don't really need an out and out LINE CONDITIONER at this stage in the game. If you get a high-end system (talking about Parasound, Krell, Belles, McIntosh, etc.) you might look into it, but as you stand right now you're fine with just a Monster surge protector.
Any recommendations for a good and relatively inexpensive one?

[big daddy russ]

I got my HT200 (http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=914&LastPage=Home%20Theater%20Power) off ebay, unopened from an authorized retailer for $39 altogether.

Its biggest drawback is that it only has two outlets, but there are ways around that.

Personally, I have a five components that need power;
-DVD player
-CD player
-Receiver
-Digital cable box
-TV
...But I can plug my DVD and CD players into my receiver (there's two extra outlets on the back of the receiver) and my TV into my cable box (one extra outlet on my cable box). Only my cable box and receiver go to the surge protector.

If that's what you're looking for, check out the link in the first paragraph. The thing retails for $50, but if you look around online I'm sure you can find some better deals. I noticed they have a link to a few online dealers on that webpage.

Hope this helps.

[Adidas410s]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
I got my HT200 (http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=914&LastPage=Home%20Theater%20Power) off ebay, unopened from an authorized retailer for $39 altogether.

Its biggest drawback is that it only has two outlets, but there are ways around that.

Personally, I have a five components that need power;
-DVD player
-CD player
-Receiver
-Digital cable box
-TV
...But I can plug my DVD and CD players into my receiver (there's two extra outlets on the back of the receiver) and my TV into my cable box (one extra outlet on my cable box). Only my cable box and receiver go to the surge protector.

If that's what you're looking for, check out the link in the first paragraph. The thing retails for $50, but if you look around online I'm sure you can find some better deals. I noticed they have a link to a few online dealers on that webpage.

Hope this helps.

Heck even $50 is great compared to the $150 ones that they sell at Best Buy. Then again those ones are pretty heavy duty and ca handle WAY more than I would need.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
Heck even $50 is great compared to the $150 ones that they sell at Best Buy. Then again those ones are pretty heavy duty and ca handle WAY more than I would need.
Yeah, I know a lot of my friends have gone overkill with their home setups and wind up spending more on a line conditioner (they go up well into the thousands of $$$) than they do on their TV and preamp/amp combo. And a lot of them get their ideas from these guys at Best Buy/Circuit City who really don't know a whole lot about home audio.

One of my old buddies has a Monster Power line conditioner that was $1000, but went with an $800 Pioneer Elite receiver, $800 Elite TiVo/DVD recorder, and a $3000 Samsung LCD. For that equipment, you don't need anything that heavy duty. Took his advice from one of the salesmen at Best Buy.

This surge protector gives you $50K of insurance on your equipment and gives you clean power. Sounds like this is all you need for now... but then again that's just my opinion.

[TMer25]

The one Russ is recommending to you would be perfect for what you need it to do.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by TMer25
The one Russ is recommending to you would be perfect for what you need it to do.
I have about $3K in a/v equipment hooked up to it and it's been fine for me.

[Adidas410s]

K now here is my next question. I'm not sure if my DirectTV box (got it installed yesterday) or the Comcast one (I will be getting that in a few months) has any place for me to plug in anything into the back. Currently I have my TV, DVD, and PS2 (replaced by a PS3 when those come out) plus my cable box so I would need up to 4 different plug-ins if the DTV and Comcast will not have a plug on it. Oh and the LG tv that I bought does NOT have a Cable Card option so I will be getting a box from Comcast as well so it will remain at 4 things that need to be plugged in.

Could I just use this monster plug for my TV and cable box and then plug my dvd/ps2 into the regular surge protectors that I already have?

Finally, when I get comcast and get their HD/DVR box...is that the same box that also serves as my "cable box" or do I have 2 seperate boxes? While in college we were cheap about TV and just carried the basic 66 channel extended cable that Cox offers in Abilene so this is my first trip into digital TV world...save a few months back in 2003.

I'll check my DVD player (the one I bought last year) and see if there is any type of HDMI option on it when I get home tonight. Will I at least have to buy the component (red, blue, green) cables to hook up my DVD and PS2 or will there be a place to plug-in the red, white, yellow cables that they come with?

Thanks again for all the help guys...I'll have to make sure not to vote you off for a while Russ! :p :thumbsup:

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
K now here is my next question. I'm not sure if my DirectTV box (got it installed yesterday) or the Comcast one (I will be getting that in a few months) has any place for me to plug in anything into the back. Currently I have my TV, DVD, and PS2 (replaced by a PS3 when those come out) plus my cable box so I would need up to 4 different plug-ins if the DTV and Comcast will not have a plug on it. Oh and the LG tv that I bought does NOT have a Cable Card option so I will be getting a box from Comcast as well so it will remain at 4 things that need to be plugged in.

Could I just use this monster plug for my TV and cable box and then plug my dvd/ps2 into the regular surge protectors that I already have?

Finally, when I get comcast and get their HD/DVR box...is that the same box that also serves as my "cable box" or do I have 2 seperate boxes? While in college we were cheap about TV and just carried the basic 66 channel extended cable that Cox offers in Abilene so this is my first trip into digital TV world...save a few months back in 2003.

I'll check my DVD player (the one I bought last year) and see if there is any type of HDMI option on it when I get home tonight. Will I at least have to buy the component (red, blue, green) cables to hook up my DVD and PS2 or will there be a place to plug-in the red, white, yellow cables that they come with?

Thanks again for all the help guys...I'll have to make sure not to vote you off for a while Russ! :p :thumbsup:
To tell you the truth, I don't know much about DTV so I can't tell you much about that.

As far as Digital Cable, I know every cable box I've ever had has one extra outlet on the back. I always plug my TV into that outlet and plug the box into the surge protector. Maybe the DTV will have an outlet on the back???

If I were you, I'd try to somehow connect your DVD player to the surge protector. Your Playstation is fine without it.

[SWMustang]

Generally set top boxes from the cable company have an extra outlet, but DBS (direcTV and Echostar) do not. What brand are the cable boxes does Comcast use in your area? I'm familiar with Scientific Atlanta Explorer boxes that Time Warner uses and Motorola boxes that are used with Grande.

[TMer25]

The HD/DVR box should be your cable box as well.

[Adidas410s]

K last question...until I get my Monster surge protector in the mail will I be ok to use the regular surge protectors that I have always had my tv and computers running through or should I wait to get the Monster one in before turning it on? Feel free to slap the stupid sign on me for all these questions! ;)

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Adidas410s
K last question...until I get my Monster surge protector in the mail will I be ok to use the regular surge protectors that I have always had my tv and computers running through or should I wait to get the Monster one in before turning it on? Feel free to slap the stupid sign on me for all these questions! ;)
Go ahead and fire it up. You're fine for now.