Cables, wires affect quality of HDTV picture
By BILL HUSTED
Cox News Service
February 3, 2008
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 of plain talk about it.
HDTV might not be as mystifying as an old DOS operating system, but a lot of folks are pretty confused by it. 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, let's 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.
Coax can be a bad actor. Homes with old coaxial cable — perhaps installed with the house's first cable service — are often like homes with leaky plumbing. When coax goes bad a huge hunk of your signal 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 that 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: http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/blog/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-hdtv-part-2-connecting-your-hd-system.html
For those of you who like to know the downside, here's a page that notes one problem with HDMI: http://2aday.wordpress.com/2007/12/25/how-to-hook-up-your-lcd-plasma-dlp-hdtv-hdmi-dvi-component/ (I still recommend that you use HDMI when you can).
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 was one of the pioneers. They're fine cables (monstercable.com). But you will pay a monstrous 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 quality of the picture on that set.
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