Analog vs. Digital: Don't be fooled
- Thread starter Robert Maxwell
- Start date
Uh, then why are you buying them in the stores? Just order them online. What, you can't wait a few days?
First of all that was just an observation. Regardless, sometimes I have the time and sometimes I don't. I don't suppose you have ever been on travel in a situation where you need to give a presentation and need to get a cable in a hurry.
Sure, that happens. But then the $30 you're paying for the cable isn't for the cable itself but for the ability to buy it right then and there.
Ehh...not entirely true. At long distances you are going to get differences based on the quality of your Ethernet cable, dependent on shielding and the twist. Though, we're talking about hundreds to a couple thousand feet or more before packet loss is noticeable (1% or more), so for people wiring up a home LAN it's not a problem.
That's just my work at AT&T talking. MaBell sure as hell doesn't spend $30 per 10 foot stretch, and NOTHING is gold-plated. Personally, I usually buy Cat6, just to be sure it will at least be Cat5/Cat5e quality, plus it won't hurt once fiber-to-the-home becomes common and you have a use for 10 gigabit-class wiring. It's only an extra $10 (vs Cat5e) for a thousand feet of the stuff, why not splurge?
Yeah, but don't the standards usually forbid overly long cables? Meaning you aren't likely to be able to buy them in a store or whatever. I believe the USB standard doesn't allow cables longer than 6 feet, for instance.
Anyway, I was talking more apples and apples. Is it common to get Cat6 and have it only be reliable for Cat5-level service?
It's actually the ethernet standards the define the cable lengh and for UTP it's a single run of upto 100m though generally it's not usually run past 9-m
The Cat level refers to the number of pairs and the the number of twists in the cable.
Cables only sell the length of cable they think will move hence why 2,3 and 5 lenghts are the most common.I've used a couple of 10m cables over the years but for most people there's no need for anything longer (though I guess 20m if the swtch/router is one on side of the room and the computer the other).
If you need anything longer is usually for doing room to room in which case you'd probably have cabler do it and make the cables to length unless you wanted to have them running along floors.
Since Ethernet is built from the ground up for error tolerance, you have guidelines for deployment, which you can exceed in exchange for a loss of performance. Sometimes you can even be within guidelines, but due to unusual local interference, you have to go with shielded cables, or a higher cat (which has a better twist to help eliminate interference). Basically, it's more gray area than black and white. More dB than Kb.
Generally, what you buy will meet what its spec'ed for. Sometimes it's a little below spec. Occasionally, something will be completely mislabeled. It's a big world, #### happens, and I'd rather overdo it for a 50 cents more (on a 30ft cat6 cable) than run into problems by being a cheapskate. Not at all the same as Monster Cable, which is a complete scam for asking for 20 times cost.
Honestly, anything under 30 feet and you should go with the absolutely cheapest thing you can get your hands on.Again, for a home user you're almost certainly not going to notice. My point is that cable quality DOES matter, but only when you're pushing the envelope on a network deployment or are an ISP.
Case in point, I have AT&T's U-verse TV and internet at my home (which is a VDSL service, where the bulk of the connection is via fiberoptic, except for the last stretch, which goes over copper wire), which due to the limits of twisted copper technology, is generally limited to 3,000 feet from the fiber-to-copper transition box. Due to low interference and a freak choice of Ameritech to test a new cable technology in my neighborhood 20 years ago, I'm hooked up at 3,500 feet, which might be a world record for VDSL
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I've got 35' HDMI cables running most of my home theater system, and performance isn't an issue. Goes from the TV hanging mid-wall, up into the attic, over a few studs, down to the outlet near the floor, and then then back up to the equipment in the A/V stack. Think they were maybe $20 each on Monoprice? Think the equivalent Monster cable was like $500 or so going through Best Buy.
Amazon is a little faster (plus cheaper if you just need 1), but Monoprice is pretty hard to beat when buying any sort of cabling...
Amazon is a little faster (plus cheaper if you just need 1), but Monoprice is pretty hard to beat when buying any sort of cabling...
Are there HDMI cables that are easier to route around corners? Most of the ones I've seen have very large connectors that leave very *little* room in the back of something. Do they have ones that have like an L-shape on the end?
Lots of good information in this thread, thanks Robert Maxwell for starting it.
Since I'm in the wire and cable business I build most all of my cable needs. I get the wire or cable at work for free and connectors at cost.
Since I'm in the wire and cable business I build most all of my cable needs. I get the wire or cable at work for free and connectors at cost.
Re: Analog vs. Digital cables
The reason for digital connections between stereo and video components is not for better quality. It has always been to contol the copying of media digitally (without losing any quality). DRM has been around since the S/PDIF standard came about for 2-channel LPCM audio.
monoprice.com is best for all cables. i also can say i've used them.
The reason Best Buy charges so much for cables is because they can (capitalism) and the ignorance or Joe Six Pack.
The reason Monster Cable makes 8 types of 6-foot length HDMI cables builds upon the same reason of the ignorant customer believing the marketing.
HDMI is a specification. To be able to stamp that on a cable it must meet the specification, period. a $5 cable does the same job as a $100. priced one when it comes to transmitting data.
At long distances yes there is a loss of the transmitted signal but not that much and that is what error correction is for.
The reason for digital connections between stereo and video components is not for better quality. It has always been to contol the copying of media digitally (without losing any quality). DRM has been around since the S/PDIF standard came about for 2-channel LPCM audio.
monoprice.com is best for all cables. i also can say i've used them.
The reason Best Buy charges so much for cables is because they can (capitalism) and the ignorance or Joe Six Pack.
The reason Monster Cable makes 8 types of 6-foot length HDMI cables builds upon the same reason of the ignorant customer believing the marketing.
HDMI is a specification. To be able to stamp that on a cable it must meet the specification, period. a $5 cable does the same job as a $100. priced one when it comes to transmitting data.
At long distances yes there is a loss of the transmitted signal but not that much and that is what error correction is for.