P
philpot2000
Guest
Hi - I've been into home cinema for a while now and I can't help thinking that there's a lot of over the top stuff written about AV cabling.
I bought a Sony Freeview box for my Toshiba TV and connected it using the free SCART that comes with it. I then bought a Harman Kardon DVD25 which I temporarily connected with this cheap SCART cable and was pleased with the picture. Having read many magazines and forums I of course rushed out to get a more expensive SCART cable (IXOS601) in order to benefit from the increased picture quality, vibrant colours, 'inky' blacks, precise 'edge definition', etc. that I'm always reading about. However, when I saw the results I could see no difference in quality at all from the freebie.
Now, I'm not someone who 'doesn't care' about picture quality. In fact, I'm ridiculously picky about this kind of stuff. Just ask my partner. Believe me, she is very very bored with my constant trying out of DVDs to marvel at the picture quality and the detail on show.
And I know all the arguments about why expensive cables should be better than cheap ones: the quality of the shielding, the purity of the components used, the build quality, etc. but for me none of this added up to a noticeable improvement of the image. Although the IXOS was certainly heavier and had the feel of being very well made. It certainly looked more stylish too, but seeing as it's plugged into the back of my TV out of sight, the fact that it is sleek and blue seems a bit irrelevant.
I know that in saying this I am committing a terrible sin in the eyes of enthusiasts. I can practically hear audiophiles and videophiles falling off their chairs across Britain. I used to think I was going the way of the audio/videophile myself with my growing collection of magazines and my love of conversations about all things Home Cinema. But I can't help thinking that this issue in particular is one that only really benefits cable manufacturers to make big profits. And they seem helped along by the major HiFi and Home Cinema magazines, which regularly fall over themselves to rate the comparative strengths and weaknesses of particular cables, which I now read with deep scepticism and an eye on which products are being advertised in that particular issue.
I read other posts about people who buy expensive SCART cables and are dazzled by the difference in quality compared to the cheaper one they were using before. It makes me wonder what they were using beforehand. Were they using bits of string or something? Or am I just not looking 'hard' enough?
I bought a Sony Freeview box for my Toshiba TV and connected it using the free SCART that comes with it. I then bought a Harman Kardon DVD25 which I temporarily connected with this cheap SCART cable and was pleased with the picture. Having read many magazines and forums I of course rushed out to get a more expensive SCART cable (IXOS601) in order to benefit from the increased picture quality, vibrant colours, 'inky' blacks, precise 'edge definition', etc. that I'm always reading about. However, when I saw the results I could see no difference in quality at all from the freebie.
Now, I'm not someone who 'doesn't care' about picture quality. In fact, I'm ridiculously picky about this kind of stuff. Just ask my partner. Believe me, she is very very bored with my constant trying out of DVDs to marvel at the picture quality and the detail on show.
And I know all the arguments about why expensive cables should be better than cheap ones: the quality of the shielding, the purity of the components used, the build quality, etc. but for me none of this added up to a noticeable improvement of the image. Although the IXOS was certainly heavier and had the feel of being very well made. It certainly looked more stylish too, but seeing as it's plugged into the back of my TV out of sight, the fact that it is sleek and blue seems a bit irrelevant.
I know that in saying this I am committing a terrible sin in the eyes of enthusiasts. I can practically hear audiophiles and videophiles falling off their chairs across Britain. I used to think I was going the way of the audio/videophile myself with my growing collection of magazines and my love of conversations about all things Home Cinema. But I can't help thinking that this issue in particular is one that only really benefits cable manufacturers to make big profits. And they seem helped along by the major HiFi and Home Cinema magazines, which regularly fall over themselves to rate the comparative strengths and weaknesses of particular cables, which I now read with deep scepticism and an eye on which products are being advertised in that particular issue.
I read other posts about people who buy expensive SCART cables and are dazzled by the difference in quality compared to the cheaper one they were using before. It makes me wonder what they were using beforehand. Were they using bits of string or something? Or am I just not looking 'hard' enough?