Improving DVI-I and Optical cable performance

Museeuw · « **on:** 17 Aug 2003, 04:08 pm »

I'm looking to compliment my upgrade of Bolder Cable PC's, IC's, spkr cables & accessories

with a better than generic DVI & optical cable at reasonable prices. Analysis Plus offers a DVI @$59 6ft., but it looks generic and they also have a beautifully purple(their fav color

) Optical cable for $29 3ft. MIT optical AVt1 is a $59 1M and at least it's not purple. Has anyone had good results with a DVI / Optical upgrade in this price range ? Thanks for any help in advance.

lcrim · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Aug 2003, 08:34 pm »

For DVI cables, I have been using Pacific Cables which is less than $20 for a 2M length. I have a Bravo D1 DVD player and the image quality through this cable (with this DVD player) is about as good as you get w/ DVD progressive. Cheap cable, cheap player = bleeding edge picture quality. I recommend both products highly.
For digital optical cable, Sound Professionals Glass Toslink is a no brainer. There is literature to show that 2M is the preferred length, at least in plastic but this one is glass and that makes a difference. I have seen the same product available on EBAY for much less, so Sound Professionals is a reseller. You would have to pay for top drawer coax to beat it. URL below.
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?category=220&item=SP-TOC-99HQ&type=store

Museeuw · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Aug 2003, 09:54 pm »

Quote from: lcrim

For DVI cables, I have been using Pacific Cables which is less than $20 for a 2M length. I have a Bravo D1 DVD player and the image quality through this cable (with this DVD player) is about as good as you get w/ DVD progressive. Cheap cable, cheap player = bleeding edge picture quality. I recommend both products highly.
For digital optical cable, Sound Professionals Glass Toslink is a no brainer. There is literature to show that 2M is the preferred length, at least in plastic but this one is glass an ...

I appreciate your response and info. link. Both of these cables are for the satellite box. I just added a Bolder Bybee to the box's input and the added richness of color had me seeking ways to futher improve DTV. With 2M being the perferred length for optical(physics of reflection,etc.?) maybe that is why the installer left that 6ft. Gordian knot of optical cable hanging behind the satellite receiver. But if the glass Toslink is clearly superior, I'm really looking forward to the sonics it can provide~because my knotted generic isn't bad. Thanks again.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 03:23 am »

I haven't made the leap to DVI yet (the projector I use has an input, but I'm waiting for some mfg I actually know/like to make a DVD player w/DVI output first. Who the hell is VInc? And Samsung, don't they make microwave ovens?). But I can say I've had great luck w/ Pacific Cable.com; great service, good products at absurdly low prices.

lcrim · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 04:12 am »

Museeuw:
Adding Bybee's to Satellite STB interests me greatly. Could you explain in a little more depth how you implimented this? Which STB are you using (HD?). Are you soldering the Bybees into the coax from the dish?

bubba966 · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 05:50 am »

Quote from: lcrim

Museeuw:
Adding Bybee's to Satellite STB interests me greatly. Could you explain in a little more depth how you implimented this? Which STB are you using (HD?). Are you soldering the Bybees into the coax from the dish?

I'm betting that he's got one of these from Bolder Cables

Which he's got on the coax input on his STB.

bubba966 · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 06:51 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

I haven't made the leap to DVI yet (the projector I use has an input, but I'm waiting for some mfg I actually know/like to make a DVD player w/DVI output first. Who the hell is VInc? And Samsung, don't they make microwave ovens?).

Oh, there's players made by a company you know and like (you just need to think outside the box, or outside the country is more like it). I've got one. Though it's not currently operational as DHL dropped it extremely hard. And they didn't feel like paying out the insurance to get it fixed/replaced.

Still gotta fix that thing...

Museeuw · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 04:12 pm »

Bubba is right, Icrim. It is a Bolder Bybee w/ F connectors(thanks again, Wayne), placing it at the cable entrance to the satellite box. This device has made a signifigant improvement in the color saturation(viewed on a 57' Hitachi~it needed it), and more importantly to me, the broadcast of 5.1 DD now approaches the quality of the Arcam DV-27, which is our DVD/CD source.

Andrew JC · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 04:31 pm »

Lcrim, You may want to read this thread. http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?s=9314b586b29d99b47f1290d76249242d&threadid=38395 I have no first hand experience with this but it does make for an interesting read. Sorry for the long URL.

lcrim · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 05:09 pm »

Andrew:
Yes, that's it. I'm sure that its the same cable as sold by Sound Professionals but I wasn't sure that this guy on EBAY was still in business and had a current auction. I was sure that Sound Professionals was still around. Thanks, save the money and get the cheaper one.

BTW, Re:V Inc. a DVD player delivered for $225 that provides DVI output that rivals most HTPC's could be manufactured on Mars by little green men, I'm still buying. The worst part of that purchase was the wait. There were threads over on AVS Forum about when the next batch would arrive from China and whether there would be enough to go around.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Aug 2003, 06:39 pm »

What brand did you get, Bubba? I would like to get a new player with DVI, but I think we have differnt priorities!

Unless it's pretty cheap (but still well built) I don't want another plain old DVD deck; it would have to be a Universal player. There's already ten (10!

) DVD players in my house as it is, I sure don't need another one unless it can do it all!

Then again, the Samsung one might be a pretty good deck, as might the VInc one. I just hate to drop the cash without knowing how reliable they are and if they stand behind the product.

My dream player would be the new 2900 by Denon, with DVI output added. Still, I'd be willing to give a shot to Pioneer, Toshiba, Yamaha, etc., anyone with a good rep.