High Definition TV
EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME THEATER PERFORM, AT LITTLE OR NO COST!
Joel Habakkuk
16c6
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. No matter how excellent the quality of your HDTV, 18 DBS receiver, or DVD/DVD-AUDIO player, it'll never see the light (or sound) of day if
The interconnect (if there's a jack for it) which yields the highest quality is not employed.
The cable isn't sufficient at isolating the signal from other signals, or limiting signal loss through leakage.
So here are a few basic tips you may or may not already be aware of, that will increase the probability you'll extract the highest quality your audio/video gear is capable of providing.
1. REPLACE ORIGINAL CABLES:
Those free ones which come with most components may have a quality look, (especially since manufacturers of generic interconnects started placing gold plugs on them), but beauty & quality is not just skin deep.
And you'll notice how shallow it really is as soon as the sound becomes fatiguing, or you get a short in one, or you begin experiencing degraded aural & visual quality, along with an increase in interference.
Use discretion though; it you have a $3500 HDTV-ready television, a $3.99 package of A/V cables from VIDEO-R-US should raise a flag.
Conversely, a $100 TV from Bill & Ted's Wild Appliances and $90/meter Monster S-VIDEO II cables might be a tad much.
And you don't have to replace all the cables in your system at one time
(which could be rather expensive!); do it as budget constraints permit.
2. USE THE INTERCONNECT TYPE YIELDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY:
If your components provide the output & input jack(s), use them, unless it prevents you from utilizing some particular function unique to your viewing/listening habits & hookup.
That means COMPONENT VIDEO (if available) or S-VIDEO for video, and RCA for audio. When S-Video isn't available, that means RCA for COMPOSITE VIDEO.
3. KEEP SIGNALS IN ONE FORMAT AFTER INITIAL CONVERSION:
With COMPOSITE VIDEO, all color & b/w signals (3 signals total) are mixed into one signal. A comb filter in your video equipment must then un-separate them all to process the picture.
With S-VIDEO, a separate color & b/w signals (2 signals total) are provided on the one cable. When your video equipment receives an S-VIDEO signal, all it has to separate is the color. A comb filter is not used when using S-VIDEO.
With COMPONENT VIDEO, 2 separate color-difference signals, & a b/w signal (3 signals total) are provided on 3 separate cables. When your video equipment receives a COMPONENT VIDEO signal, all it has to do is derive the color from the color difference signals.
With RF, all color, b/w and THEN audio, PLUS a carrier frequency are mixed together in one signal. A whole lot of separation has to take place with RF! But it is ideal for multiplexed long distance signal transfer.
So based on the format of the signal received, each video processing piece of equipment you have must first unconvert then convert, unconvert then convert. Something gets lost in the shuffle; it's called SIGNAL QUALITY.
So unless you have No Choice, only use RF cables/signals for relaying broadcast signals from outside to wherever your cable boxes, satellite receivers, TVs, or VCRs are located.
If COMPOSITE VIDEO and/or S-VIDEO and or COMPONENT VIDEO signals are output by these devices, keep them in these formats throughout the rest of your equipment chain....if possible.
4. ROTATE RCA INTERCONNECTS AS YOU INSERT & REMOVE:
This will help remove oxidation on the jacks & provide better signal transfer.
With S-VIDEO, DO NOT TWIST: line up notches on plug with jack, and push straight. Otherwise you may damage the pin assembly. And if you paid for some nice ones, you'll scream very loudly.
5. WHAT GOES IN, COMES OUT:
By knowing what functionality you desire from your hookup (e.g., I want to be able to watch DVDs without tuning to channel 3 or 4), & utilizing the previous tips on keeping the signal in one format, you can USUALLY figure out how to hook up your equipment based on the input/output jacks available to you.
All you have to remember is Outs go to INs & vice versa.
6. WATCH WHERE YOU ROUTE POWER CORDS:
Sometimes, lower-quality interconnects pick up AC Hum from AC cords. Also, I recommend you invest in some good quality surge protector/line conditioners (Panamax, Monster Cable, etc.,) to plug your components.
MOST damage occurs to home A/V electronics from prolonged exposure to the continuous, common surges generated by garage door openers, refrigerator and A/C compressors turning on & off, & local power utility company power grid switching.
Other practical information on Home Theater can be found at http://www.visual-cue.com/PHTT.htm
Copyright © 2002-2003 Visual Cue.
About the Author
An audio-video enthusiast/hobbyist for the past 25 years, and one of the visionaries of www.Visual-Cue.com: an internet based HomeTheater company purposing to help customers (via information and low-priced/high-quality product) maximize their investment in HomeTheater.
2c
http://www.aaarticles.com/article9455.html
Choose The Right HDTV Antenna For Your Set-Up
By Kenny Hemphill
Choosing an HDTV antenna can be a frustrating business.
However, if you prefer to receive HDTV through an antenna,
rather than a satellite or cable subscription, there are a
couple of things that will make life easier.
First of all, if you can, you should opt for a roof or attic mounted HDTV antenna.
This will give you the best chance of picking up a good signal and is a must if you are in an area where signal strength is poor.
Such as where you live some distance away from the nearest transmitter or where your signal is affected by hills or other environmental factors.
If an external HDTV antenna is not an option, perhaps because
you live in an apartment or in a building of historic interest, then you`ll have to go for an internal, set-top antenna.
Unfortunately, every HDTV antenna is not alike and the quality of your picture can vary greatly depending on which antenna you choose. So how do you know which one to go for?
Perhaps the best way is to find out from people who already has an
internal HDTV antenna, how it works for them. The best way is
to talk to people you know - particularly those in the same
apartment block. Failing that, user reviews on the Web are a good source.
Amazon sells a number of antennae for HDTV and user opinion on
them varies greatly. For example, the Terk HDTVi Indoor VHF/
UHF HDTV Antenna gets slated by users, while this Gemini ZHDTV1 HDTV-UHF Digital Indoor Antenna, which is actually cheaper than the Terk, gets great reviews.
As with any item of electronics, the key is to do your research.
Find out as much as you can about the HDTV signal in your area, and if possible speak to people locally who are receiving HDTV via an antenna, before you buy.
Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner
(http://www.the-hdtv-tuner.com (http://www.the-hdtv-tuner.
com)).
HDTV Television
| HDTV Information |
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Almost no one I know with an HDTV has it set up properly with the right cables. Among engineers, I'd say only half of them set it up right, which is also very sad. I don't watch a lot of television, so I'm content to max out all the console resolutions and to get 1080i out of the freakshow called the Momitsu DVD player.
Hooking up a Wii to your HDTV? Preorder cables now
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