Video Asylum

Posted by Joe Murphy Jr (A) on November 30, 2003 at 08:57:13

In Reply to: Exactly what I thought posted by Peter Earnshaw on November 30, 2003 at 04:52:48:

They're a bit more expensive, but a few members on AVS Forum have had good results with DVI cables from RAM Electronics. Their cables are thicker and are rated for longer runs, though they are priced accordingly.

Monster Cable also has DVI cables, but they are priced very high. I believe that Best Buy tries to sell them for $99US. They are usually located right next to the Samsung HD931 DVI DVD player. Wow! The player costs $299US and we have this nice Monster Cable DVI cable available for 1/3 the price of the DVD player. And they do it with a straight face -- unfuckingbelievable.

The general rule with DVI cables is that 5m (16ft) is the maximum length for trouble-free operation. Some have been able to use inexpensive cables for slightly longer runs, but they are the exception -- not the rule.

Most people think that it is a works or doesn't work situation, but it's not. Some of it depends on the quality of the DVI transmitter and DVI receiver, the length of the cable and possible interference from other sources. Many times you will get a signal lock, but will see what are commonly called sparklies in the picture (flecs, noise, etc). Some of this may be the result of the HDCP handshake when HDCP compatibility is needed.

Right now consumer electronics video transmission over DVI cables is so new that all of the pros and cons are not known, except that it has the capability to best analog transmission.

You might be able to go through the check-out process at Pacific Cable or RAM Electronics and find the shipping charges to the UK. Usually before you click send with an online order, you have the option to cancel the transaction. Or you can email them and ask about shipping charges before you place an order.

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