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Question re TOSLINK cable
davepusey
23-07-2011
Looking to purchase this cable... http://www.kenable.co.uk/product_inf...oducts_id=2067

What does the 5mm refer to? and how do I know if it is correct for my equipment? (Sky+ to Hauppauge HD PVR)
grahamlthompson
23-07-2011
Originally Posted by davepusey:
“Looking to purchase this cable... http://www.kenable.co.uk/product_inf...oducts_id=2067

What does the 5mm refer to? and how do I know if it is correct for my equipment? (Sky+ to Hauppauge HD PVR)”

Just means the fibre is larger in diameter in the thicker cable so you will get less light attenuation.
tim1964
23-07-2011
Have you tried Poundland? Like HDMI cables digital is digital, optical is optical whether it's £1 or £100.

With postage and VAT the price bumps up a bit.
davepusey
23-07-2011
Originally Posted by tim1964:
“Have you tried Poundland? Like HDMI cables digital is digital, optical is optical whether it's £1 or £100.

With postage and VAT the price bumps up a bit.”

Checked via google shopping, they are the cheapest place for both 5m component and 5m toslink.

Plus i've bought from them before so I know they make/sell good stuff.
Chris Frost
23-07-2011
Originally Posted by tim1964:
“Have you tried Poundland? Like HDMI cables digital is digital, optical is optical whether it's £1 or £100”

It is debateable whether any interconnect is truly digital. They can certainly "appear" digital. But if you analyse the switching process at a high enough frequency you'll find the it is still an analogue switch, albeit a vey fast one.

Also, optical cable quality is affected by the quality of the polishing of the end of the cable. I'm not claiming a big difference between £1, £10 and £100 cables because it is impossible to know that without knowing where they are sourced from.

The best anyone can do is suck it and see. The level of errors may not be significant in a £1 cable. What can't be claimed is that all sub £100 optical cables are the same because of the nature of the signal.
davepusey
23-07-2011
But because it is transmitting a digital data stream (as opposed to analogue voltage changes) just like HDMI, it will either work properly, not work at all, or break-up terribly. There is no inbetween.
John Currie
23-07-2011
Originally Posted by davepusey:
“it will either work properly, not work at all, or break-up terribly. There is no inbetween.”

Bit of a contradiction there Dave.
davepusey
23-07-2011
Originally Posted by John Currie:
“Bit of a contradiction there Dave.”

What I ment was it isn't like an analogue signal where you can have a slight hum in the background or snowy/ghosty video.

It either works, or it doesn't. And when it doesn't it is blatantly obvious.
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