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Flatscreen TVs and the Cables Used on Them - Vol. 9 No. 5
(Tuesday, February 10, 2009)
   

L-com Global Connectivity
Flatscreen TVs and the Cables Used On Them
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Volume 9, Number 5

Flatscreen TVs and the Cables Used On Them

One popular gift during the recent holidays was the Flatscreen TV. The excitement over getting such a great gift is quickly diminished by the confusion when it comes to plugging your TV in.  How do you connect the TV to your cable receiver box?  Is HDMI better than DVI?  How long of a cable can I use?  Are expensive cables really that much better than cheaper ones?

In offering free technical support to our customers, we've gotten used to these sorts of questions, and we have all the answers for you along with online references that will save you time and money. 

First, let's start with some of the common analog connections that you may be seeing on your Flatscreen TV:

HD15Mini DIN 4RCAType FBNC

HD15
(SVGA)

Mini DIN 4
(S-Video)

RCA
(Component)

Type F
(Coax or CATV)

BNC
(Multi-Coax)


Click Here for a Tip on Video Signal Transmission on L-com.com

Click Here for our Industry Famous Connector Chart

Besides analog transmission, there are a few digital jacks that you may see:

EVC
DisplayPort
DVI-I
HDMI

EVC

DisplayPort (DP)

DVI-I

HDMI


Click Here for a tip about Digital Video Interfaces on L-com.com


Question:
So what is the difference between Digital and Analog signals?
Answer: There are a lot of technical differences between the two, but basically Analog Cables can go further than Digital Cables (which are often limited to around 15 feet), but the picture won't be as clear.
Click Here for an Audio/Video Tutorial

Question:
What's the difference between DVI and HDMI?
Answer: Since both DVI and HDMI use Digital Signals, one type of interface is no different than the other in terms of picture clarity. Beyond the physical difference of the two connector types, you should experience the same picture quality with either type.

Question:
How long of a cable can we use?
Answer: It depends on whether you are using an Analog or a Digital cable.  In ideal situations (where there are no strong Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) sources), Analog signals can travel over 100 feet. As the cable gets longer, though, the video quality will diminish. Digital, on the other hand, is limited to 5 meters or about 16 feet before you need to use video signal boosters.

Question:
Are Expensive cables really that much better than cheaper ones?
Answer: Some manufacturers justify their expensive cables with added gold plating and shielding of the wires. L-com's Audio/Video cables feature enhanced shielding, gold plated connectors, and are a fraction of the price for some of our more expensive competitors. Obviously, video quality is in the eye of the beholder, but it takes a very detailed beholder to see the difference between expensive cables and ours.


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