| Drive-in Worx |  | |
| | |
|
 | |  | |
Cables and connections for Transportable and Outside Theaters are for the most part the same as those used for any home theater. There are a few important considerations things to keep in mind when selecting the appropriate cables. The signal type, analog or digital, impacts what characteristics of the cable are important. Then the type of connectors and their compatibilities should be understood.
Signal Type:
Analog
Analog signals represent the actual fluctuations interpreted by the equipment usually described as waves. For example an analog audio signal increases and decreases with combinations of frequency and amplitude to represent the music or video signal. Examples of analog signals include: basic stereo signals in traditional home entertainment equipment and composite, s-video and component video signals.
Digital
Digital signals have taken the characteristics of the source material and converted them into a series of electronic on and off instructions (represented as strings of 1s and 0s), which the equipment can then interpret to reproduce the content. Examples of digital signals include: coaxial and optical audio as well as DVI and HDMI video signals.One benefit of digital signals is that they can vary in strength fairly significantly without impacting the result. The equipment either gets the signal or it doesn't. For this reason most digital signals are fine with moderate quality cables. Exceptions are when longer lengths are needed. In those cases even moderate quality cables can suffer enough signal loss to effect performance (or not work at all in some cases).
Connectors:
Different signal types utilize different connectors. Each of these varies in the quality of the signal produced. Connectors also differ between audio and video as described below.
Audio
Audio signals are most commonly transferred from the source components to the amplification (amplifier or receiver) using one of three connectors.
RCA cables or patch cords that have been in use for decades. These cables will not transmit the digital signals required in most High Definition home theaters. Many audiophiles will argue that the signal produced by high quality, analog stereo equipment produces a signal that is more true to the source. Because it is an analog signal these connections will benefit most from the investment in quality cables.
Coaxial cables are a digital connection often identified with an orange colored connector. This connection will satisfy the need to transmit digitally encoded signals to the amplifier. This makes it appropriate for High Definition home theater applications. Being a digital signal a moderate quality cable will suffice, however a cable intended for use with coaxial audio should be used to ensure appropriate impedance (resistance to signal flow) values.
Optical connections, as its name implies, uses fibers to transmit a signal generated with light. A specially designed cable and connector is required for optical connections. Optical audio signals can also support digitally encoded signals used in high definition home theaters. A moderate quality option will usually suffice here as well.
Another option exists for digital audio and that is the audio potion of HDMI connectors. An HDMI cable supports digital versions of both the audio and video signals. This can be the most convenient option as one cable can connect your theater components. HDMI's intent is for home theater and should support most applications. HDMI standards have been evolving through 2006, however so be sure to verify that your components support both the audio and video portion of the HDMI signal before committing to it's use.
Video
For Transportable and Outside Theaters we will assume that the incoming signal has been received and processed or configured for use with traditional home theater components (as opposed to an incoming 75ohm cable from your antenna or cable / satellite source).
Composite video is an analog signal, which has been in use for decades. It supports only standard definition signals. Composite is often identified by a yellow connection. This signal should be a last resort for any large screen configuration as it has the lowest quality signal.
S-Video is also an analog signal. It supports 480p, EDTV signals that are the resolution that DVDs are encoded with. This is acceptable as a signal source for playing DVDs but falls short of supporting true high definition signals. As an analog cable, investing in better quality cables will impact the quality of the resulting picture.
Component video is the analog cable, which is capable of supporting high definition signals. This has three RCA connectors on each end. While it looks like normal audio patch cords and composite connections, those cables will not provide a quality signal. Cables designed for component video should be used, as they are impedance matched (resistance to signal flow) to provide an appropriate signal. Being an analog signal, component cables also benefit from investment in quality.
DVI cables are a digital cable in the context of most home theaters. There are DVI cables that support analog signals as well, but for most home theater applications digital DVI is the standard. The signal is digital so moderate quality cables are appropriate for most applications. See HDMI below for information regarding compatibility with other digital devices.
HDMI cables are also a digital cable connection created as a standard for use in home theaters. HDMI differs from DVI mainly due to its ability to carry both digital audio and video signal. This is likely to evolve into the preferred standard due to simplified connections and digital support. Cables are available to convert the video portion of the signal between HDMI and DVI so there's no need to be concerned about compatibility issues across theater components. Such arrangements will require a separate audio connection, however. Again, being a digital connection, moderate quality cables will usually suffice.
NOTE: An important consideration with HDMI and DVI equipped components is their ability to support High Definition Content Protection (HDCP). HDCP is the technology used by many production studios to encrypt high definition content. This is an equipment consideration rather than a cable consideration, but an important distinction to understand. While most equipment manufactured after 2005 supports HDCP, it should be confirmed before any purchase to ensure consistent compatibility.
|
| |  |
|
|