Bunches to ask??? (1 Viewer)

[BobHaymond]

I've just looked at the forum for a couple of days and must admit that I'm somewhat overwhelmed. My first TV was given to us right after grad school in 1959--it had a round screen! I've been distinctly behind the curve ever since [ who needs color to watch Gunsmoke reruns?] Well, I thought I'd try better once. I've already ordered my gear befor I found the forum but there are piles of questions that arise on hookup and sources. I'll make every effort to hold it down but will apprciate help you can afford. My equipment so far:

CambridgeSoundWorks MC300: LCR, 4xSurrounds, sub

Onkyo 989

Sony KV-36XBR

Toshiba 3755

el cheapo VCR [ I'll replace this if it'll help ]

Some Q's:

We have really poor cable available; I don't have digital but I understand that digital increases the number of channels but does not do much for quality. Is that correct?

I just got DirecTV DSL. If I got their satallite TV service would it have significant HDTV? Are there other high quality input sources?

What is TOSLINK?

I did a search on hookup and found it daunting; perhaps in due course I'll ask for help in narrowing this down.

I appreciate the help and your conduct policies.

 

[Scott_G]

Welcome and thanks for asking !!
You will get different answers - there may be not right or wrong.

What is TOSLINK?

There are two ways to get digital sound from your Cable box/preamp/DVD player. One is Coax, one is Toslink. Toslink is an optical cable, Coax is ... well coax
I don't think it makes much difference which one you use. Others may disagree.
btw. I'll be at the NC State vs Clemson this Sat

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

What is TOSLINK?

There are 2 main hardware standards for carrying digital AUDIO signals in the consumer world.
The first is "COAX" which is standard electrical signal carried on a 75ohm cable that looks just like a standard A/V cable (like the ones with the "RCA" type ends- the red/white/yellow connectors). If you look on the back of some DVD players, in addition to the little jacks for audio and video you'll see a single jack for digital audio with the same type of connector- that is COAX DIGITAL.
Connector/cable looks like this:
http://store3.yimg.com/I/bettercablesdotcom_1674_493836
The second connector type is TOSLINK, also called "OPTICAL". This is a fiber optic connection that sends signals in the form of light. The connector looks like a little square jack on the back of some DVD players- and the cable is a fiber optic cable with square tips: looks like a type of computer cable.
Looks like this:
http://store3.yimg.com/I/bettercablesdotcom_1674_1147014
It is called TOSLINK because Toshiba invented it, thus the TOS in the name.
Both cables serve the same purpose: moving digital audio from one place to another. It is usually a matter of what types of connections are available on your DVD player or Receiver.
Hope that helps.
-V
special thanks to bettercables.com for loaning me the pictures on their site, even if they don't know they did it...

 

[Robert_J]

I know that Satellite is cuerrently the best source for HDTV programming. I'm not sure, as I don't personally have a system, but one of the two major carriers (DirectTV vs. DishNetwork) is better about HDTV, an I thought it was Dish.

Actually OTA (Over The Air) is the best source of HD if stations in your area are broadcasting digitally. Dish has HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, PPV-HD, HD Demo channel and CBS-HD (if you qualify). DirecTV has HBO-HD and HD-Net (sports). During the night when HD-Net isn't broadcasting, they have HD-PPV.

Dish requires two dishes to receive all of their programming. A 20" dish for core channels and an 18" dish for HD channels. Two dishes on the house has a very low WAF (Wife Approval Factor). DirecTV has all of their programming available with an 18"x20" dish.

-Robert

 

[Scott Page]

I second what Robert says. If your local channels broadcast digital TV for at least CBS and ABC, you will get a decent amount of high-quality programing (picture wise). NBC currently has the Olympics in 1080i and it is great. A Samsung SIR-T150 is an off-air only Digital box that can be had for around $400-500.
Analog TV generally looks better than Dish Network due to Dish's high compression rates. Off-air digital TV looks very very good, even in standard difinition (SD). Of course HD looks fantastic. My 65" bigscreen was just about unwatchable with Dish, and barely watchable with off-air analog. Very watchable with off-air SD (some programs almost DVD quality) and breath-taking with off-air HD (better than DVD quality).
Toslink cables are much more expensive than digital coax but provide no difference in quality, so if you can use digital coax to hook up your equipment, then use it before Toslink. As can be seen in the picture provided by Vince, Bettercables.com is a very good source of cable products.
Go to http://www.titantv.com and http://www.hdpictures.com/sched.htm
to determine what off-air digital tv is available in your area.