comparing video cables (1 Viewer)

[Stefan A]

Today I received my new Better Cables Silver Serpent Component cables. I also have the Monster video 3 cables. Based on what I have read here and especially this review - http://www.obisreviews.com/main3nf.html - I decided to buy the cable to see what I thought. After going back and forth between the 2 cables, I am having a hard time seeing differences. I am paying the most attention to details and colors but I just can't see a difference. I have tried an anamorphic and a non-anamorphic dvd - but still no difference. Is there something I am failing to see? How do you compare the pic quality that various video cables produce? Right now, I am thinking of just sending the serpents back - unless I can see something obvious.
Stefan Antwarg

 

[Brian_J]

To quote a line from a campy vampire movie: "You have to have faith for that to work!"
Brian
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Zed's Dead Baby...

 

[Stefan A]

Brian - I see what you are saying, but $120 dollars is a lot of money to only "have faith" that they are better.
Stefan Antwarg

 

[Brian_J]

I was joking (mainly). I only believe cables make a difference in regards from the crappy to the well made. Once you get above "well made" I dont think it matters much. But thats just my opinion.
Brian
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Zed's Dead Baby...
[Edited last by Brian_J on August 15, 2001 at 05:14 PM]

 

[Ted Lee]

not to rain on your parade, but i'm not surprised to read your post. i think decent quality cables are a must, but i think the point-of-diminishing-returns arrives very quickly.
my own tests proved to my own ears that expensive cables aren't worth it...at least not at my gear's level. maybe high-end stuff is different. my brother-in-law's brother is considering spending $500.00 for two 1-m used interconnects (he didn't know what brand). but then again he's running about 17K worth of gear.
anyway, if you have to struggle that hard to see a difference, it's probably not worth it.
my .02
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You step in the stream,
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

 

[Allan Jayne]

There is no easy way to test video cables for quality, it needs expensive test equipment.
The longer the cable is, the more likely quality differences will show up between one grade and another.
Cable quality makes more of a difference with progressive scan and even more of a difference with HDTV.
Some people conclude that one brand of cable is better than another just because the calbe they got from the "inferior" brand was a lemon. It is difficult to solder the wires inside the plugs at the ends of the cables and it is not unusual for a short circuit or missing ground to be present.
Other video hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Tim Markley]

Stefan - If YOU don't see a difference then there's no since in spending the extra money. That's really all that matters.

 

[John-D]

Stefan,
You may want to double check by running AVIA or VE test pattrens and doing some calibration and then swap the cables and redo the test to see if your readings vary.
If it's not visible to the naked eye, you don't need to convince yourself. By all means return the expensive cable and treat ALL subjective reviews with a BIG bag of salt.
Good Luck.