coaxial digital input cable question
 

I plugged a standard video rca cable [free from my cable company (Cox Cable)] into the digital coxial out of my new scientific atlanta explorer 8000 dvr Plugged it into the input on my reciever and it seems to work great. My reciever was registering dolby 5.1 coming in.

My question is why if a standard rca cable works are the digital coaxial cables so expensive? I relise that different brands charge different prices for their cables in general. Is this price difference just marketing. Or am I missing something?

I'd like to hear the answer to this question myself. I think they're so expensive because that's what the market will bear.

There may be some occasions where the cheapie cable is marginal due to length or other factors. But if it consistently works without problems why would you need a "better" cable?

Encoded signals such as DD or DTS should either work or not work. Considerations such as jitter shouldn't be a factor with those types of signals.

A decent Composite (Video RCA) cable (NOT a Audio RCA cable) has all the bandwidth a digital audio signal needs! Those SPECIAL digital cables are nothing really special at all! They re-label decent video composite cables to digital cables and quadruple the price for those who do not know their dirty little secret! If you get no dropouts in your audio you are good to go!

The other possibility is shielding and the quality of the connector itself. If you are happy with it then enjoy!

As Brian said, the shielding and connectors are the main reason. The gold plated connectors are supposed to get a better connection, therefore a better signal. The shielding............. materials used, as well as thickness. Some cables aren't shielded at all. The wire itself..........higher grades of copper, some use silver wiring, etc......... Cables are like anything else...........it's what sounds good to you!

sounds good to me. I am using a video rca cable which is thicker than the audio ones.

Thank you

You are forgetting that the digital domain does not require the same thing as the Analog one does. Analog does require very good connectors, shielding but with digital you do not need to be so stringent to achieve the same thing. the digital bistream is far less effected by external interference then analog. As I said if you are getting no dropouts you are good to go!

originally posted by Frank S.......

That has nothing to do with his question............... I was trying to answer his question.




originally posted by bpm3k........
He was asking why digital coaxial cost so much more than analog cable........

Digital is still analog to the wire- it is just all 0's and 1's.

It is still susceptable to electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference, and signal loss.

The encoded packets of 0's and 1's as used in DD or DTS either get there intact and get decoded or you plainly hear that they don't.

So it will be obvious whether there is too much interference.