Home cinema Interconnects - Query

[morganash]

Hi, I am attempting to set up my first Home Cinema System and need some advice on connecting up my newly acquired equipment. I should make it clear I am NEW to this.. and any advice or suggestions will be taken on board.

My items are : Samsung le3287 LCD TV - new Samsung DVD HD870 player - new Panasonic SC-MT1 Home Cinema - 2nd hand

My question/dilemma is how can I ( or is it possible at all..? ) connect/play the Samsung DVD player through the Panasonic system?. Obviously I want the benefit of the HDMI on the samsung for picture clarity ( the Panasonic player only has Scart and S-video outputs.) and the Dolby 5.1 speakers of the Panasonic. Maybe I need a different/ seperate AV amp? My budget is more or less at it's limit tho I realise good interconnects are very important. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Don't be fooled into thinking 'good interconnects' cost a lot of money. They don't.

[Graham.]

If your idea of "good interconnects" include grossly overpriced low oxygen copper cables with gold-plated contacts, then think again.

[Adrian C]

Analogue Dolby Surround soundtracks played from the Samsung into the TV/VCR (2-channel) inputs on the Panasonic should work, but Dolby Digital won't (You don't have a digital interconnect between the two items). You'll have to play Dolby Digital discs on the Panasonic's drive to get the advantage of that.

-- Adrian C

[Alan]

In message , morganash wrote

The price of a connectors often doesn't reflect quality - a 2 quid SCARTcable can have the same performance as one costing 50 quid. Gold plating should be regarded as snake oil and only benefits the wallet of the person selling the equipment.

Try suppliers such as

where interconnects can be obtained far cheaper than the average high street store. Consider ribbon cable SCART connectors - fully wired and fully screened for around £2 to £8, depending on length. 5m HDMI leads £5 to £10

If you have a budget Russ Andrews is often recommended as an outlet where a fool and his money are soon parted

[Adam Aglionby]

What the OP is missing is a decent mains cord, Russ has the answer:

plating is fine, standard on computer connectors, gold to gold connectors is fine, gold to any other metal means the connection is a problem in the making.

Second recomendation for CPC or

and use something thicker than bell wire for the speakers, a decent 79 strand shouldn`t come in at much more than a quid a meter.

Adam

[Brian Sharrock]

I've had good interconnect info off the Logitech site. Logitech manufacture a range of multi-equipment remote control handsets that 'feature' activities;- 'I want to listen to a CD'; 'I want to watch a terrestrial TV'; 'I want to listen to a CD on my 5:1 sound system'; etc. etc. To 'set up' the system, they offer a web-site which asks for your equipment types (Manufacturer / model) and a series of questions about your preferences, listen to TV using 5:1?; listen to radio via inbuilt speakers etc. The website will return a descriptive interconnection system; (Unit A, skt 1 to Unit C, input 3 ... etc..) .... and download software into a Logitech handset.

I used the interconnect service to 'stitch together' a Philips TV, Sky+ box, JVC DVDR with 5:1 amplifiers plus FM radio; .. it was a god-send .... JVC Scart output to TV Scart 2 ; ..... . I haven't bought a Logitech handset due to lack of TUITs and I have to scramble a,amongst different handsets to achieve the correct settings; 'TV sound mute. ... DVD - ON, Sound = Surround. TV video source - Auxiliary 3; who's got the DVD's handset?'

But, at least the interconnections are correct and permit me to achieve the desired effects.

[Andy Dingley]

It ought to include two of those, it's just that you don't need the "grossly over-priced" bit to achieve them.

[Adrian C]

Don't forget ScrewFix do a range of Scart & audio cable. 100m of 79 strand for £43.

Their website is normally quite descriptive of exactly what you are getting...

Screened Gold Contacts Scart to Scart lead 1.5m Screened, 1.5m cable with gold plated connectors (1.3m lead without connectors) and 4 gripping indentations.

• All 21 Pins Connected * Gold Plated Connectors for Maximum Contact & Signal Transfer * 4 Gripping Indentations on SCART Housing * Individually Screened Cable ? reduces interference from radio and electrical sources * Video & Stereo Audio 2 Way

£3.99 inc VAT

[Adrian C]

Err. make that £4.49 for one of price...

[manatbandq]

Unless you want to continue exposing your ignorance, stop posting tripe like this.

MBQ

[The Natural Philosopher]

Him or you?

Gold plating has only ine function. It doesn't corrode and give fractional rectification on contacts which silver can and does. Chrome is equally as good however.

Best of all is a screw terminal which will cut through the oxides and make a good connection no matter what.

[Steve]

Don't know about the TV& home cinema, but I have samsung player of similar ilk connected up via a cheapo av amp, with the HDMI directly connected to the TV and the sound connected via optical through the amp. Unless your home cinema has a hdmi passthough, or the TV can connect extra speakers your out of luck. You may be able to rip the speakers off the cinema and use them on an amp to save some cash, but I don't think the home cinema will be of much use here.

Have a look at here

a few views on some amps.

Steve

[Dave Gordon]

rectification on contacts

good connection no

How many insertions (steady!) are gold-plated contacts rated for? I know with many computer motherboard connectors they only guarantee the gold will be there for about 10 insertions.

[Huge]

I used to be very skeptical about the whole interconnects business, especially when you open up an amp and find that the internal wiring is done with RS Components finest bulk buy.

But ... after some experimentatation, generally speaking the interconnects that come with equipment are crap and should be thrown away. It *is* worth getting better ones, but the price/performance curve flattens off very quickly, so spending significant money is a waste.