Yet Another HdTV? DVD hook up

[TNFL]

For those of us that can't afford HD dvd or Blueray for a few months or a year. What are the best cables to hook up a Regular DVD player.

Right now I am using s-video and the picture is still great. But would it improve, get worse, or stay the same with a component video cable?

[DTro]

You should see an improvement with the component cables, however being just a standard DVD and not an upscaling one, the improvement will not be significant.

Now, if it is an upscaling DVD player, you'll want to go with the component cables.

[LMITOUT]

Component should help the signal....sure can't hurt. I've never been very happy with S-video.

[TNFL]

Its a Samsung VCR/DVD combo, its about a year old, and it cost between $150 and $180 (if i remember right)

Its not top of the line, but its not a Menards 19.99 special either.

How much do component cables cost, on average?

[DTro]

Between $10 and $20.

Don't waste your money on the Monster or any other high end cable.

[ChemE]

If you're really cheap, you can use any RCA/RCA cable you may have lying around the house instead of the pleasantly color coded component video cables. Just plug one in at a time to minimize the chance of crossing the component signals. You may or may not notice any signal degradation from less shielding in the standard RCA/RCA cables.

[PierBridge]

You won't notice the difference with component I'd save the money.

[TNFL]

They are $40-$80 at best buy.

 Quote:

If you're really cheap, you can use any RCA/RCA cable you may have lying around the house instead of the pleasantly color coded component video cables. Just plug one in at a time to minimize the chance of crossing the component signals. You may or may not notice any signal degradation from less shielding in the standard RCA/RCA cables.

I was thinking they look the same and might try it, I do have an extra set to hook up the audio.

[LMITOUT]

$40-80? Those must be Monster brand. Even if they aren't, don't waste your money on the so-called super duper shielded cables with the fancy gold connectors. A set of cables can be had for much cheaper than that.

[TNFL]

They were "monster", and I figured as much, in regard to cheaper cables.

[Whoaru99]

You don't need anything too fancy and they don't need to be the three-piece component sets. "Component" cables are nothing more than three color-coded video cables in a package.

I wouldn't use just any old RCA-terminated cables. Sure, the video will go through just about ANY cable, but it should really be 75-ohm video cable. These are generally better shielded and are of the proper characteristic impedance for best signal transfer.

Video cables can be had pretty cheaply so just buy three if they're in a single package. Of course, if you find the component sets for reasonable cost, there isn't any reason NOT to buy them.

I've found sets like this at local stores for around $10.

Another place to buy cables at low cost is at Monoprice(dot)com.