Cable is essential to the quality of television. The modern choice confuses not only ordinary users, but also professionals. If you are going to independently conduct a television cable in an apartment, carefully consider all the points, since after screeding the floor or closing the walls with drywall, it will be difficult to change anything. This is an important point. It is worth considering carefully how to connect a television cable, what footage is needed, whether the characteristic matches.
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Today, there are 3 types of these products:
- Coaxial.
- Composite.
- Component.
- HDMI or DVI.
Each has its pros and cons. Which TV cable to choose depends on the footage, location and conditions of use. To connect to a TVanalog, digital or satellite television uses only 1 cable option. The rest are designed to connect additional devices, stereo, audio equipment to the TV, so their review will be short.
Coaxial TV cable
This is the most common, versatile form in use since the dawn of cable television. It has four main components:
- Central vein. It is ideally copper, but there are good cables with aluminum or steel copper-plated core. So, the base metal is covered with a thin layer of copper. The quality of the incoming signal, and hence the quality of the picture on the screen, depends on the material of the central core. The center wire of a television cable can be stranded or single-core. This affects the quality of the image: the thicker the center vein, the better the image. If the distance between the antenna and the TV is less than 50 meters, then you can safely purchase a television cable with steel centering. If the distance is large and the cable partially runs horizontally, then the center core should only be copper, otherwise the signal level will decrease by at least 20 percent and will decrease every day along with cable wear.
- Dielectric. The material may vary. More often it is foamed polyvinyl chloride or fluoroplastic. The immobility of the conductors located above depends on the dielectric layer.
- Braid or outer conductor. It protects the signal transmitted by the cable from external interference. As a rule, it is made of a polyethylene film, on top of whichapplied metal coating. This increases the mobility of the cable. Foil is extremely rare. It increases the price of the cable, but practically does not affect its quality. Copper-coated foil is even rarer. When buying a cheap cable, you should pay attention to this parameter, because very often they contain an ordinary silver film that does not fulfill its functions. The braid is made of aluminum or copper. The better it is, the better the signal will reach.
- The outer shell is made of polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride. The sheath protects the internal components of the cable. It is worth paying attention to the thickness of the outer layer. This directly relates to the quality of the cable. Be sure to find out what weather conditions the shell can withstand. It is also worth paying attention to how to connect the television cable, since the thicker the outer layer, the more difficult it is to lay it. The cable, when bent, will give a sufficiently large resistance. In addition to protecting the cable itself, the outer sheath protects the TV to some extent. There are cases when the integrity of the outer shell was violated, water got into the cable and, along the glass product, exactly into the TV. The consequences are very unpleasant. With a better outcome, water may simply drain into the room.
Basic selection
When choosing a TV cable, remember that the signal depends on the quality of the components that are used in the manufacture. When choosing cheap products, in no case should you embed them in the wall or placeso that replacing the cable would be a problem. The cheaper the material, the faster its wear, therefore, the worse the signal and image. It is better to buy a high-quality cable initially than to change a cheap one twice. Also be sure to pay attention to the resistance indicated on the outer sheath. For modern television, there should be at least 75 ohms.
Now there is such a wide assortment that it is very difficult to choose anything. The market is filled with manufacturers from different countries, with different price categories, etc. What is the best TV cable to choose? In Russia, several firms and models turned out to be the most common.
RG-6
Produced under the Russian brand, and manufactured in China. In terms of pricing, the cheapest. The central core is copper-plated steel. Foil shield, aluminum braid.
According to professionals, this type of cable is the least preferred. It is better to overpay and buy a better cable. This one falls apart when stripped, and the outer shell breaks down pretty quickly.
RG-59
The manufacturer is the same, the filling is slightly worse than that described above. The thickness of the central core is only 0.5 mm. The image is distorted for every meter of cable stretched. According to customer reviews, the cable breaks quickly, especially if there are corners in the way of the laying. How to connect a TV cable? When choosing this model, it is better to use special adapters at the joints.
SAT-50
Producer country - Italy. The central core is copper. The braid is reinforced. Suitable for both cable and satellite TV, as well as for terrestrial and digital TV. According to consumer and professional reviews, this is a reasonably good value for money TV cable.
SAT cable 703-N
The country of origin is also Italy. The core material is copper. The cost is slightly lower than that of the above model, but the characteristics are no worse. The experience of the manufacturer affects (more than 40 years on the market). According to customer reviews, this is a good television cable: the signal is not lost, the outer sheath does not deteriorate over time. Bonus - a 15-year manufacturer's warranty.
What to choose in the end?
Which is the best TV cable, choose directly to the user. The main thing is to pay attention to the quality of the materials. When calculating the footage, remember that it is better to take with a margin of several meters.
It is also worth remembering that the differences between cable for satellite TV and cable are marketing tricks. A coaxial TV cable is perfect for any of these options. What brand to choose? According to reviews from various sites and online stores, as well as a survey of professionals, the Sat television cable remains the best today. This item is made in Italy.
How to make it easier to connect a TV cable?
If the repair is just starting, it is better to think in advance how the cable will pass - in the channels made in the wall, or inplastic plinth channel. Be sure to carefully measure how much material will be needed, taking into account corners, folds, styling. It is better to take 2-3 meters more. When buying a cable, you should pay attention to its mobility. If the material does not bend well or exhibits great resistance to bending, it will subsequently cause damage to the trim or cable. If the material passes through the outer wall of the room, the hole must be drilled obliquely, from top to bottom. This is necessary so that during precipitation water does not enter the room. When laying a television cable, you need to consider the distance to the wiring.
Electricity will interfere. If the material passes through a window or door, you can use special adapters. But it should be remembered that the more complete the cable, the better the signal. It is better to wire the television element around the room with ready-made adapters. Homemade twists or devices can degrade signal quality. If a large length of cable runs outdoors in an environment where it can be easily damaged (for example, an external corner of a room, a drainpipe, a metal window sill), it is recommended to fix the product with special plastic clips.
Composite
Popularly known as the tulip or bluebell. It is not completely suitable for transmitting a modern cable television signal, but in conjunction with audio connectors it is used to connect players, various set-top boxes and video projectors. Will not transmit high definition images. The constituent components will not allow this to be done. Color reproduction also leaves much to be desired. In many ways, this element is inferior to the component cable. When choosing such a product, you should also pay attention to the components. In cheap models, manufacturers fill the empty space between the case and the connector with polyethylene or plastic.
And the main problem with these cable connectors is their very low heat resistance. Plastic and polyethylene quickly melt from the heat of the plug, fusing the internal insulation. There are cases when the wear of such a cable damaged the TV. In models of an average pricing policy, the void is filled with washers made of textolite or pressed fiberglass. Such products will last much longer and are quite suitable for average use. In expensive models, heat-resistant Teflon or ceramics are used to fill the space between the cable housing. Of course, cable wear with these materials is many times lower, but for use in an apartment it is not necessary to fork out for a similar cable.
Manufacturers and reviews
Let's consider some good manufacturers of these products:
- COLD RAY. Country of origin - Sweden. Refers to expensive cables, but the quality really deserves attention. According to customer reviews, this cable is purchased once and for a long time. Unlike cheap Chinese counterparts, you will not need to change the cable every six months, a year.
- VIEWCON. Country of origin - Taiwan. Good cable in the middle price segment. According to reviews, buyers are satisfied with this product. Cable, picture and sound quality is quitesatisfied.
- ATSOM. Country of origin - China. This is the most popular manufacturer among cheap models. Products from the company ATCOM are distributed not only in Russia, but also in the USA, Europe, and Central Asia. For an inexperienced user, the cable is quite good. According to customer reviews, very decent picture and sound quality. But the heating temperature must be carefully monitored.
Component
What is this? In fact, this is a much improved version of the composite cable. Here are exactly the same characteristics. The only difference is the image quality. It is much better than composite cable. In all other respects, the difference is insignificant, even manufacturers are sometimes identical.
DVI and HDMI cables
Used to transfer video to digital devices. These can be TVs, projectors, modern monitors and laptops.
In fact, there is no difference either in the device of the cable or in the quality of the transmitted image. The only difference is which port is available on the connected device. Retransmit products analog signal to digital. In everyday life, an HDMI cable is more commonly used. DVI is preferred for professional computer equipment.
Conclusion
So, we found out what a television cable is and which one is better to choose. The purchase should be made, focusing not only on the material of the product, but also on the manufacturer himself. The highest quality is Italianproducts. But you should refrain from buying domestic cables. Such products are not reliable and do not guarantee a good output image.
