50 Foot Toslink Cable Review (from Monoprice)

I have been in need of a toslink or digital coaxial cable for some time now. I bought a toslink cable so I wouldn’t have to buy an adapter (although I’ve heard that digital coaxial cable carries a more robust signal and performs better over long runs).

I didn’t feel like I was taking much of a risk, however, even though reputable, knowledgeable cable dealers had told me that optical cables (like toslink) may begin to have difficulties transmitting a full digital signal beyond about 30 feet. Why wasn’t I worried? I wasn’t worried because of the many glowing reviews this particular toslink cable has received from customers who already own it. I also wasn’t overly concerned because this cable (50 feet long, 8mm jacket) cost only $12.24. Let me repeat that. This cable cost me twelve dollars and twenty-four cents. O.K., so I had to pay a little bit of shipping. No biggie. Even if the cable didn’t work and I used it as a dog leash, I would still be out less than $20.

So, I bought the cable from MonoPrice and waited. The checkout process was simple and easy (I like that). Pre-sale service from MonoPrice was very good. I asked a number of questions through their online chat and responses were always quick and accurate (very nice).

My beautiful new optical cable showed up after six days. That’s not too bad. I ordered it on a Tuesday and it showed up the following Monday.

I strung the cable through my attic, plugged it in and . . . nothing. No sound whatsoever. However, the fault was my own. My Denon’s optical inputs were turned off. I had to go into my amplifier’s settings and turn them on. I couldn’t find my manual and finally downloaded one from the Internet. After much reading I figured out how to turn the optical inputs on.

I surfed to Pandora, pushed play and . . . nothing. No sound. I screamed in frustration. I punched holes in my walls and beat my computer into powder. After that, I started playing with my Creative control panel (the audio control panel for my Creative sound card). There was a tab entitled SPI / DF (that’s the tab that controls the optical output) and everything inside was grayed out. In other words, I couldn’t activate the optical output. My toslink cable just sat there, looking very pretty and very useless.

Finally, I called Puget Systems (a custom computer builder in Seattle who sold me my computer) and their excellent customer support team bailed me out. Daniel let me know that in Windows 7, you must tell the system to use the optical out as the default speakers. In order to do that, you must navigate to the Control Panel, click the “Sound” icon, highlight “SPIDF Out” and click “set default.”

So, once I had figured out how to turn on my optical inputs on my Denon and how to activate an external source in Windows 7 . . . everyting worked! The sound is clear, bright and beautiful.

And since then, I’ve learned a few additional things. On the Creative control panel, on the SPI / DF tab, there’s a checkbox at the bottom which says “Play Stereo Mix using Digital Output.” To me, that didn’t mean much until I started experimenting with it. When it’s checked, I don’t have to set “SPIDF Out” as default on my Windows 7 sound control. What happens is that both the computer speakers and the living room speakers play simultaneously. That’s pretty cool if I’m want to hear music at both ends of the house. It’s also nice because I can just leave that checked all the time then it’s as simple as switching my Denon to the optical input. I don’t have to mess with my computer’s sound at all.

Well, enough of that. This post is supposed to be a review of my toslink cable. So, here’s the verdict.

Cons

• Well, this isn’t much of a con, but the cable took six days to get to my house. That seemed like a long wait to me but it’s definitely not unreasonable.
• The ends of the cable are pretty darn fat. If your toslink connection is recessed at all, you could be in trouble. It fits fine with my sound card and my amplifier. But I have a recessed input on the front of my amplifier for a game system (or other portable device). The toslink cable will not fit because the ends are so big.

Pros

• It works. And there’s no signal loss, as far as I can tell. The sound is beautiful.
• The 8mm jacket is really nice and thick. This cable feels like you could tow a car with it.
• It’s pretty. Anyone who sees this cable thinks it cost me a lot more than $12.
• The price. Where else can you find a $12 toslink cable that’s 50 feet long other than MonoPrice? That’s a really good question and I’m not sure there’s actually an answer.
• The online sales support was very quick and accurate.

Tartan HDMI Cable Review (50 foot)

I finally decided to buy an HDMI cable to connect my computer with my Denon receiver.

Frankly, I was a bit concerned about a 50 foot cable transmitting a high-bitrate digital signal without any loss, so I wanted the highest quality cable I could find. That cable was the Belden Series-1 HDMI cable from Blue Jeans Cable (which they sell in lengths up to 100 feet) with its special bonded-pair construction unique to Belden. It’s also the only HDMI cable manufactured in the United States. If you can find another let me know.

But at $135 for the cable plus additional costs for wall plates and 2 short cables (for running from the wall plate to my components) plus shipping and tax, I was looking at almost 200 bucks. I like quality but I also like saving money.

Blue Jeans Cable sells the highest quality HDMI cable I could find, but they also sell the lowest-cost HDMI cables anywhere. Don’t believe me? Fine. Go pay what you want for your cables; I bought a 50 foot Tartan HDMI cable for $32. That’s right. $32. There’s nothing special about this cable. It’s a 24AWG, tin-plated HDMI cable from China. Yes, I sacrificed my ideals to save a little money (actually quite a bit of money).

The checkout process annoyed me slightly. Blue Jeans Cable uses Paypal; during the process Paypal recognizes your name (if you have an account with them) and attempts to force you to use your Paypal account. It’s fairly easy to get around it; just use an alternate credit card and an alternate email address (not the one you use for Paypal). Unless, of course, you want to use Paypal. Then it’s no problem. Unfortunately, the process is slightly confusing.

The cable was shipped quickly using priority mail. I ordered it late Tuesday and it was on my doorstep on Thursday afternoon.

Both ends had little plastic caps on the ends of the cable to keep dust and debris out, although one of them had fallen off so obviously they weren’t on tight enough to begin with. The cable was coiled neatly and secured with two wire ties.

I plugged it in and . . . it worked. I’m getting beautiful high definition OTA (over the air) signals in full 720p with no data loss on my living room television. That’s impressive for a $32 cable.

I strung it through my wall (no problems there – it’s CL2 rated for in-wall installation) and had no problem getting it around corners and through tight spaces. With the more expensive cable (the Belden Series-1) tight turns would be a problem. The Series-1 is s a 22AWG cable (extremely thick) so flexibility is an issue. All this to say that even though the Tartan cable was fairly thick, it was still flexible enough to be able to install it without port savers (short, flexible HDMI cables that “save” your ports and the soldered points on the ends of extremely thick cables).

Cons

1. I hate Paypal (the ordering process can be confusing if you have a Paypal account and you don’t want to use it).
2. The small cap wasn’t on the cable end when it arrived (really a non-issue as it was packed in sealed plastic).
3. It’s made in China (not really a con as all HDMI cables in the world are made there – except the Belden HDMI cables).
4. This is a tin-plated cable (as opposed to silver which is a better conductor but honestly, in all my reading, I don’t really think it really matters with HDMI so this isn’t much of a con).

Pros

1. This cable is cheap. $32 for a 50 foot HDMI cable is practically unheard of. If you can find such a good deal elsewhere let me know.
2. Shipping was very fast for me (priority mail).
3. The cable transmits a high definition 720p signal over 50 feet without any problems whatsoever.
4. The folks at Blue Jeans Cable are knowledgeable and responsive, even if you ask lots of dumb questions (like me).
5. While the cable is thick, it’s still thin enough to be flexible so you can get through tight spots and around corners.

Final Verdict

If you want the cheapest HDMI cables on the market (that actually work) and you want to buy them from a knowledgeable, reputable dealer (e.g., Blue Jeans Cable) then these Tartan HDMI cables are a perfect buy. Am I saying a 50 foot Tartan cable will be adequate in all applications? No. If you’re trying to run a 1080p signal through the cable you might have problems. But then again, you may not.

Toslink & HDMI Cables

I finally did it. Well, Tim and I did it. We ran strings through my wall and my attic! One comes out behind my computer; the other behind my amplifier in my living room.

In order to achieve my goal (connecting my computer to my living room surround sound system) I need two cables: a DVI to HDMI cable (50 feet long) and a toslink or digital coaxial audio cable. I chose the toslink cable even though a coaxial signal is more robust and better for long runs. Why? Because I have toslink inputs and outputs on my sound card and receiver. If I went with the digital coaxial cable I’d have to buy additional equipment (toslink to coaxial adapter). So I decided to go with a 50 foot toslink cable from MonoPrice.com and a 50 foot DVI to HDMI cable from Blue Jeans Cable.

I didn’t talk much to anyone at MonoPrice, but I did use their online chat support, and the technician responded very quickly. He seemed knowledgeable and gave me good advice. MonoPrice’s cables seem to be good cables, but are solely mass-produced cables from China. Their prices (on certain items) are nearly unbeatable and they provide the option for customers to post product reviews on their site. So, when you’re researching a product you can see what others think of it before you buy it. That sort of information is invaluable.

I bought the toslink cable from MonoPrice because the price was cheaper than others (only $12 for a 50 foot toslink cable with a heavy duty jacket for protection) and because of the 25 customer reviews. All customers vouched that the cable reproduced sound accurately regardless of its long length. Every single user rated it 5 out of 5 stars for a perfect rating. I’ll post a review of the cable after I install it.

Blue Jeans Cable was the company I wanted to buy all my cables from. This company really knows its stuff. All employees know cables inside and out. This company sells the only HDMI cable manufactured in the U.S.A. (Belden). They produce their toslink cable in-shop to their specifications. Their Series-1 cable is quite expensive in comparison to generic cables (at this time, their 50 foot HDMI Belden Series-1 cable is $135) but it’s significantly better than other cables. It’s the only cable manufactured in the U.S.A., even though it’s still terminated in China. It’s contructed in a superior fashion for better performance over distance (Blue Jeans Cable has tested it without signal loss up to 125 feet).

I wanted to buy the Series-1 cable but I’m cheap so I went with their economy brand – Tartan. I bought a 50 foot 24AWG cable for $32. That’s right – $32. I haven’t received the cable yet but I’ll post a review of it here when I get it. The guys at Blue Jeans Cable responded to all my emails quickly and they answered all my questions thoroughly. Like I said, I wanted to buy all my cables from them, but their 50 foot toslink cable cost around $50 (at the time of this writing). They do offer Chinese-produced cables (their Tartan brand) and you can check out all those cables at Tartan Cable. I would have bought a Tartan toslink cable, but their longest toslink cable was 25 feet.

I’m very impressed with Blue Jeans Cable. They specialize in all sorts of cables (not just HDMI and toslink cables) and they’re extremely knowledgeable. They have articles on their site that are extremely enlightening. A few I really enjoyed:

• How Long Can HDMI Cable be Run?
• Where Does HDMI Cable Come From?
• Do You “Get What You Pay For” in Cable?

Reading these articles really helped me see what’s going on in the cable industry. For instance, are Monster cables really worth the price? Check out Blue Jeans Cable’s articles and you’ll get a very clear answer.

Check back soon for reviews of my new cables.

How to Build a Classroom Website

All teachers should pay attention to this one; it doesn’t matter if you’re a behavior teacher or just one of those regular teachers.

Join the 21st century and get a classroom website. It’s easier than you think. It’s called WordPress and anyone can do it (even computer dunces). Please keep in mind that I have absolutely no affiliation with WordPress. I’m posting this information to help teachers. That’s it.

WordPress.com works well for those who want an “out of the box” solution. Just sign up at http://wordpress.com and BAM! you have your own free classroom website. No ads, no fees, lots of cool themes to choose from . . . why haven’t you signed up yet? Get over there and get started. And you don’t have to have any knowledge of html or coding of any kind.

Most people think of WordPress as blogging software only, but I’m telling you – it isn’t. You can make a static website out of it as well. Check out this example of a static WordPress website. Here’s another example (this one’s actually a classroom website). One possibility is setting up a static homepage with your links (classroom expectations, teacher contact information, dress code, fees payable to the teacher, etc.) on the side (or the top) and having a “news” or “what’s new” section. This section of the site can act as your blog, or your news ticker, however you’d like to look at it. That way you can have your static classroom website with an always updated “announcements” section.

WordPress.org is for those who own their own domain name and pay for their own hosting. It’s a bit trickier. You need to set up a database, back it up once in a while, and keep up with the latest version of the software. But still, it’s easy. And you have a lot more flexibility than you do with WordPress.com (more themes, endless plugins for enhanced flexibility and customization). If you have questions, just ask in the comment section of this post. I’ll be glad to walk you through it.

In this day and age, no teacher should be without a website. And a WordPress website, well, makes you look very high-tech and very hip. And most people looking at it would never know you didn’t hire a designer or pay to have your site set up.

Please (really listen here) don’t waste your time signing up for the masses of “pay-for” sites out there. You don’t need to pay anything to have an amazing, professional-looking classroom website. And you don’t have to have any website-building knowledge. You just have to go to http://wordpress.com and pick a username. Have I said that already? If you’re smart enough to figure out Microsoft Word or Excel, then you’ll have no problem with the WordPress software. And if you’re smart enough to figure out those teaching websites, like Edline or Skyward, then I think you’re too advanced for WordPress because I still haven’t figured those out yet.

Once again, if you need help figuring this out, ask in the comments section. I will be very happy to help you out.

Subscribe!

If you haven’t subscribed to my youtube channel yet, why not? Type in mreae in youtube’s search then subscribe to my videos! Or, you can add me as a friend (I promise I will accept your invitation). Cool. Now I’m going to sit here and wait for the new flood of subscribers.

New Updates

Skype’s been updated.  Go get it.

Firefox also has been updated.  Go get it.

Of course these programs will update automatically (eventually) but don’t  you want to be able to tell everyone you got it first?  Actually, Firefox has been downloaded over 11 million times already.  Don’t forget … some of your extensions may quit working (for Firefox) but eventually they’ll catch up.  Don’t worry.

Oh, have you looked at my new computer yet?

Twitter – What Is It?

What’s Twitter?  Well, look to the right, in my sidebar. See the “What I’m Doing” title?  See the snippets of information underneath?  That’s Twitter.

It’s like a blog.  Well, a micro-blog. But you don’t have to set it up.   The Twitter people do all that for you.  You just sign up and start tweeting.  That is, you answer the question, “What are you doing?”

How it works:

• you sign up
• you tweet (something interesting – maximum 140 characters)
• you hope to get a follower someday (starting with family and friends is nice)
• you follow other people with similar interests
• your tweets show up on their homepage, on the Twitter public timeline (if you wish), and on your Twitter homepage

So, every “tweet” you see on my blog sidebar gets sent to all my followers (currently 233) .  I have Twitter set up to “tweet” every time I write a post on my other blog (Whatever) so sometimes you’ll see links to my posts.  Other times I just “tweet” about things I’m doing, like how I make my coffee, what meeting I’m attending next, or what I’m thinking about.

So be sure to check out my Tweets . . . you’ll always see them in the in the sidebar.

And, if you’re feeling brave, sign up for Twitter and start tweeting.  I promise I’ll be one of your followers.