Is regular s-video cable as good as Monster cable?

[ThumperStrauss]

Lord Smurf explained in a help guide that a Monster S-Video cable is one of the elements that can help make for a better transfer. Let's say I connect the first Monster S-Video cable from my JVC HR-S3900 to my Panasonic ES-15, and then connect the second Monster S-Video cable one from the ES-15 to the Diamond VC500. The VC500* has it's own S-Video cable (female) running about 3 inches. Will those last three inches of non-Monster cable undo all the goodness of the signal running through the Monster cable? Or is there still a benefit to using the two Monster cables?

*I understand that VC500/Windows10 is not the preferred way to capture and that capturing on a WindowsXP computer is preferable.

[RobustReviews]

Yes, no, maybe.

My suspicion is 'no', providing the cable is of fair quality.

Monster and their ilk were routinely reprimanded in audio and video communities for selling essentially snake oil. Make your own judgement there. They were very high-quality cables, that's true, but they're not a magic panacea. We use Monster SCART cables here, we always found the connectors on them very reliable, but that's more a case of build-quality rather than a scientific reason.

The only thing personally I'm happy with is making my own cables (I choose Van Damme, insert your own favourite) as for cost vs benefit it's all I can tolerate as a business. Short cables of fair quality are usually the best thing (short doesn't always mean as short as absolutely possible, that's a different concept) and properly terminated with a 75ohm characteristic impedance.

My personal view is one of 'don't use crap cables' rather than 'use x cable'. We have a one machine that doesn't have great characteristics and we have external resistors to trim impedances for full energy transfer, this is not an undertaking for the amateur and arguably doesn't make a great difference anyway, more a case of crossing t's and dotting i's for technical specs.

Cables and noise are an absolute minefield, require deep electronics understanding to fully grasp and even then the universe has a nasty habit of chucking in a few spanners just to create confusion. Take any person with a definitive answer of these matters with a pinch of salt.

My test for your cable is to check continuity between the outside of both connectors to ensure there's at least sheiding in your lesser cable. As it's short, and it's not of horrendous quality, and you haven't got your set-up running on top of some sort of noise-spewing high frequency device, I'd say you'll be fine.

[latreche34]

If the cable is physically sound, No corrosion, better shielding, right guage, Coaxial, it doesn't matter what brand is. Most of those 3ft cables supplied with VCR's and A/V devices back in the day should be fine, Nowadays, not so much, becarefull where you buy your cable from. Yes Monster cables are built to standard though they were overpriced, but now can be had very cheaply on the fleabay since no one uses them anymore, At least the masses.

[traal]

Cheap S-Video cables aren't shielded, it's just four insulated wires in a PVC jacket. Don't buy these.

Monster S-Video cables are two coax cables within a PVC jacket, that's why they're so thick.

These days it's hard to find shielded S-Video cables anywhere, so grab them when you find them, whether they're Monster cables or not.

As for whether the (unshielded?) pigtail undoes the benefit of using Monster cables, I'd say maybe just a little.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThumperStrauss

Lord Smurf explained in a help guide that a Monster S-Video cable is one of the elements that can help make for a better transfer.

Where is that written? I want to nuke it. It's not been true in year. The Monster brand has problems, especially with s-video, due to fat heads with death grips that ruin s-video gear. Stuff like "gold" is nonsense.

Quote:

is there still a benefit to using the two Monster cables?

No. Good cable good, bad cable bad.

Quote:

*I understand that VC500/Windows10 is not the preferred way to capture and that capturing on a WindowsXP computer is preferable.

Correct. Win7/XP best. VC500 has random issues, the worst being AGC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobustReviews

Monster and their ilk were routinely reprimanded in audio and video communities for selling essentially snake oil.
... but that's more a case of build-quality rather than a scientific reason.
... 'don't use crap cables' rather than 'use x cable'.
... ensure there's at least sheiding

Yep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by latreche34

Most of those 3ft cables supplied with VCR's and A/V devices back in the day should be fine,

Some of my best longest-lasting s-video cables came with my JVC decks when new. (Note that buying used JVC gear these days likely comes with random cables.)

Quote:

but now can be had very cheaply on the fleabay since no one uses them anymore, At least the masses.

And rusted, smelling like an ash tray, etc. Be wary, ask questions.

[RobustReviews]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Where is that written? I want to nuke it. It's not been true in year. The Monster brand has problems, especially with s-video, due to fat heads with death grips that ruin s-video gear. Stuff like "gold" is nonsense.

Gold does have a rather legitimate use as a connector plating, it doesn't tarnish and is used for industrial connectors that may remain untouched for decades, that was the most useful part of gold plating connectors as connectors could be left undisturbed without the fear of oxidisation or tarnish accepted with other metals.

When it costs potentially millions to shut down a process to investigate, finding crappy oxidised connectors is not good.

The problem is, it is very soft and on connectors that are frequently unplugged and unplugged and can create more issues as it tends to expose the base metal which often is 'not good'.

If you leave a set-up connected for a goodly long time, gold is perfect. Electrically it's okay, it's not as good a conductor as copper despite what some of the marketing makes out. If the female connector is 'gold' then the male connector should be 'gold' as best practice, but in reality nobody cares.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobustReviews

Electrically it's okay, it's not as good a conductor as copper despite what some of the marketing makes out.

The reflectivity of gold also isn't best (at the nm of optical media), which makes the "archival" blank optical media hokum for suckers. Thankfully, most of that nonsense is gone now, with companies like Mitsui/MAM going bankrupt. Good riddance to BS'ers. Most extant media was made years ago, and didn't sell. What a shocker, overpriced and worse not selling, who'd a'thunk it?

If you want to get gold, then buy your wife some jewelry. It doesn't belong in your video kit.

See also, why I can't stand Canopus pre-GV. Nonsense marketing to gullible newbies.