Are gold-plated scarts worth it?

VincentVega

I'd say it depends. If you don't have a particularly good DVD player, then it's probably not worth buying one, as the player won't give that good a picture in the first place.

I've got an Arcam DVD player and use a gold-plated SCART cable with it - a QED one. It's probably worth using a gold-plated cable (£50) with a player of that calibre, however.

espresso

VincentVega wrote:

I'd say it depends. If you don't have a particularly good DVD player, then it's probably not worth buying one, as the player won't give that good a picture in the first place.

I've got an Arcam DVD player and use a gold-plated SCART cable with it - a QED one. It's probably worth using a gold-plated cable (£50) with a player of that calibre, however.

So do the sockets that your gold plated scart lead plugs into, have gold plated connectors then?

shitefourbrains

Basically if you have a top of the range system you'd want good quality leads. Hard to justify spending over a tenner for them though. The difference top quality leads make could be discounted by the rest of your set up. What I mean there is the quality of the rest of your equipment or even factors such as furniture in the way of speakers, or speakers not being in an optimum place etc.

I wouldn't by a 99p one as you may find it perishes and the wires come out. (thats my experience!).

My advice... Sub tenner and spend the rest on a good couple of DVDs.

AMO

John_Gray wrote:

Does the gold plating actually do anything other than look pretty? (hard facts would be appreciated...)
John
PS gold-plated speaker leads are also spectacularly expensive, but I suspect the placebo effect, cynic that I am...

It's difficult to assess. As with any more expensive product, it's not just the gold plating that's of higher quality, all components that make up the connector tends to be of a higher quality and so its debateable.

For example, there are cheap gold connectors and expensive ones.

Look at the 10 point list that justifies Thor leads here:
http://www.beststuff.co.uk/thor.htm

Whether it makes much difference is up to you to decide. In many cases even if it does, its not worth the expense unless you have a highly expensive setup. In the shops, the Monster cables fall into similar categories.


However, take the following two SCART adapters:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Composite-S-Video-Cnnctr-Mindin4M/dp/B000CI4UHO/sr=1-13/qid=1166280312/ref=sr_1_13/202-6392497-1191013?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LINDY-SCART-Adapter-S-Video-Composite/dp/B000FKP898/sr=1-9/qid=1166280312/ref=sr_1_9/202-6392497-1191013?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Although the latter looks more expensive, is it worth the extra?

And what about the Belkin PureAV products, e.g.:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-Blue-PureAV-S-Video-Cable/dp/B0003056UQ/sr=1-2/qid=1166280403/ref=sr_1_2/202-6392497-1191013?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Technical Details sounds superb

Improves clarity with superior-grade, 99.99%-purity, solid-copper conductors
Maintains signal integrity and 75-Ohm impedance using precision-formulated, nitrogen-injected dielectric
Creates precise contact and increased durability with a split-tip center pin and 6-cut, corrosion-resistant, 24k gold RCA connectors
Delivers maximum bandwidth with 75-Ohm coaxial construction
Provides maximum isolation from electromagnetic and radio frequency interference with double-shielded construction
Isolates signal from noise with 100%-coverage aluminum/Mylar foil shield
Creates a second layer of protection with tinned, copper-braided shielding
Eliminates the corrosion that is common in bare, copper-braided shielding

But is it really any good? Are they better than their gold counterparts?

Some of it is hype, but in general, its worth the expensive of stepping up from the cheapest connectors, but to justify the cost thereafter depends on your own setup and whether you are getting transmission problems/crackling.

AMO

Moneymaker

This will do the job: http://www.!!!!!!.uk/accs/goldscart.htm

VincentVega

espresso wrote:

So do the sockets that your gold plated scart lead plugs into, have gold plated connectors then?

No, they don't. But to use an £800 DVD player such as this with a £15 SCART lead would be a stupid thing to do. Picture quality does vary depending on the interconnects you use. Same goes with audio components. If you bought a load of Linn stuff, for example, would you use interconnects you bought from Maplin Electronics or Argos? Your system - be it home cinema or audio - is only as good as its weakest part. Why limit its potential with a crappy cable?

espresso

VincentVega wrote:

No, they don't. But to use an £800 DVD player such as this with a £15 SCART lead would be a stupid thing to do. Picture quality does vary depending on the interconnects you use. Same goes with audio components. If you bought a load of Linn stuff, for example, would you use interconnects you bought from Maplin Electronics or Argos? Your system - be it home cinema or audio - is only as good as its weakest part. Why limit its potential with a crappy cable?

I agree to a point but the title of the thread is 'Are gold-plated scarts worth it?' and the discussion has moved away from that. The gold plating is used to justify the extra cost of the over priced cables. Yes these more expensive cables do use higher quality cable with individual screening etc. but I would say that it's the quality of the cable used that is more significant and not the gold plated connectors which will mate with non gold plated ones even on a really expensive player.

I would never spend £800 on a DVD player though!

Woby_Tide

so after spending £800 on a DVD player you still have the same issues about whether to spend £1 or £50 on a scart that you would if you had a £15 DVD player......hmmmmmmmm

Lorian

Woby_Tide wrote:

so after spending £800 on a DVD player you still have the same issues about whether to spend £1 or £50 on a scart that you would if you had a £15 DVD player......hmmmmmmmm

Hopefully you'd connect it using HDMI or at least component.

BTW I bought one of the cheap "gold plated" SCART cables from lidl. The screening was not adequate for the (composite) signal I needed it for. Their component cables work OK though.

rygon

ive always been told, as a rule of thumb spend 10% of the system costs on the leads.