PS3 to Onkyo 605

[admin_exported]

What is the best lead to use when connecting the PS3 to Onkyo 605 (and then 605 to TV). Looking around the reviews, it seems the best option is the QED QUNEX HDMI-P Cable. What you guys suggest? Is this to much or to little. Also, can I send my SKY+ signal through the Onkyo and upscale the Pic? Would the results be worthwhile? I'm going to test this out with the Wii once I have set it all up.

 

[FuzzyinLondon]

The QED HDMI will do a good job, particularly over a longer length. Over a short distance such as 1m, the benefits of an expensive lead might be considered negligible. As long as you're not using a bargain basement one that's prone to falling apart, you should be fine. If you have the money to spend though, it will give you piece of mind knowing that you have got a great quality lead. The subject of HDMI leads is a can of worms that I'm not going to get into here. The Onkyo 605 does not upscale but I believe it can upconvert the signal to go over HDMI. To get the best results from Sky+ you might need a Scart to component converter. To be honest though, if you've got a decent TV that does a god job of scaling SD, you might just be better off going into the back of it via Scart and feeding the sound to the Onkyo via optical. It avoids a lot of hassle. I do this with my Pioneer and am very happy with the results.

 

[Anonymous]

The HD cable will be 1m from PS3 to 605 then 2 m from 605 to TV (Sony 40w2000). I have been reading many opinions regarding HDMI and if they make a difference, is 3m considered a long run?

Can you recommended a cheaper but good cable?

Thanks for the advice regarding the SKY+, I knew it'll more for fun than a actual long term solution. I think I will stick with my scart connection and buy an optical cable.

 

[FuzzyinLondon]

I would say that you will be fine as you won't get any signal degradation through the Onkyo itself. It's pretty much flawless when it comes to passing through the picture information. The Sparta Elan cable got a decent review in this month's issue and is very well priced on Amazon at the moment. There's are a lot of other good cable on there at the £15-20 mark such as the Linx HDMI (which I found way too stiff and inflexible personally). Just make sure that whatever cable you get has good quality connectors (gold plated preferably) and supports HDMI 1.3. I'm certainly not trying to discourage anyone from buying the QED cable - it's an excellent cable but I do feel it is overpriced. I picked a couple up on Ebay recently for about £30 each which is what I think they are worth. Shop around and you might find a good deal. Regarding the Sky+, I would recommend getting a good quality Scart cable. Unlike with HDMI, a good quality Scart can make a very noticeable difference. I recommend the Philex Thor which can be found for £15-20. Beware of expensive optical cable cables. Most will do the job fine and there's no real need to buy an expensive branded one.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the detailed advice, much appreciated.

I have read around and these seem to look decent and worth a try at the price http://ukhdmi.com/hdmi-n-premium.php, if they fail then I will go for the one you suggested.

Luckily I brought a decent scart lead a while back (QED again, there branding has got me!), so I should be good there.

I'm slightly confused about the sky+ audio connection. Is digital Optical different to Optical connection?