On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:02:24 -0500, mm
wrote:

Hi,

I want to connect the video and audio of my computer to my DVDR, so
that I can watch webtv in a comfortable chair via my television,
instead of sitting at my desk chair.

Is it a big problem that the DVDR is about 50 feet from the computer
as the crow flies, and if I hide the wires in the attic instead of
running them down the hall, it's almost 100 feet??

What method should I use??

I can buy a new video card with S-Video, or composite output, or
anything you suggest. I've read that S-Video is better than
composite. At least one web-store sells a 100 foot S-video cable.
Does that mean it will work at 100 feet?

The Philips DVDR only has RCA component input and composite inputs,
and S-Video input. No HDMI or DIV.

The DVDR (which gets over the air tv via its digital tuner) already
provides the signal to several analog tvs, so that part is working. I
only need the part from the computer to the DVDR.


Regarding the sound:
Forgetting about the cost of cables, or their availabity, just as an
academic question: Do I need coaxial cables for the sound, which is at
audio frequencies and almost at line level, or would lamp cord with
RCA plugs on the end be just as good?

It says "Heavy 22AWG wires for lower signal resistance and stronger
signal integrity." If 22 gauge wire really has all that, wouldn't 16
or 18 gauge lamp zip cord be even better? Or on some other
occasion if I had to go farther than 100 feet?


Is it a problem that the video output is meant to be amplified, but
the audio output is probably sufficient to drive small speaker all by
itself? Will the sound volume come out too high, or will the loud
parts be clipped off?

I appreciate any help you can give.


Good quality coax can be used, and I suspect you can even buy (perhaps
custom) cables with ends already madeup though they may be expensive.

For sound, you *should* use either coax, or perhaps twisted pair (not
zip cord) but if you use twisted pair, you have to drive it balanced
which would require transformers at each end. (You can drive twisted
pair unbalanced, but the results may not be acceptable--I've some
CAT-5 that carries unbalanced video, about 130 ft long, and it works,
but it is clearly suffering from some signal degradation.)

For audio, and video, 100 ft (or even more) is not terribly far.