Most DVD and VCR players have 2 or 3 video and 3 audio hook-up options.

The various options are rated. Always try to achieve the best recommended option from the list.

The differences in performance you get with different types of video interconnects will depend on the equipment you own, but you can generally consider the order of choice as:

The easiest way to connect up a DVD or VCR to your TV is to run a SCART cable from the unit to the back of your TV. You now have everything you need to watch and listen to movies. If you don't have a spare SCART connection on your TV you can always connect the DVD into the back of your VCR. Then - when your VCR is not playing - the DVD will be routed to the TV.

If this isn't possible - you can also use the SVHS connection on your DVD player and TV. SVHS is another high quality connection, however it is a connector for picture only and is therefore only suitable when you are also connecting your DVD player to your hi-fi or Home Cinema system.

Does it really matter what kind of video interconnect are used in a Home Cinema system?
The simple truth is that if you want a great picture, it is important to use the right interconnects if you want to see the difference.

A Home Cinema system is there to recreate the cinema experience in your living room. It is therefore important to maintain the high-resolution picture quality of the original film. You've probably bought the best VCR, the best DVD player and the best television screen your Home Cinema budget would allow, but in order for them to perform to their fullest potential, they need to be hooked up correctly and with the correct interconnects capable of producing the best performance. Current video technology and the sharpness of modern televisions require the use of high quality video interconnects in order to recreate the cinema experience at home.

There are many outside influences beyond your control that determine picture quality, such as the strength of the transmission signal or quality of video transfer. By using high quality components and interconnects you can help ensure the best possible picture.

Many different things including outside interference, signal degradation and internal interconnect reflections often affect the video picture on your TV screen. Interconnects not only play an important role in keeping these problems out of your picture, they can also be the source of the problem. The connections going between your video components and your A/V receiver and from your receiver to your TV monitor are critical to a "Home Cinema quality" visual experience and require the proper selection and set-up of those interconnects. It is not unknown for a poorly designed interconnect to act as an aerial for external interference.

Video signals travel at much higher frequencies than audio, and are therefore more prone to signal interference, resulting in poor colour saturation and phase accuracy.

Things have changed. DVD has brought a new level of readily-accessible video quality into the home environment, and along with it, several unfamiliar ways of connecting up to your video display device to access this additional quality.

Interconnect Tips For a Great Picture

Keep video interconnect lengths no longer than is required. The less distance signal has to travel, the less loss will occur, keeping your picture vivid and sharp. Sometimes you can't avoid a long interconnect run. The THOR Video Interconnects are designed to carry the signal over these runs with the lowest loss.

Don't bunch up excess wire, and keep all interconnect runs away from AC electrical cords. Both situations can produce increased picture interference.

Avoid sharp bends and kinks in your video interconnects to help minimize signal loss and ghosting.

Use the best possible signal splitters for your interconnect TV or antenna system. Poor quality splitters are a prime source of signal loss and noise. (see the main Philex website for more details)