DVD player optical output failure? Or bad cable?

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Having problems with my DVD player. Every time we use it, I have wriggle the optical cable where it plugs into the player to get 5.1 working (otherwise it defaults to Pro-Logic).

Naturally I’d first suspect the cable, but I threw out another one just a couple of years ago and replaced it with this one when I was having the same problem. Are optical cables really that unreliable (which would be pretty galling, considering what they charge for those things), or is the output from my player going south?

Regards,
Wayne

[lcaillo]

Optical cables are fragile. Anytime we can avoid them in an installation we use coax. There is not much of a case to be made for optical from a performance standpoint and we have had many fail over the years. I hate to say it, but some of the most durable ones require the use of the M & C words. MC gets a bad rap for their pricing and hype, but their optical cables have been much more reliable than most, IME.

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Thanks, Leonard. I wish my receiver had a coaxial input for DVD, but it doesn’t. I’ll look for a “MC” cable.

Regards,
Wayne

[gsmollin]

Remember to not bend them. Optical cable are easily damaged by a kink. For home use, only the coaxial connector is desired, but for some reason the AVR equipment favors optical. On my Yamaha, I have 4 optical and 2 coax. I wish it were the opposite.

[Mitch G]

Wayne A. Pflughaupt wrote:

Thanks, Leonard. I wish my receiver had a coaxial input for DVD, but it doesn’t. I’ll look for a “MC” cable.

Regards,
Wayne

Or, for the same money to buy a dozen toslink cables from monoprice and replace them as necessary and still have money left over to rent a movie or two.

Mitch

[lcaillo]

I have some of those cables, and they are better than some that come with components, but still rather fragile. I'd just rather not have the hassle if I have to use optical.

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Thanks for the info, guys. I think I’ll try to eBay a Monster cable. Any particular model or model number I’m after, Leonard?

Regards,
Wayne

[Anthony]

I have thin cheapie that amazingly has worked for me over several reconfigurations.

I also have a beefy M-C optical that has done great as well. I can attest to their quality.

Another thing to try before replacing everything:
Hit the input ports with a spray duster (be sure to get the fluid out of the line first, the first shot can have a little condensate). Those do clog up pretty good. Newer models come with plugs or self-closing covers, but sometimes dust just finds a way in.

And again, coax everywhere you can, but I feel the pain too of not having that option everywhere (like HD-DVD player and X-Box).