RE: sorry if naive - which is best - coax or kat5 ?

["James Hoye" <james.hoye@xxxxxxx>]

> Thanks Keith for the info. Very useful - I think I will put loads of
cat5
> cables everywhere so I can future proof. I will also put some
> coax so that I
> can have immediate functionality.

As some would say, you can never have enough CAT5!

> One further query - if piping DVD signals - how does the dolby digital
or
> dts work ?

How do you mean?  If you mean using the digital out (coax or optical from
your DVD/LD player) then the DD or DTS data is contained in a bitstream and
this would have to be distributed via a long piece of 75 ohm coax or
optical
lead.  There are probably limitations to the length you can go, and these
are likely to be a couple or few metres at most rather than tens of metres.

If you want to distribute the DECODED audio, then you need to get Keith to
build you a custom KAT5 (the scart is replaced with phonos) which can carry
the RL, RR and LFE channels.  You could use this with an ordinary KAT5-AVS
which would carry FL + FR (as well as YC/s-video).  You will of course
require an amplifier capable of amplifying 5 channels and an active sub
woofer.

If you want Dolby Surround/Pro Logic then that will work with an ordinary
KAT5-AVS (as the centre and rear is matrixed onto the L + R channels by
shifting the phase - I believe) PROVIDED you feed the L + R from the KAT5
receiver into a Pro Logic processor.  Otherwise you'll just get stereo
audio.

Hope all that makes sense, I'm sure Keith will correct me if I'm wrong :)

James H