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Are Toslink and SPDIF cables the same?
Toslink and SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) are related but not the same. SPDIF is a digital audio interface standard that can transmit audio signals in either electrical (coaxial) or optical (Toslink) formats. Toslink specifically refers to the optical version of SPDIF, which uses fiber optic cables to transmit audio signals as light. Therefore, while all Toslink connections are SPDIF, not all SPDIF connections are Toslink.
A toslink is what kind of cable?
A toslink cable has a round connector that provides digital audio data using small pulses of light instead of electricity. It is manufactured by Toshiba.
When was TOSLINK created?
TOSLINK was created in 1983.
Can you use toslink HDTV connection to computer speakers?
Yes...get a toslink (male) to a 3.5 mm (female) adapter. Easy as pie.
Where can one find additional information about toslink switch specifications?
Toslink switch specifications can usually be found on product descriptions on most websites that sell computer products. Sewell Direct is an example of a site that sells Toslink switches and also provides their specification.
What is video and audio input?
Video is picture and audio is the sound. Home theater receivers have RCA composite or component, S-Video or HDMI for the video input, and RCA analog, Toslink (optical) or coaxial inputs for digital audio.
Which connectors are used for digital SPDIF audio?
S/PDIF is the domestic digital audio standard, developed by Sony and Philips. It is normally carried on a copper cable using RCA (phono) connectors or with an optical fiber using TOSLink connections. Both interfaces carry the same data and can be considered equivalent to each other. One does not offer better quality than the other.
Does a cable exist on which one end has a TOSLINK Optical connector and the other end have 3 x 3.5mm jacks for 5.1 surround sound?
No, The Toslink optical transfers method is thru the use of light, the 3.5mm jacks carry information thru metal condoctors (wire).
What is an optical digital cable?
It is a fiber optic cable carrying a digital audio signal. The common brand name of the cable is TOSLINK (the TOS being Toshiba who developed it). The red light that you see is a red LED being pulsed on and off very quickly (usually 44,100 times a second). All digital information is transmitted this way. Digital only has two states: 0 or 1, on or off, hence light or no light. This is the optical version of the coaxial digital output (an orange RCA jack). The format itself is known as S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format). In most cases, there is no quality difference between optical and coaxial. The only difference is that light is not a physical connection with a wire. It is rare, but "ground loops" (hum) can occur on any wired system where the components are on different electrical systems. Optical is impervious to this anomaly. There is also an older standard called ADAT which uses this same cable. The ADAT was an Alesis Digital Audio Tape(deck) which has 8 channels of digital audio and was popular in the late 80's. Although the decks haven't been made in many years, many other audio companies have adapted it as a standard for passing 8 channels of audio at once. This is pro use stuff (like in a recording studio).
Where can one purchase a Toslink cable?
A Toslink Cable can be purchased through Staples, both in their physical stores and online. Amazon and Ebay also offer a wide range of Toslink Cables.
Which is better optical cable or HDMI?
HDMI is a pure digital signal for video AND audio. It's the best you can get. Component is the next best option for video, but most upscaling DVD players and the like can only send a 1080p signal via HDMI. If you're asking about coaxial as in the coax cable that supplies your cable feed to your tv or cable box then there is no comparison, literally. It's two different things. The cable signal will be decoded in the cable box then sent to the tv via whatever format you're using. If your talking about running the coax straight from the wall to your tv then you will NOT get an HD signal. You will have to have an HD cable box then run HDMI or component out to the tv from there. If you're talking about digital Coaxial cable, that is used for audio only. You have three options here. If you run everything through an HDMI switching receiver then that's all you need. If you're going straight to your tv and using built-in TV speakers then HDMI is all you need. If you're running your video to the TV with HDMI, but audio through a receiver then you can use either digital coax or toslink connections for digital audio. Toslink (fiber optic) is supposed to be the best for audio, but I've used digital coax and don't notice much of a difference. On a side note, if your tv accepts DVI, then you should know that DVI is essentially the same as HDMI except without the audio. DVI is digital video only.
What do optical cables do?
They are capable of running 5.1 surround sound in one convienient pin. Toslink cables are capable of 7.1 and also run on one pin.
