Comments on: When Good Hardware That’s Never Supposed to Fail Goes Bad http://www.jasondunn.com/when-good-hardware-thats-never-supposed-to-fail-goes-bad-388 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:06:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Jason Dunn http://www.jasondunn.com/when-good-hardware-thats-never-supposed-to-fail-goes-bad-388#comment-2419 Jason Dunn Sun, 20 May 2007 06:27:02 +0000 http://www.jasondunn.com/when-good-hardware-thats-never-supposed-to-fail-goes-bad-388#comment-2419 Interesting David - I'd never heard that before, but I'm no expert on coaxial cable. Good to know for the future. ;-) Interesting David - I’d never heard that before, but I’m no expert on coaxial cable. Good to know for the future. ;-)

]]> By: David Horn http://www.jasondunn.com/when-good-hardware-thats-never-supposed-to-fail-goes-bad-388#comment-2417 David Horn Sat, 19 May 2007 18:54:12 +0000 http://www.jasondunn.com/when-good-hardware-thats-never-supposed-to-fail-goes-bad-388#comment-2417 Interestingly, coaxial cable is far more prone to unusual faults than other types. From memory of dealing with these issues, the copper core can break if the cable is bent too far or repeatedly; if water or condensation forms inside the plastic core it stops working; the shielding can be uneven, and it can come loose from the ground connection at either end. Something that happened to me last week made me laugh, though. I was in Currys looking at LCD TVs, and the salesman suggested I buy a SCART cable for just £129, citing the massive improvements that it would make to the picture quality. I pointed out that I have a physics degree, and told him that if he connected this cable and a standard "freebie" one side by side and the so-called pro one was better, I'd buy it. I was expecting him to back-pedal rapidly but he took me up on my word and went to set up a TV. 5 minutes later I'm called over and shown a splitscreen TV with a good, but not fantastic picture on one side and an excellent one on the other. At this point, I'm trying to think of a way of escaping the store before he takes me up on my word. Anyway, I reached around the back of the TV and pulled out the el-cheapo SCART cable. The excellent picture vanished. I was sniggering for hours, and the salesman wasn't too impressed either. :-) Interestingly, coaxial cable is far more prone to unusual faults than other types. From memory of dealing with these issues, the copper core can break if the cable is bent too far or repeatedly; if water or condensation forms inside the plastic core it stops working; the shielding can be uneven, and it can come loose from the ground connection at either end.

Something that happened to me last week made me laugh, though. I was in Currys looking at LCD TVs, and the salesman suggested I buy a SCART cable for just £129, citing the massive improvements that it would make to the picture quality.

I pointed out that I have a physics degree, and told him that if he connected this cable and a standard “freebie” one side by side and the so-called pro one was better, I’d buy it. I was expecting him to back-pedal rapidly but he took me up on my word and went to set up a TV.

5 minutes later I’m called over and shown a splitscreen TV with a good, but not fantastic picture on one side and an excellent one on the other. At this point, I’m trying to think of a way of escaping the store before he takes me up on my word. Anyway, I reached around the back of the TV and pulled out the el-cheapo SCART cable. The excellent picture vanished.

I was sniggering for hours, and the salesman wasn’t too impressed either. :-)

]]> By: MitchellD http://www.jasondunn.com/when-good-hardware-thats-never-supposed-to-fail-goes-bad-388#comment-2415 MitchellD Sat, 19 May 2007 17:32:12 +0000 http://www.jasondunn.com/when-good-hardware-thats-never-supposed-to-fail-goes-bad-388#comment-2415 I knwo the feeling Jason, I have worked my way through many a computer related issue only to find that if I tried something simple (replacing a power cables, checking a network cable, etc.). I guess the K.I.S.S. rule is there for a reason... I knwo the feeling Jason, I have worked my way through many a computer related issue only to find that if I tried something simple (replacing a power cables, checking a network cable, etc.). I guess the K.I.S.S. rule is there for a reason…

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