Discuss Your Gaming Environments and AV Setups
User avatar
o.pwuaioc
Next-Gen
 
Posts: 8369
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:59 pm
Location: I miss NYC already.

Cables and Cable Management Today

by o.pwuaioc Sat Oct 16, 2021 7:08 pm

So, after some redecorating, I'm finally getting around to connect a bunch of consoles up at the same time. Really starting to feel like 2013 here again. I know not everyone has fully switched over to emulation, so this is the thread for dealing with cables. It'd be cool, for example, to see how people avoid the rats' nest in 2021+.

My first question is: what do people recommend for quality component cables? It seems like every cable I look up has at least a handful of reviewers saying the quality is crap. Did they just get a defect? Any recommendations? Does it even matter?

I have the OEM Sony cords for the PS2, otherwise all the rest I'm using are random ones I've had. But I figured now I ought to look up some quality instead.
User avatar
ElkinFencer10
Next-Gen
 
Posts: 8582
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:34 pm
Location: Henderson, North Carolina

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by ElkinFencer10 Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:18 am

I recommend HD Retrovision's cables. For retro stuff, they have a number of adapters for use with their Genesis cables (NeoGeo, Saturn, and PS1 off the top of my head), and you can get a Jaguar adapter to use Genesis or SNES cables on StoneAgeGamer. They also have male-to-male and male-to-female YPbPr cables for general use as well as PS2/3 and Wii/U cables. They have a Dreamcast cable in development, but no word yet on when that will release. I have all of the above-mentioned products, and they serve as the backbone of my setup. Excellent quality, proper shielding, and solid 6' length.
Exhuminator wrote:Ecchi lords must unite for great justice.

Image
User avatar
Ziggy587
Moderator
 
Posts: 14519
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:12 pm
Location: NY

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by Ziggy587 Sun Oct 17, 2021 10:28 am

What kind of TV are you using? A CRT, or HDTV? Cheap cables are a lot more forgiving on a CRT.

As for cable management, is it even possible to have a solution that's all pros and no cons? I've come up with a few solutions for myself, but I realize that they are definitely not for everyone.

My "main" TV setup is an HDTV on a TV stand with a bunch of AV gear. An AVR, about 5 consoles, a BD player, a 5 disc DVD player, and a modest HiFi setup all shoved into a relatively compact setup. It's a total rats nest of wires behind the TV stand. It's not so bad at first, but over the years I continually change things so it eventually becomes a mess. I'm at the point now that I want to break it down and re-do it, but I know that'll take an entire weekend!

Then there's my 13" CRT setup. I posted a thread about it a few months back, but I don't know if you saw it. To make a long story short, I started out with what I thought was going to be a very simple and modest setup, but it quickly grew into a full 10+ system setup. I originally wanted to hid the wires behind the shelf, like you typically do with an AV setup. But I had all the wires dangling in front for a while. I was going to route all the wires behind the shelf when I got "X" accomplished, but that never happened. So eventually I just neatly routed all of the wires in front of the shelf, and I've decided to leave it that way. I faced that fact that I will never be happy with the setup as-is, and will constantly be adding, removing or moving things around. And that's fine, that's part of the fun of owing all this equipment. So having the wires routed in front is not something you typically want in your living room or den, but luckily this isn't my main TV setup. I wasn't happy with how sloppy it looked at first, but it actually kind of grew on me. And the practical benefit of having the wires routed in front is that you have easy access to everything to change things around.



Then there's my basement man cave. This setup is probably even less practical for most people, but it works for me. I have some CRTs on top of an old (and super sturdy) dresser. Above that I have two long shelves that hold all of my game consoles. None of the consoles are actually hooked up. All of the AV and power cables are kept in one of the longer drawers (another drawer holds controllers). When I want to play a console, I take it down off the shelf and hook it up. There's a power strip that I keep accessible, and I use the TV's front AV ports. If I know I'll be playing the console frequently over the next few days or whatever, I'll leave it down and hooked up. But when I'm done, I neatly put the cables back in the drawer and put the console back on the shelf.

I realize this would be very annoying for most people, but it strangely works for me. I never have to worry about switch boxes or a rats nest of cables. This could be adaptable for a living room set up, assuming most people don't have a dresser as a TV stand. You just have to find another way to store your AV and power cables. One idea I had was to put them in zip lock bags (probably freezer size bags) where each bag would have the cables for just one console. That would make it easier to store them without them getting all tangles, like perhaps in small totes that slip under the couch or TV stand. Or smaller drawers that are sometimes on TV stands.

(Unfinished current incarnation)

Image
I'm parting with some duplicate Blu-Ray and DVD movies. Check out this thread if interested.
User avatar
o.pwuaioc
Next-Gen
 
Posts: 8369
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:59 pm
Location: I miss NYC already.

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by o.pwuaioc Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:31 pm

Looking good, Ziggy! Up until recently I also had all my consoles' cables in baggies. The TV stand has a drawer to the right of the shelves where I store the cables, and then the rest of the consoles sit on the shelves of the TV stand. However, I've found myself often unmotivated to hook up a console, and figured that if they're easier to turn on, I'd be more inclined to play. So that's where I am today.

Ziggy587 wrote:What kind of TV are you using? A CRT, or HDTV? Cheap cables are a lot more forgiving on a CRT.

That's good to know. I have a Trinitron, so maybe I'll nab just whatever. At this point the component cables I need are all for modded systems.

Then there's my basement man cave. This setup is probably even less practical for most people, but it works for me. I have some CRTs on top of an old (and super sturdy) dresser. Above that I have two long shelves that hold all of my game consoles. None of the consoles are actually hooked up. All of the AV and power cables are kept in one of the longer drawers (another drawer holds controllers). When I want to play a console, I take it down off the shelf and hook it up. There's a power strip that I keep accessible, and I use the TV's front AV ports. If I know I'll be playing the console frequently over the next few days or whatever, I'll leave it down and hooked up. But when I'm done, I neatly put the cables back in the drawer and put the console back on the shelf.

Here's where it can't work for me. The svideo and component cables are only in the back of the TV, so I have to move this damn heavy thing every time I want to plug it in. That doesn't help with the motivation at all. You're satisfied with the composite look?

I realize this would be very annoying for most people, but it strangely works for me. I never have to worry about switch boxes or a rats nest of cables. This could be adaptable for a living room set up, assuming most people don't have a dresser as a TV stand. You just have to find another way to store your AV and power cables. One idea I had was to put them in zip lock bags (probably freezer size bags) where each bag would have the cables for just one console. That would make it easier to store them without them getting all tangles, like perhaps in small totes that slip under the couch or TV stand. Or smaller drawers that are sometimes on TV stands.

I definitely recommend ziplock bags. I also have started putting all my controllers for consoles (or groups of consoles) in thick plastic bags, like the kind you get at a liquor store or fancy grocers (before they were banned), though I'll probably use tote bags once those rip.

I'll try to get some pictures later.

ElkinFencer10 wrote:I recommend HD Retrovision's cables. For retro stuff, they have a number of adapters for use with their Genesis cables (NeoGeo, Saturn, and PS1 off the top of my head), and you can get a Jaguar adapter to use Genesis or SNES cables on StoneAgeGamer. They also have male-to-male and male-to-female YPbPr cables for general use as well as PS2/3 and Wii/U cables. They have a Dreamcast cable in development, but no word yet on when that will release. I have all of the above-mentioned products, and they serve as the backbone of my setup. Excellent quality, proper shielding, and solid 6' length.

Those all have good reviews. I might nab the Genesis + Saturn cables, though I'm pretty happy with Saturn's s-video output. My Genny is actually component modded, though, so I need the actual YPbPr cables for them, and then a YPbPr cable to go from the switch box to the TV.
User avatar
Ziggy587
Moderator
 
Posts: 14519
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:12 pm
Location: NY

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by Ziggy587 Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:53 pm

o.pwuaioc wrote:he TV stand has a drawer to the right of the shelves where I store the cables, and then the rest of the consoles sit on the shelves of the TV stand. However, I've found myself often unmotivated to hook up a console, and figured that if they're easier to turn on, I'd be more inclined to play. So that's where I am today.


Yeah, I here ya. When I was in my 20's, this system was fine and I had no problem hooking up a console as needed. But in my 30's, I don't know, I've either grown lazy or just don't have enough motivations anymore, but I do find myself sometimes not feeling like hooking up a console on the fly.

o.pwuaioc wrote:That's good to know. I have a Trinitron, so maybe I'll nab just whatever. At this point the component cables I need are all for modded systems.


Yeah, definitely try out cheap(er) cables first and see if they work for you. By that I mean, get decent cables and not cheap CHEAP cables that'll break or are possibly wired incorrectly. But there's no need to speed a lot of money on expensive cables if you don't need them.

o.pwuaioc wrote:Here's where it can't work for me. The svideo and component cables are only in the back of the TV, so I have to move this damn heavy thing every time I want to plug it in. That doesn't help with the motivation at all. You're satisfied with the composite look?


Actually, I have a work around for this! My Samsung 27" CRT has a side AV input, and it's a composite/S-Video combo input. That was very useful. I don't use component with my retro consoles on the CRT. Maybe the PS2 I would, but I'm too cheap to buy the additional cables. To be honest, for these 240p retro consoles, I don't notice a difference between S-Video and component so I never felt the need to bother with that. On my PVM I use RGB, of course. But on the consumer grade CRTs I have, I use S-Video and composite. I try and use S-Video whenever possible, but I'm still using composite for NES (I have an RGB kit but I haven't gotten around to installing it yet) and I like to use composite for the Genesis every now and then to see those fake transparencies and dithering effects that some games have.

Anyway, there's some switch boxes that have front AV inputs that you can use for this purpose. I have one that has front composite, S-Video and component inputs. I got it originally for the PSP so I could easily hook up the TV out cables. It would be perfect for this "on the fly" hook up system as well. The only downside is that it requires power, but the benefit of that is auto switching. I forget the make and model, but I can dig it out if you're interested. But my other idea is basically just glorified extension cables. I was going to build a little box that has composite, S-Video and components jacks, then has cables running out the back of the box to the inputs on the back of the TV. Essentially giving you front AV ports. I actually bought all the parts to make this years ago but never got around to it LOL. You could also just use straight up extension cables, but the box gives it a nicer aesthetic.

Sorry if this post isn't too well composed, and if it is, beer is to blame.
I'm parting with some duplicate Blu-Ray and DVD movies. Check out this thread if interested.
User avatar
MrPopo
Moderator
 
Posts: 23908
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:01 pm
Location: Orange County, CA

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by MrPopo Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:47 pm

My setup was definitely a full on rats nest at the old house; I had simple Ikea open-backed shelves so it all blended together in the back. At my new place I got a custom entertainment center built, so I use holes in the woodwork for my cables. So for a given vertical the cables are still intertwined between systems, but now it's in very discrete chunks.

You can see at the top the switches I use, which all feed into a RetroTINK 2 and an OSSC, which then outputs to TV. I've got a similar setup to the left of the TV< but it's a single bay because that's all my component stuff and a single component switch straight into the TV. Not seen is to the right in the cabinets are my modern wireless consoles that do HDMI; they're on auto selecting HDMI switches and the cable runs through one of these existing verticals. The side cabinet is also where the bulk of my power is, and that's the biggest rats nest, as I've got two very large surge protectors with all the AC adapters.
Attachments
20211021_164312.jpg
20211021_164312.jpg (2.08 MiB) Viewed 16157 times
Image
Blizzard Entertainment Software Developer - All comments and views are my own and not representative of the company.
User avatar
Blu
Next-Gen
 
Posts: 2805
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2012 1:09 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by Blu Fri Oct 22, 2021 6:01 pm

I am going to keep an eye on this thread! It brings me back to all the Game Room threads that I loved when I first joined Racketboy.

I have a console-cade system, that I have all of my consoles on. My dad built it around 2012, and it's survived a few moves across the country.

I like it because it has the look and feel of a standup arcade cabinet, has casters for moving, and lets me have a bunch of consoles hooked up. I also am in a point where it's a chore to hook up consoles! I'm glad that this feeling is shared between a few of us.

I usually have a surge protector that runs around the back and I've kept a few consoles hooked up at a time. I think eventually I might stain, poly, then mount a 1/4" piece of plywood or just use some pegboard, if airflow would be a concern. For the plywood, I could use a circle bit to position some holes for cable management. For pegboard, I could do something heavily involved like SuperSparkster has on his setups.

Here's an old pic:
Image


I now have a 20" Trinitron that I think was manufactured in the early 2000's. I need to get it RGB modded and calibrated so that it resembles more an arcade monitor, since PVM's are so expensive and elusive. When I do that, I'll get some switchers and just use RGB/Component on as many consoles as possible, and composite for the rest.

All of this will be a lot of effort, so I've been putting it off on my to-do list. :lol:
User avatar
nickfil
Next-Gen
 
Posts: 1708
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:36 am
Location: philadephia

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by nickfil Tue Nov 09, 2021 10:08 am

I use wire racks for a few reasons, but one of them is because of the cable management. To avoid the rat's nest, everything is contained and managed on the rack. Its on wheels, so you can turn it for a solid viewing angle or move it around for shorter cord stuff like using the sega saturn mouse or light guns. The wheels also help with vacuuming behind the thing. Nothing gets too filthy. You are never unearthing carcasses or long forgotten dog hair when you wheel it out from its spot. Also, the wire racks have a huge amount of airflow, and you can get as many extra shelves as you want so you don't end up with a lot of wasted space.

If you are like "I hate this, its sitting so tall" in my pics (I'm using it with my computer for streaming, so taller works) you can always put the pvm on a lower shelf in the rack. You'd have less room for consoles, but not *no* room. If I had a second pvm, I'd break the nintendo stuff on one rack, and sega/ps2 on the other.

The rack itself makes it super easy to mange the cables with some Velcro ties. You can bunch up any excess cable and bundle it together with a twisty tie or another Velcro tie. I'm also using some sleeves to bundle all the cables together. It makes it cleaner but isn't necessary.

The only thing- if you are stacking cables together like this make sure you get the best shielding you can. Wimpy light cables will create some interference.

Images :arrow:
Image
Image
User avatar
marurun
Moderator
 
Posts: 11964
Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 8:51 am
Location: Cleveland, OH

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by marurun Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:28 am

OK, that cable management is pretty awesome. Also love the wire shelf idea. Helps the consoles breathe, too, I imagine.
Dope Pope on a Rope
B/S/T thread
My Classic Games Collection
My Steam Profile
The PC Engine Software Bible Forum, with Shoutbox chat - the new Internet home for PC Engine fandom.
User avatar
nickfil
Next-Gen
 
Posts: 1708
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:36 am
Location: philadephia

Re: Cables and Cable Management Today

by nickfil Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:53 am

marurun wrote:OK, that cable management is pretty awesome. Also love the wire shelf idea. Helps the consoles breathe, too, I imagine.


FOR SURE. I've used a lot of different furniture for consoles in the last 20 odd years. Before the wire racks, I had a cabinet with doors on it (trying to hide the systems when not in use) and the ps4 was not happy with the airflow. That fan was on full tilt. On the racks, I barely hear it.

I'm thinking of either another shelf for the pvm eventually when I expand a couple more systems. Or maybe another whole rack and pvm. Either way, if I buy the same size rack for the second pvm, I can reuse the shelves over there. Everything is modular.

I picked up the racks from theshelvingstore.com. I don't know if you can get them cheaper elsewhere. I went with the rolling utility carts, but you could go smaller or larger. Mobile rolling or not. Whatever you need. They make wood countertop toppers too. You can get em looking real nice. It being mobile is also a boon for anyone living in an apartment where space is a concern, as you can just wheel it into a closet if you need it out of sight.
Return to Game Rooms & Home Theater

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 18 guests