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Optical Toslink Cables are basically an optical cable which has a Toslink connector fitted to each end. They are commonly used for connecting home entertainment devices, such as televisions, DVDs, amplifiers as well as Play Stations etc where they are used to carry a digital audio stream between the different components of the system. These days many households don’t just have the standard TV, but a real array of components for their home cinema entertainment. These cables are increasingly used as a system of connecting the various parts while maintaining a good quality of picture and sound.
Toslink was originally created by Toshiba as a means to connect their CD players with their receivers, but the technology was soon adopted by most of the major manufacturers of CD players. The name, however, is a registered trademark to Toshiba, originally being taken from TOShiba-LINK.
The quality used for an optical Toslink cable can vary widely, ranging from 1mm plastic optical fibre to high quality multistrand plastic or even quartz glass optical fibres. The quality really depends on the desired bandwidth and also the application. They are usually around 5 meters long, but technically the maximum which can provide reliable transmission without needing the addition of a signal booster is 10 meters. This is very often extended to over 30 meters for new satellite receivers and computers which have optical outputs, even when using the lower end of the price bracket for Toslink cables.
Fibre optic cables have many uses, and one of them is within the home entertainment systems which are present in many modern homes. For example, the innovative HDMI cables which allow both the audio and video signals to travel along the same cable have been a real breakthrough in recent home entertainment technology, but these can only maintain the excellent quality of picture and sound over relatively short distances. If you need to use a HDMI cable of over 50 feet you need to also use a signal booster or restorer, but if you need the signal to travel over a significantly longer distance, i.e. around 1500 feet, then a fibre optic cable can be used. These can be sometimes a little more expensive than you might expect to pay, but the increased quality is, for many, well worth the extra money spent.
The majority of goods which are manufactured these days for the home entertainment market can be connected via these optical Toslink cables. This can include the television, DVD players, and games consoles, surround sound systems and many more of the wonderful gadgets which people are increasingly buying for their home cinema experiences.
The introduction of High Definition TV has really made a big impact on our expectations from watching TV at home. Whereas fifty or so years ago we were happy to watch a monochrome box with a permanent ‘fuzzy’ snowstorm and crackling noise, and now we expect nothing but the very best in clarity of picture and sound. Very often the images are so clear that it’s like looking through a window to real life, and you have to remind yourself that it’s a digitally enhanced experience which isn’t really happening right now at all.