A phone for mom part 2

Do you remember when I wrote about cell phones for women who are not convinced into smartphones? My friend and her mom chose Samsung but other than they planned. Samsung E2530

It is a lovely clamshell, I must agree. It looks very classic but the design is really unique. This is basically the biggest advantage of this phone. It doesn't have too many additional feature to praise.
About design: the materials it is made of are of really good quality. The phone does not make any "crunchy" sounds, it is light and perfect for a woman's hand.
The display resolution here is 96 X 96. The diagonal - 1,07'. 
Yes, it isn't smartphone size but the function of this phone is pretty clear: to call and to send text messages. There is obviously T9 function in the texting mode. Here is also a big minus: the function of canceling sending process doesn't work! (Though theoretically it exists).
The  phone has also got a camera (1,3 megapixels). The photos and the films are, however, of horrible quality - let's not fool anyone. 
What's cool, there is also a mp3 player with a loudspeaker (we don't need the headphones - obviously the sound quality is terrible then). 
The battery - 3 days. Average.
Also, if you are interested in using the Internet, you can use only GPRS technology, which isn't stunning.
Is it worth buing? Yes, if you are not interested in any gadgets and you like solid and pretty design. No, if you are a gadget fan. But if so, you already have your smartphone, don't you?
 

VLB 200 Loudspeaker wall mount VOGELS

We wrote about Vogels wall mounts few months ago. It was TV wall mount back then. Today we'd like to present loudspeaker wall mount - something which is a must when you think of your own home theatre. 

 

So...We like Vogels. I know this equipment is reliable and trustworthy... As the producer claims, you can lift up to 20kg withouht having it screwed to the speaker. Quoting the Vogels site: "
Clamping construction makes screw-less mounting of your speaker possible. Features a tilt and turn function to guarantee an optimal listening position"

What more can we say... Vogels things are visibly reliable.  The metal construction is performed with precision. It can be used to mound surround system freely, you can mount it as you like. Especially because the method of mounting is pretty universal, it's for dummies really. No way you can't handle it. You just get the drawing with the instruction if the placement of the wall mount. As much as the weight is not a great problem (up to 20kg is really a lot), the speakers shouldn't be higher than 50 cm. As the producer says, there are really no screws - clearly you don't have to destroy your speakers to hang these on the wall. What's really nice is Cable Inlay System, which allows you to place a cable inside the mount - you don't have to bundle it (we certainly love this).

Plus you get all you need in the set: plugs, the screws and bolts. 

Add a modern and minimalist design and you have the perfect wall mount. Really, if we were to evaluate that thing on a scale 1 to 10, it is a strong 10!

Optical or Coaxial cables for audio?

We've noticed a pretty common dilemma occuring among audio devices users. Some of them are followers of coaxial cables used to such purposes, and some of them are very much for optical ones. We would like to show you the difference today on the basis of two kinds of Connection LAB cables. 

 

Most of the enthusiasts of the coaxial cables are real audio sound tweaks. It is more difficult to find a really bad coaxial cable. Coaxial cables can run for longer time (especialy these, like connectionlab, monster or other good brands), however these are more prone to picking up interference from other RF cables or AC cables. Some say the sound from coaxial cables is warmer and more natural, closer to the vinyl sound. Also, these are more difficult to break. The users generally agree that better coaxial cables generate better sound than cheap plastic cables.

Optical cables are more expensive and more difficult to find, especially those better ones. These are also shorter - at least they should be. The best sound in case of optical cables is when they're as short as possible. ConnectionLab cables are sold in 1m and 3m lenght only and this is max you can get a good sound. You'd better not trust longer optical cables. A minus of such is the type of connector which easily disconnects, so you musn't move around much while using these. They are also less shielded from interference. Optical cables are also less durable. The connector is easier to break, as opposite to coaxial. As it may find they have a lot of minuses, some audiofils claim the sound is a lot better than from coaxial cables, this is why they are able to bear all the inconviniences.

So which one is better? Unfortunatelly the best and only answer for you is take those two and try. Listen to what your ears will find better. It's highly personal thing.

A phone for your mom who hates smartphones

That's challenging thing our friend had recently. And we think you can come across this dilemma pretty often... Some moms cannot deal with omnipresent smartphones and prefer something hmm vintage (yes!). Here are two models that our ladies considered after eliminating the rest. Samsung GTE 11509:

This one specification is:

Capacity:800 mAh, Run Time Details:Talk - up to 510 min ¦ Standby - up to 740 hrs, Technology:GSM, Band:GSM 900/1800 (Dual Band)
Display Resolution:128 x 128 pixels, Technology:CSTN, Diagonal Size:1.43", Type:LCD display - colour, Bult-in Memory:1000 KB, Cellular Messaging Services:SMS,

Besides it's got a power adapter, Personal Information Management: calendar, calculator, stopwatch, currency conversion, alarm clock, Phone Book Entries Qty:500, Ring Tone Formats in MIDI, MP3. This lovely samsung's additional Features are: intelligent Typing (T9), Polyphonic Ring Tone Voice Qty:40, Phone Functions:Call timer, conference call, vibrating alert. Which make it a decent phone, which (in this case) would be used only for calling and texting mostly.

The other one is LG Venus Phone:

I personally lean towards the first one, because I hold a strong grudge against slipped phones. But let me give you a detailed specification:

• CDMA
• Verizon
• Slide
• 1.3 Megapixel Camera & Camcorder
• Music Player for MP3, WMA, AAC, & AAC+
• Lower Screen with Interactive Touch Navigation
• One-Touch Speakerphone
• Version: 1.2
• Mobile Web 2.0†
• Hearing Aid Compatible (M3-Rating)
• 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band)
• High-Speed EVDO†
• 4.00" (H) x 2.00" (W) x 0.62" (D)
• 3.79 oz.
• Upper LCD: 262K Color TFT, 320 x 240 Pixels, 2.00" Lower LCD: 262K Color TFT, 176 x 240 Pixels, 1.49"
• 800 mAh Li-Ion
• Up to 4 Hours*
• Up to 20 Days*

As you see, this one is more technically up to date. The ladies didn't make their minds yet. What are your opinions? We're more into the firs, lovely red one.

Tracer IQ-90 Laptop power supply

Hello again, after little holidays! During this time we had some problems which required buing a new laptop power supply. We've chosen Tracer and we are pretty satisfied. It looks like this:

What is the most visible: LCD screen. It's not common in case of power supplies, but it has got a specific and important function. It shows the voltage it adjusts to! The Tracer device has got twelve differend plugs and each of these involves different voltage. It is so, so you can plug it to as many devices as possible! Tricky! And it works. Most of the time. Because we wanted to try it on Dell Inspiron and... It can't happen. The plug is too weird and hexagonal. Anyway it works with my favourite Toshiba L-300. It also has got a USB reader, and, what's beautiful it has got: overvoltage protection, short circut protection and overload protection. 

We recommend Tracer. It's cool. As long you don't have a Dell.

Monoprice vs. Bandridge

Here's a comparison of two, probably the most common HDMI cables on the market. I've tried both of them and I have mixed feelings. Their popularity only keeps me thinking that people do not focus on quality of things they buy. Let me remind you. This is monoprice:

Monoprice worth 2$ and its cable looking like it's going to break tomorrow. Of course you may say: I am only going to keep it plugged in. There's a chance it will work. What producer says:

Connector Type	HDMI® male to HDMI® male
Connector Finish	Gold
Length	1.5 ft
Gauge	28 AWG
Number of Conductors	19
Conductor Plating	Tin
Shielding Level	Triple
Shielding Type	EMI
Ferrite Cores	Yes
HDMI® Connector Head Size	20 x 11 x 37 mm
HDMI® Connector Diameter	8 mm
Net Jacket	No
Built-in Equalizer	No
Supported Resolutions	480i to 4k
Bandwidth	up to 340 MHz per channel (1.02 GHz total)
Data Throughput	up to 3.4 Gbps per channel (10.2 Gbps total)
Deep Color	10-bit, 12-bit, and 3x16-bit (48-bit RGB or YCbCr), X.V.Color™
HDMI® Certified	Yes
Category 2 Certified	Yes
HDCP Compliant	Yes
CEC Compliant	Yes
ROHS Compliant	Yes
Supports DVD Audio	Yes
Supports SACD	Yes
Supports Dolby TrueHD™ & DTS-HD Master Audio™	Yes
UL File #	E119932
UL Style #	20276
CL2 (In-Wall)	No
VW-1	Yes
Voltage Rating	30V
Temperature Rating	80° C

[source: monoprice.com]

As you see, you can't demand a lot. Compare this for yourself with bandridge:


Actually these look as cheap as monoprice but are pretty good. Also the key features the producer gives us are more strict:

• HDMI Cable
• Connector 1: HDMI Male
• Connector 2: HDMI Male
• 1.6 ft Cable Length
• 24 K Gold Plated Connector Material
• 100% Oxygen Free Copper Conductor

It sounds good, yes, but it is nothing awesome, to write it shortly. I cannot criticize but if you are about to choose something frome this price level, please go with bandridge rather.

HDMI Switches: 3-In 1-Out HDMI Auto Switch vs Connection LAB

Ok, so, while I found comparison reviews pretty clear when you oppose two items, I decided it's time to show you a HDMI switch (splitter) difference. In today's episode there's again: Connection LAB and HDMI Audio Switch bought on Amazon.




Here's 3-In 1-Out HDMI Amazon Switch:

 

Connection LAB:

As Connection Lab has got several options in their offer, I chose the most similar 5:1 to confront it with 3:1 switch.

As the first producer claims "it expands the number of available HDMI ports on a high definition television allowing connection of cable boxes, Blu-ray players, and game consoles". The biggest advantage according to the producer is automatic  HDMI switch plug-and-play. But the producer also notes that the Auto switch function only works for components that do not output continuous voltage over HDMI port when it is  turned off ;)
Even if it is very high in amazon sells, the switch worked only when it was directly to the receiver. Using cables (which are added to the switch!) doesn't work. I cant understand why it is so high...

Especially that I had Connection Lab. The fact that I am fond of this company is known to you but their switch (with a pilot, which works!) is something completely different. It is more expensive, true that, but it also:
-looks much better and reliable
-it has more slots
-it WORKS :)

And the producer's note:

• Support HDMI resolution:1080P/1080i/720P/576P/480P/576i/480i
• Support video color format:xv-YCC/Deep color 8 bit / 10 bit/12 bit
• Support audio format:DTS-HD/LPCM/Dolby-AC3/DTS7.1/DSD
• Data transfer speed: up to 2.5 Gbpsper channel
• Input Video signal: 5.0Volts P-P
• Max working current: 300mA
• Power adapter supply: DV 5V. 2A
• Power adapter format: Input AC(50Hz. 60Hz) 100-240V; Output DV 5V
• Operating Temperature range: -15 to+55oC (5 to 131oF)
• Operating Humidity range: 5 to90%RH (No Condensation)
• HDMI output cable lenght: ≤ 15m (24AWG)
• HDMI Version: 1.3
• HDCP Version: HDCP 1.2
  
  If you ask me, don't waste money on amazon best ofs. 

Egg Mobile - for elderly people

Speaking of cell phones, I would like to show you something that I don't have yet and I think I won't have anytime soon but I would consider having in 40 years or so. I also consider it as a present for my grandma and this is why I would like to show you this. Egg mobile's shape is designed not especially for them but I  find it perfect. Why? See:

Thanks to its elyptical shape it looks like an egg. When you look at it from aside, you can see it is not flat, so it is easy to spot it on the furniture and everywhere around. Intensive colourded edges intensify the effect. 
The screen is a touch-screen which elderly people may not always like but the numbers are really big and this is what is crucial for them.I would gladly know some more about the details of this phone (easy dial with chosen numbers, how instinctive it is, hopefully). 
So far, I found that this original item has got mp3 player and radio, a camera and USB port. Seems interesting!

Nokia Lumia 520

Nokia Lumia is probably recently the most popular Windows Phone. Windows 8of course!

Even with such strong Android competition it is world's top selling Windows 8 Phone hand set also thanks to its exquisite price. 

Nokia Lubia 520 comes out in several colours: blue, red, white and black, obviously. I has got a generous four-inch screen, 400x800 display and is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and 512MB of RAM. What's important Lumia 520's screen is bigger than 620!

It costs just around 150 pounds, it's cheaper than its immediate competition: Huawei Ascent W1. 

The covering on the back and sides of the phone is plastic and it looks pretty stable to me. It's quite a nice phone in other ways. It's rectangular shape is ergonomic, if we compare it to Nokia Lumia 620 it's also slimmer, lighter and some would say (I don't know) it's "classier". 

The biggest minus for me here, even though I find this phone really nice and pretty and technically cannot find anything wrong.... I hate Windows Phones :) And I know I'm not the only one. If you have no problems with windows - go on, I guess! If not - you won't consider buing it anyway ;)

PVR revorder Panasonic DMR-BWT835

Speaking od home theater set we try to make the best possible, there is no way you can avoid finding a good PVR recorder. 

It’s a Freeview PVR with built-in Blu-ray recording and playback, boasting a 1TB hard disk and twin DVB-T2 tuners. As the only Blu-ray recorder on the market, it’s the go-to machine for video archivists who want to make copies of hi-def TV shows (copy-protection permitting) and home movies to share with friends and family. Because it’s a Blu-ray drive you can cram hours’ worth of footage onto a disc, or you can copy onto lower-capacity DVD if you prefer. It also offers a range of smart TV content through Panasonic’s Viera Connect portal and media playback from USB, SD card and DLNA. It’s a multi-talented machine with a plethora of features, but as we discovered with Panasonic’s DMR-BWT735 PVR/Blu-ray player it takes more than a good spec to make a must-buy product. Let’s find out how it fares…
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/panasonic-dmr-bwt735_TV-recorder---set-top-box_review#4WKHd4vy11UEAZBO.99

It’s a Freeview PVR with built-in Blu-ray recording and playback, boasting a 1TB hard disk and twin DVB-T2 tuners. As the only Blu-ray recorder on the market, it’s the go-to machine for video archivists who want to make copies of hi-def TV shows (copy-protection permitting) and home movies to share with friends and family. Because it’s a Blu-ray drive you can cram hours’ worth of footage onto a disc, or you can copy onto lower-capacity DVD if you prefer. It also offers a range of smart TV content through Panasonic’s Viera Connect portal and media playback from USB, SD card and DLNA. It’s a multi-talented machine with a plethora of features, but as we discovered with Panasonic’s DMR-BWT735 PVR/Blu-ray player it takes more than a good spec to make a must-buy product. Let’s find out how it fares…
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/panasonic-dmr-bwt735_TV-recorder---set-top-box_review#4WKHd4vy11UEAZBO.99

It’s a Freeview PVR with built-in Blu-ray recording and playback, boasting a 1TB hard disk and twin DVB-T2 tuners. As the only Blu-ray recorder on the market, it’s the go-to machine for video archivists who want to make copies of hi-def TV shows (copy-protection permitting) and home movies to share with friends and family. Because it’s a Blu-ray drive you can cram hours’ worth of footage onto a disc, or you can copy onto lower-capacity DVD if you prefer. It also offers a range of smart TV content through Panasonic’s Viera Connect portal and media playback from USB, SD card and DLNA. It’s a multi-talented machine with a plethora of features, but as we discovered with Panasonic’s DMR-BWT735 PVR/Blu-ray player it takes more than a good spec to make a must-buy product. Let’s find out how it fares…
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/panasonic-dmr-bwt735_TV-recorder---set-top-box_review#4WKHd4vy11UEAZBO.99v

As a Freeview PVR it has a built-in Blu-ray recording and playback, a 1TB hard disk and twin DVB-T2 tuners. What is new: it is the only one PVR recorder we found which has the go-to machine for video archivists who want to make copies of hi-def TV shows (copy-protection)
What is more, it also offers a range of smart TV content through Panasonic’s Viera Connect portal and media playback from USB, SD card and DLNA.

This machine has got a lots of features. To the pluses of this I would certainly count in:
-it's really easy and instinctive to use
-awesome quality of the picture
-loads of recording features

There are minuses too, unfortunatelly, but only if you are really demanding. You can record two programmes and while that happens you cannot watch the third one. It also has got Viera Connect...

Nevertheless we got it and we're pleased!

It’s a Freeview PVR with built-in Blu-ray recording and playback, boasting a 1TB hard disk and twin DVB-T2 tuners. As the only Blu-ray recorder on the market, it’s the go-to machine for video archivists who want to make copies of hi-def TV shows (copy-protection permitting) and home movies to share with friends and family. Because it’s a Blu-ray drive you can cram hours’ worth of footage onto a disc, or you can copy onto lower-capacity DVD if you prefer. It also offers a range of smart TV content through Panasonic’s Viera Connect portal and media playback from USB, SD card and DLNA. It’s a multi-talented machine with a plethora of features, but as we discovered with Panasonic’s DMR-BWT735 PVR/Blu-ray player it takes more than a good spec to make a must-buy product. Let’s find out how it fares…
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/panasonic-dmr-bwt735_TV-recorder---set-top-box_review#4WKHd4vy11UEAZBO.99

It’s a Freeview PVR with built-in Blu-ray recording and playback, boasting a 1TB hard disk and twin DVB-T2 tuners. As the only Blu-ray recorder on the market, it’s the go-to machine for video archivists who want to make copies of hi-def TV shows (copy-protection permitting) and home movies to share with friends and family. Because it’s a Blu-ray drive you can cram hours’ worth of footage onto a disc, or you can copy onto lower-capacity DVD if you prefer. It also offers a range of smart TV content through Panasonic’s Viera Connect portal and media playback from USB, SD card and DLNA. It’s a multi-talented machine with a plethora of features, but as we discovered with Panasonic’s DMR-BWT735 PVR/Blu-ray player it takes more than a good spec to make a must-buy product. Let’s find out how it fares…
Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/panasonic-dmr-bwt735_TV-recorder---set-top-box_review#4WKHd4vy11UEAZBO.99

Monster vs Connection LAB

Some people wrote to ask about certain companies we write about. Connection lab have interested you and many of you asked how they can be compared to some better well-known companies. We thought Monster could be the best comparison.







A Monster HDMI cable

Connection Lab HDMI cable

As you can see there is the difference in look. Both of these have gold plated contacts, but Connection Lab is chrominium and Monster is plastic. It's up to you what you prefer but we are sure that plastic is easier to destroy and damage. Metal is metal, to put long story short. Also the cables itself are different. Connection lab is at the same time thicker but more elastic. I think it's thanks to the material used for isolating the cable. Monsters are a bit thinner and less elastic. Don't get me wrong, still very good, but here also Connection lab wins.

As for working: both of these are awesome. Monster is a recognized and respected brand. And there are many reasons for that. Their cables are great and long lasting, there are barely any problems with them, they work with most of things etc. But as Connection Lab is just entering the market we decided to give them a chance and we were astonished that the quality is as good and...yes, even better. 

As for working we may call it a tie but as the quality of craftsmanship and the promise of being a long lasting piece of equipment, Connection Lab wins!

Toshiba 50L5200U 50-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED TV

Hello after a short break. We have a new TV:

It's Toshiba! And we're in love with it.

This is a great TV if calibrated correctly. I was quite frustrated with it in the beginning, looked online and found following settings [...]They worked for me, hope it helps everyone else looking for good calibration.
All in all, great purchase for the price.

Settings:
Set picture mode to preference before making these changes.

These settings found in Picture Settings and Advanced Picture Settings:
Contrast 96
Backlight 52
Dynalight Off
Brightness 53
Color 50 (it's already well-adjusted out of the box)
Tint 0 (same as above)
Sharpness 1
Dnyamic Contrast Off
Static Gamma 0
Color Temperature Warm
Cinema Mode Film
Clearframe Off

Noise Reduction Settings:
DNR Off
MPEG Noise Reduction Off

Theater Settings:
Picture Size Native (very important to switch to this)
Auto Aspect Ratio Off

Sharp colours, and excellent sound quality as well! We will test all our cables with it! :))

Bathtub Radio

I am one of those people who cannot stand silence, this is why I own radios, TVs and all kind of players everywhere. Even in my bathtub. I was a proud owner of this cabin, until the radio broke down:

The radio set was compound in the tub so fixing it needs time and I needed music. This is why I bought very well reviewed Philips Splashproof radio AE2330/00.

It looks neat: white and blue. It should match most typical batrhoom stylistics and design. As the producer's note claims:

• Type : Portable radio
• Digital tuner : No
• Analog tuner : Yes
• Frequency : FM/MW
• Extra functions : Automatic digital settings
  Adjustable timer
  Battery light indicator

• Adjustable timer turns radio one at a pre-programmed time
• Anti-slip and ergonomic handle
• Built-in clock
• Splash-proof design allows for use in the bath or in the shower
• Accompanying accessories: user handbook, guarantee certificate

My impressions: the sound is AWFUL. While my cabin bathtub radio had speakers above and the sound was perfectly adjusted to the acoustic of a showertub, this sound is lame. Really, really weak, just like a small little radio could transmit. I have nothing against digital settings, the frequency is also ok. What is more my shower radio didn't have it.
The fact it is splashproof is kind of obvious (for the record: it is).
But I can exchange all the awesome features for the SOUND.

Banana Plugs ConnectionLAB HBC-01

Unusual piece of equipment to review but we needed to buy some banana plugs to match one of our cables to a socket. While ordering another HDMI cable from ConnectionLAB we have spotted banana plugs in their offer to. This is how these look like:

As you may know, banana plugs, or banana connectors are used for connecting cables. Plus the producer promises:

• Hi-End Gold plated contacts for best corrosion resistance
• Maximum wire diameter:
• Cable entry secured with screws

Why not buy it then? Gold plated connectors are well tested idea and it is important that the cable entry was secured to match most cables. As usual Connectionlab did their job.
What is also important is to keep electrical safety of such a device. It is a small thing but can cause a lot of harm if it's wrongly made or badly secured. This company's stuff is solid, we know that already, so we have no doubts. These are just banana plugs but it's a small but damn important piece of equipment :) You can sure trust Connectionlab in this matter :)

TOSlink Optical Digital Audio Cables

Today, I want to shortly write about decend optical cables we've found. TOSlink is recommendable and we've heard many good opinion son these:

Made of low-loss 5mm OD standard plastic fibre. The connectors are wholy made of metal, which as you know is a big plus for us. Make Dolby Digital really work. We have connected TOSlink also to CD player and all went well.
The producer offers these cables in few variants: 3 m, 6 m, 7 m and 9 m. You can more or less find what you look for.

Optical cables are more recomendable than coaxial cables when it comes to ground preventing loops. If you are one of the people who may have problems with ground preventing loops, you should probably check up these.
Technically I like them. Also the workmanship seems solid. About the design and look... I may be quite more reserved but it's up to you.
Anyway most of your optical problems should be solved here.

Dell Inspiron 15R-5520 notebook

It's been some time since I wrote about a notebook. This here is not my own yet but I used it a lot and I pretty much liked it.

First we can see the design obviously: classic Dell with smoothened corners and characterisitc "soft" plastic casing. Mine was black but there are also: Fire Red, Lotus Pink, or Peacock Blue colored lids.
It's pluses are visible very quickly: it's affortable (less than 600$), has third generation Intel Core i5 technology. I would add the casings to the pros.Cons are visibly a little bit later - the battery is not very good. After a year it may be of no use. But, on the other hand, it's still better than those in built batteries getting more and more popular. It provides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The chasis measures are 1.3 by 14.9 by 9.9 inches. The keyboard is handy, the keys are black and responsive.
On the contrary to Toshiba Satellite, which is kind of comparable, it has got a system (windows 7) on a CD so it is easy in case of any reinstallation.
I am a big fan of Dell notebook for ordinary use.

Samsung Galaxy Gio

It's been some time since we showed you a smartphone here. This one here is something I can recommend but it needs some critic too: 

Samsung Galaxy Gio was my choice a year ago. I wanted something that will call, send messages, have wifi, bluetooth, will not be too large, nor too small. And won't be too expensive too. I knew I don't want any other brand than Samsung too so I was limited to several models. And this is all that I wanted. I compared it with Samsung Duo which had all this nice basic features and even two sim cards possible but it's damn poor resolution was just more than shocking. I also took Galaxy Mini under consideration but it was, well...really mini. The only plus was colourful casings which, let's be honest is not the point.
Galaxy Gio could be perfect it you are not going to watch films on it or work. The screen is relatively small but I hate big phones.

Visually I love it. But I had few problems. It freezes sometimes. Sometimes you just want to make a quick reply or a urgent call and than it stops. It's not good. Also, it is a bit slow. I want to open inbox, I click, I wait two seconds and I have it. It has its moments. If you don't mind excercising your patience it's cool, if you are too hot tempered, think twice before buing it.

ConnectionLAB HTC-03 Premium 3m Optical TOS Cable

As we promised, we've tested the last ConnectionLAB cables left. 3 m optical cables of this company came here quickly as usual in a nice box.

This time we did not aim at the longetivity of the cable because it is important to know: optical cables should be as short as possible. ConnectionLAB offers 1m and 3m cables, not longer. I find it's fair, because other companies begin to produce even 10m cables and this, you can absolutely ignore! We recommend using 1m but we bought 3m for two reasons: we needed it for the PC computer and console. Second: we wanted to test this company again as fairly as possible :)
Here's what the producer promises:

• High quality fiber conductor for low signal loss
  
• Massive cooper plugs white chromium plated to avoid mechanical damage
• 192kHz/24bit data transfer rate
• Superior outer cotton, to avoid cable twisting

 I will repeat this once again and I will repeat that for EVER: quality is important. The price is important. Do not buy cheap things because you cannot afford buing sh*t. Fact.
What we like about Connectionlab optical cable is again the cotton linning of the cable which prevents it from twisting, hence the very important data transfer is very well aided. The fiber conductor also helps to stop the signal loss. Quality is especially important in terms of optical cables. As short as possible and as good as possible. Do not let people led you astray with promises of the same working at low cost. 
We've written many times about massive plugs made of copper and plated with chrominim. Avoiding damages is one thing, but they are simply more long-lasting in terms of use than many other, cheaper and weaker plugs.
Once again we need to give justice to ConnectionLAB company. The console worked perfectly, which means:

• no electromagnetic disruptions
• it didn't generate disruptions
• no stray electrical current
  What is worth mentioning, the optical cables are generally more long lasting and durable in comparison to

MT5201 HDMI Switch

To continue testing cheap accessories in order to find some interesting pieces at lower cost, we decided to pursue MT5201 Switch – a really cheap one. We wanted to find out whether spending money on something like this is worth it. So here it is:

It is made of plastic – average quality plastic to be strict. It is definitely a part of a modern designed TV set; it’s better to hide it because it looks, as it is – cheap.
It is fortunately small, just a little bit larger than a box of matches. There are 4 slots. 3 inputs and one output slot. The red led light informs us which slot is being used.
It operates on HDMI 1.4. We can also use a pilot to switch:

 

It is nothing really special. Not flashy, luckily and simple but the lack of quality workmanship is clearly visible. The plus is it is really easy to use.

We used it with ConnectionLAB cables, so really good ones (reviewed before) and Monster cables (also reviewed on our blog). Both cables were relatively long (10 and 15m) and the signal was, apparently, very good!  We cannot say whether it was cables of the switch actually but one thing’s for sure – a cheap switch works with more expensive cables.
However, if you care for the looks and workmanship – go for something more.