So, I just hooked up my new amplifier/reciever a couple of nights ago (RX-V750 - love it, by the way - simple, great product)

I wanted to hook up some of the digital components. After asking a couple of questions re: optical vs. digital coax cable, I was steered to Partsexpress and bought a couple of Toslink optical cables (<4.00 each for three 6 foot lengths). Well, I went to hook up my digital cable box, and low and behold, there's no optical hookup.

Damn! Now I have to go and buy a stupid digital coax cable (at around $30) to hook this up, right? WRONG!

I read on several web forums yesterday that you could hook up regular, heavy duty RCA cable, and the digital signal will pass just fine. The only consideration was long lengths of poorly shielded cable. But, the bottom line was, so long as any signal was comign through, the whole signal was coming through. Since the cable box is literally one foot from the receiver, I used an older (but well shielded), common RCA plug (I think it was red, for the record).

What do you know - I flipped up to HBO, a digital station on my box, and whammo - Bob's your uncle - digital signal coming through. Not only did the Yammy recognize the signal as digital, it recognized the signal as being a full 5.1 encoded signal! IMagine my delight when I discovered that not only did I save $30, but that the digital signal was a full, 5.1 encoded signal.

Then, I heard the same was true for component video cable that regular old RCA cable will work to hook up the signals. I tried it, and the same result - really great quality picture with spindly little r-w-y rca hookups. I was pissed that I dropped nearly $90 on component cables.

I guess the lesson learned is - don't believe the hype. Don't line the pockets of the cable wire fat-cats who take regular RCA cable, "un-double" it from a normal two wire strand, place an orange terminal on the end (instead of red, white or yellow) jack up the price 5 times, and then sell it to you as digital.....those bastards.

Just thought I woudl share with any of you guys who have the digital hookups but were unwilling to drop the cash to upgrade - there is no need. In fact, if you do the math, you can actually save money by going digital - since it only requires one line, each R-Y RCA you have is actually TWO digital cables. Go figure.

Anyway - happy listening.