May 20, 2010

  • MIT RES-LinQ, Part 2

    As my 8th grade came to a close 25 years ago, I'd take the 2-Clement MUNI bus home from Presidio Middle School.  Near 2nd Avenue was a tiny record store.  I remember the "old-fashioned" tube gear sitting behind the counter.  I have no idea if that tube gear still worked, but this was before any of us knew about CDs.  I'll never forget hearing Robert Plant's "Little By Little" here, as the fog rolled in.  When Plant sings, "I can breathe again," that cool fog is a respite from any hot weather we may have, and we can truly breathe again.

    I loved music, but I didn't want to dawdle too long.  I wanted to rush home, and watch Robotech.  You see, those were the days hardly anyone had a VCR.  Hardly anyone had cable TV, either.  No, we had to pull in KBHK 44 over the air via rabbit ear antennae.  Hardly anyone had LaserDisc, either.  IIRC, a basic LD player cost $1000.  In 1985!

    And in 1985, people didn't talk about cable burn-in.  While audiophiles blather about burning in audio cables, they forget about video cables.  Not I.  Like all other MIT products I've tried, the RES-LinQ composite video cable can be Cooked.

    In 1985, I had not heard about S-video.  All I knew was that the yellow RCA was for video, an alternative to F-type connections.

    "Let's watch some movies!" exclaims Aiden.

    I don't know what it is.  Maybe it's the cable.  Maybe it's the TV.  Or maybe it's the composite connection.  But using a DVD player's composite output, even with the RES-LinQ, yields run-of-the-mill picture quality.  In today's world of High-Definition TV, going composite makes everything like 1985-era video.

    Anyway, my favorite song on Plant's Shaken 'N' Stirred is "Sixes And Sevens."  It's a shame that this song fared poorly on the charts.  Do yourself a favor.  While you are Cooking all of your cables (including video), go listen to "Sixes And Sevens," and just get lost in the music.