Coax Differences

[cruggiero]

I'm looking to put in new coax between my directv dish and my tv's. Is there anything better than RG6 Quad?

I picked some up at home depot and wondering why the same description items are much more money on Home Theater sales sites.

[skeptic]

RG6 refers to the generic type of cable and has a specified ideal standard. If that is the type of cable the dish manufacturer recommended, then that is the type you MUST use. Other types which may look thicker or heavier such as thick ethernet cable will not have the right impedence and may introduce unacceptable losses to signal strength. Quad jacketing simply describes the type of shielding the outer ground conductor uses. It consists of a foil covered by a braid covered by another foil covered by another braid. It's some very serious shielding and usually makes RG6 fairly stiff and difficult to bend.

Belden is held up as the benchmark standard of quality for the cable industry. Many engineers specifying cable will call out a Belden product number for the type of cable they want and may include the term "or approved equal" meaning they get to decide if another manufacturer's product of the same type suggested by the successful bidder (usually a cheaper one) is of acceptable quality.

[mtrycraft]

I picked some up at home depot and wondering why the same description items are much more money on Home Theater sales sites.

Because they can :)
The buyer equates price with being better. Gullibility is rampant in the consumer marketplace.