Digital optical cable – are they all the same?

I’m fully aware that hdmi are, I’m assuming it’s the same with digi optical? I want to use it from TV back to 2.1 box so that Sky, apple tv, playstation etc has good sounds and using the tv as the ‘switch’ box.

I beg to differ on HDMI cable but optical cable’s are all the same.

Yup. Digital signals are either on or off.
Both HDMI and Optical cables are all going to give the same quality signal.

The build quality of the cable may differ, but the signal it carries won’t.

I beg to differ on HDMI cable but optical cable’s are all the same.

The connectors on a £5 one will be betterer than a £1, but other than that, it’s pointless paying £23-30 for an HDMI cable. There are different types of optical, but again, other than better build quality, a fibre-optic is the same whatever the price. The main difference is hybrid TOSlink connections, where one end is a 3.5mm headphone plug, and the other end a conventional optical connector, which Apple use for most of their computers. I have one connecting my Mini to my a/v amp, along with a cheapy HDMI, about £7, I think.

Yes and no – there are two types of optical cable connectors used in audio gear, so you might end up with a perfectly good optical cable, which won’t plug in – TOSLINK and miniToslink are the two you are most likely to come across on consumer gear, and many cables come with an adaptor on the end – if you know it’s standard TOSLINK at both ends, then the adaptors are useless flaps of plastic, if you need them, then they are essential.

In terms of quality, there are differences, but they don’t improve or detract from the picture – it’s much more about how durable they are, being semi-rigid means that the better ones are much less likely to snap, the cheaper ones are more likely to snap. If you are plugging in and forgetting it behind your hifi/TV, then it won’t matter, if you are plugging it in and out everyday, then a more rugged one is better.

Good info. Thank you.