Didn't see this thread until now, so I thought I would post my experience with DIY cables.
I found what seems to be a great, low cost way to make up whatever length of cable I need.
CABLE:
I use Belden 1505A (RG-59U) coax, which is a 3GHz rated video cable. I bought some highly discounted partially used reels of the cable on Ebay (the color is purple).
TERMINATION:
I use Holland SLC59-RCA compression connectors. These cost just over $1 each.
TOOLS:
I bought a nice little stripping tool for about $15, the Holland compression tool for $50, and a cable cutter (makes nice square cuts) for $10.
I cut the coax to length, strip the end, then terminate. Very easy, and I will never again be short of high quality unbalanced interconnects!
Here is a link to info on cables made this way:
DIY A/V RCA Compression Connector Cables
-Charlie