If you’ve ever connected a CD or DVD player to your TV, you’ve probably used an RCA cable. A simple RCA cable has three color-coded plugs that extend from one end of a cable that connects to three matching color sockets on the back of a TV, projector or other output devices. These cables carry audio and video signals from the component device to the output device (such as a TV or speakers).
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The RCA connector is named after the Radio Corporation of America, which used it for the first time in the 1940s to connect phonographs to amplifiers. He entered homes in the 1950s and is still in use today. The two most common types of RCA cables are composite video and component.
RCA cables for composite video
The colors used in composite RCA cables are generally red and white or black for the left and right audio channels and yellow for composite video. Composite video is analog or non-digital and carries all video data in a signal.
Since analog video is composed of three separate signals, to begin with, compressing them into a signal reduces the quality in some way.
Composite video signals generally consist of PAL 4807 NTSC / 576i standard definition video signals. Composite video is not designed to be used for high-definition analog or digital video signals.
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Component cables
Component cables are more sophisticated cables that are sometimes used on HD televisions. Component cables have three generally colored red, green and blue video lines and two red, white or black audio lines. The two red lines usually have an additional color added to distinguish them.
Component RCA cables are capable of much higher resolutions than composite video cables- 480p, 576p, 720p, 1080p and even higher.
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Use of RCA cables
Although an HDMI cable is a more modern way to connect devices, there are still many opportunities in using RCA cables.
An RCA cable can be used to connect a variety of audio and video devices, such as video cameras to televisions or stereos to speakers. Most high-end camcorders have all three RCA jacks, so the signal that enters or leaves the camera passes through three separate channels – one video and two audio – resulting in the high-quality transfer as well.
Low-end video cameras, however, usually have only one jack, called a stereo jack, which combines all three channels. This results in lower quality transfers because the signal is compressed in a channel.
In both cases, RCA cables transmit analog or non-digital signals. For this reason, they cannot be connected directly to a computer or other digital device. RCA cables connect amplifiers to all types of devices.
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Quality of RCA cables
Several factors influence the quality, price, and performance of RCA cables:
- Materials. The connectors on the RCA cables are often gold, silver or copper. As expected, cables with gold-plated connectors are the most expensive. They are also better than silver and copper connectors in preventing oxidation, but not as good in electrical conductivity. Silver connectors are the best for electrical conductivity. Other suitable materials are nickel, zinc, and tin.
- Cable length. The cable length has a negative effect on the signal quality. Buy a long cable just the time it takes to make the connection for better signal quality.
- Shielding. A well-shielded cable provides a better signal than a shielded one.
- The other end of the cable. If possible, match the material used on the other end of the cable with the material used in the connectors. Do not combine tin with gold or silver with gold. These combinations can cause problems due to an electrolytic reaction.
