December 2006

Connections out the Wazoo

Cables, connectors, jacks, cords–there are a lot of them to contend with when you connect home entertainment equipment. Here’s a quick run-down of the different types and what they’re used for:

75-Ohm Coaxial

The basic cable wire that most of us are familiar with. Used to get the signal from the antenna, cable company or satellite dish to where it’s used. While the correct cable for those uses, 75-ohm coaxial cable probably isn’t the best choice to use between components. Make sure to use RG-6 cable for home entertainment applications, not RG-59. Both video and sound travel on the same cable.

Composite Video

A much better choice than 75-Ohm coaxial cable for hooking up components. Uses the common RCA connector and is capable of delivering a high-quality picture, though not as good as S-video or component video. Is usually colored yellow and found adjacent to stereo audio jacks (color coded red and white). You’ll need a separate audio cable for sound.

S-video

Produces a more accurate picture than composite video. S-video splits the signal into separate parts for better processing, thus the “S” in S-video. Uses a round, four-pin connector. You’ll still need to use an audio cable for the sound part of the program.

Component

Uses three separate cables to transmit the video signal. Component video uses a method similar to S-video, but splits the signal even further, improving color accuracy. Found on higher-end equipment and is the minimum for high-definition. Requires audio cable for sound.

Digital Visual Interface (DVI)

DVI uses the same connector found on many computers. It’s especially used for transmitting high-definition digital video signals and is good for plasma, LCD or DLP TV. Some TVs use a DVI-I connector that allows both digital and analog signals. Yep, you still need a separate sound cable.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

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