If you’re like most owners of electronic equipment, you know the frustration that can come with cables. Whether you’re trying to find them, connect them, disconnect them, untangle them, or simply figure out what a cable’s plugged into, they can be a major source of frustration when hooking up or dismantling your audio/video setup. To make the process easier, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basics of cable management.
Most of today’s television stands are equipped with openings in the back, allowing you to run cables through the holes to plug components into a power source. The actual physical connection is fairly easy, but it can be a challenge for less technical folks to determine what types of cables they need.
The Basics of Power Cables
A basic electronic cable consists of three parts. The conductor is an electrical wire through which the power voltage runs. Shielding is an outer layer that protects the conductor from interference, while the connector is a cork-like device that ends the transmission of voltage and allows the safe end of the cable to attach to an electronic component.
When a cable is performing, as it should, you’ll see a clear, vivid picture. But when the conductor is impacted by electrical interference, the signal can become distorted, resulting in fuzziness or loss of audio. There are different levels of cables—as a general rule, the higher the quality, the less audio and video interruptions you’ll experience. Higher quality cables employ certain strategies, such as reinforced shielding and non-corroding connectors, to protect electronic components from interference.
What Type of Cable Do You Need?
There are three basic types of cables: audio, video, and computer. Each has a different type of connector that distinguishes its purpose. For the hookup of your television, you’ll need a high-quality video cable.
For a long time, analog video cables were the standard, but with the surge of high-tech digital equipment on the market today, digital cables have become more widespread.
Below, we explore some of the most prevalent types of video cables:
- RF Coaxial Cables: The most widespread (and least effective) type of cable, coaxial technology combines both audio and video transmission into one cable, resulting in a somewhat degraded performance for each
- Composite (RCA) Video Cables: Considered the standard connection type for most televisions and DVD players, RCA cables are slightly better than coaxial in terms of video quality.
- S-Video Cables: A higher quality than composite cables, S-video cables are used on most of today’s higher-end televisions and components. They use two different circuits to send two distinct video signals, resulting in a better picture quality.
- Component Video Cables: Considered the highest quality of non-digital video cables, they use a three-component technology for improved signal quality and optimum clarity.
- DVI Cables: Fairly new to the audio/video market, this high-tech digital cable provides unparalleled picture quality by transmitting a pure digital video signal to your television.
- VGA Cables: In the home entertainment arena, Video Graphics Assembly cables are most often used for connecting projectors to video equipment.
Whether you own a standard rear-projection television or you’ve invested in a cutting-edge home theater system with plasma or LCD technology, using a high-quality video cable can greatly enhance the sharpness and clarity of your viewing experience.
