We’ve all heard of the, but what are RCA cables? What are they used for and how do they compare to HDMI? Just like a lot technology, connectivity in AV can change with time. In this article, we’ll break it all down!
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What Are RCA Cables?
An RCA cable is a connector that is generally used to carry both audio and video signals. RCA cables have a long history in the audio and video world. The Radio Corporation of America originally created the RCA cable in the 1930s. While RCA cables were originally intended for audio, their functionality evolved. They became commonly used cables for various audio and video applications.
Types of RCA cables
The applications of RCA cables require an understanding of how they can vary. How an RCA cable is constructed will dictate its capabilities for AV applications. We’ll discuss two types of RCA cables; composite and component RCA cables. Both can send video and audio signals. They are both limited to delivering analog video. Both component and composite RCA cables send an unbalanced audio signal. Since RCA audio cables usually come in pairs, they can achieve stereo audio.
Composite Cables
Composite RCA cables are easily identified by their yellow, red, and white male connectors. A composite RCA cable is can transmit audio and video signals. The yellow connector delivers a video signal. Audio signals were delivered by the red and white connectors. This allowed composite cables to deliver video and stereo audio. Composite RCA cables are less likely to be used in recent years. Newer AV technology, like HDMI cables, can deliver superior performance. Composite video is analog and can not send high-definition video. In the past, composite RCA cables were commonly used to connect televisions to DVD players, VCRs, gaming devices, and more.
Component Cables
A component cable is more advanced than composite cables. Component cables have three RCA jacks to send video signals that are typically red, blue, and white. Two additional lines for delivering audio signals will generally be red and white. With three video lines, component video can send video signals superior to composite video. Both composite and component video are still analog and unable to send digital video signals. Component RCA cables can still deliver higher resolutions than composite cables.
The Differences Between HDMI and RCA cables
Individuals should pick and choose a cable type that best meets entertainment requirements. It will largely depend on the capatability of the equipment being used. While both RCA cables and HDMI cables have their uses, HDMI is the best choice in most AV applications. HDMI can send digital audio and video signals. The ability of HDMI to transfer digital video really separates it in regard to home theater. Digital signals also make HDMI easy and convenient to use with another digital device like a computer.
HDMI cables can also send higher resolution video than component and composite video. That includes higher bandwidth that allows for higher refresh rates. For video applications, HDMI is simply superior to a component and composite video RCA cable. Analog video just has too many limitations when compared to digital video. In purely audio applications, RCA is still very useful among audio cables to produce stereo audio. Just one example would be active speakers, which often use RCA cables for stereo input.
In Conclusion: Audio and Video Signals
All the different cables to deliver AV signals can definitely be confusing. Despite the long history of RCA cables, they still have their use. This is especially the case for audio cables. The evolution of electronics and digital devices unfortunately does limit their applications. The simple RCA cable has still managed to hang around no matter the implementation. Even subwoofer cables are essentially RCA cables that are thicker and shielded. As long as you understand the limitations of RCA cables, there’s no reason they can’t still have home theater and audio applications.
Keith Collins has been writing for over 15 years for various publications. He’s a lover of music, home theater, and excellent sound quality. His fondness for technology in addition to his non-stop curiosity fuels his writing ventures.