RCA Cables
RCA cables use RCA jacks, also known as phone connectors or CINCH/AV connectors; these cables are commonly used in audio and video components and devices, though they are beginning to be replaced by newer cables and jacks like DVI Cables and HDMI Cables. The RCA cable system divides information into separate streams according to signal type and allocates a specific jack to each one. For example, one cable for video, one cable for left-speaker audio, and one cable for right-speaker audio. Although this system generally preserves a fairly high quality of video and sound, complicated setups may have several cables and jacks, resulting in a complicated, cluttered setup.
RCA Cable Uses
RCA cables have a number of uses, and are commonly paired with the following devices:
- Televisions
- DVD Players and VCRs
- Video Game Systems
- Sound Equipment like Speakers, Audio Players, and Sound Systems
- Computer Video and Audio Cards meant for Recording and Editing Sound and Video
RCA Cables Color Scheme
Because of the high number of cables involved, RCA cables feature a conventional color-coding system to aid in properly connecting equipment. In this system, both ends of a specific RCA cable will feature a certain color, which corresponds to a specific type of connection.
| Composite Analog Video | Composite | Yellow | |
| Analog audio | Left/Mono | White | |
| Right | Red | ||
| Center | Green | ||
| Left Surround | Blue | ||
| Right Surround | Gray | ||
| Left Back Surround | Brown | ||
| Right Back Surround | Tan | ||
| Subwoofer | Purple | ||
| Digital audio | S/PDIF | Orange | |
| Component Analog Video (YPbPr) | Y | Green | |
| PB | Blue | ||
| PR | Red | ||
| Component Analog Video / VGA (RGB/HV) | R | Red | |
| G | Green | ||
| B | Blue | ||
| H/Horizontal Sync | Yellow | ||
| V/Vertical Sync | White |
Choosing The Right RCA Cables
Choosing the right RCA Cables can be a confusing task. In general, it’s better to spend a bit more on high-quality cables if they fit the budget. Although gold-plated cables do cost a bit more, your audio and video equipment will sound and look better with these cables. When purchasing RCA cables for use with recording or editing equipment, it’s especially important to get the best-quality RCA cables in your budget in order to preserve the highest-quality sound and video data.