Composite RCA Cables: A Complete Guide
Want to know more about composite cables for analog video systems? This blog looks into composite cables, their applications, the differences between composite and component audio cables, and dives into defining access control system composite cables.
What is a composite cable (RCA Cable)?
A composite cable is a video/ audio cable that has the multimedia signal transferred to a connector. An alternative name for the composite cable is RCA cable. The cable is named after RCA, the type of connector used in these cables to carry multimedia video and audio signals. RCA is the name of the RCA phono connector, introduced initially in the 1930s for radio phonographs.
A composite cable usually has three connectors, one for the video and two for the audio (left and right). The video plug is yellow, the left audio for stereo audio is white, and the right audio is red.
Composite cords with just one connector also exist, though the standard is the cable with three plugs. If the cable has just one connector, it is a composite video cable.
Applications Of Composite RCA Cables
- Audio Signals (Stereo Audio)
- S/PDIF-formatted digital audio
- Composite (Analog) Video Signals In DVDs, TV, and Video game consoles such as Xbox (especially on older video equipment that is not HDTV).
- Camcorders
Composite Video Cables vs. Component Video Cables: Differences In Video Quality
Since their names sound quite familiar, composite video and component video cables get mixed up quite often. Both of these cables transfer analog video signals, which makes them different from HDMI signals that dominate modern television and transfer digital video.
The fact that both composite and component video cables use RCA plugs does not help to settle the confusion.
One of the main differences between composite video cords and component video cables is that composite video cables are only able to produce standard-definition video. This happens because composite video cables combine all features of video signal into one (such as brightness and saturation). The signal is sent through one wire and then combined into separate signals as it reaches the TV set. For this reason, composite video cables are unable to produce high-definition video as the signal ends up being compressed when traveling. Most HDTVs do not have composite video inputs, though some do. Composite video cables are used mostly with older video equipment.
Component cables send video signals separately through three video cables color-coded in red, green, and blue. The video produced by component video cables can be referred to as high-definition analog video. That being said, it is still not up to the standards of HDMI high-definition video, which has superior quality. Most HDTVs have component video inputs aside from having an HDMI.
What is an access control system composite cable? How is it different from regular composite video cables?
Aside from the composite cords described above, there is also a popular type of cable called access control system composite cable. It is not to be confused with composite video cable as it serves an entirely different purpose.
Access control system composite cable is basically a security cable used in proprietary access control systems in public buildings and commercial business buildings. These cable are used in very different components of building security systems, such as door locks, card readers, locking scans, etc.
The cable has twisted pair copper conductors and LSZH low smoke-zero halogen insulation. The cable has a complex multi-conductor structure with one twisted pair, two twisted pairs, and nine single-core conductor strands. Belden is a popular cable brand that produces access control system composite cables.
