RCA Plugs for composite video and stereo audio

An RCA jack, also referred to as a phono connector or CINCH/AV connector, is a type of electrical connector that is commonly used in the audio/video market. The name "RCA" derives from the Radio Corporation of America, which introduced the design by the early 1940s to allow mono phonograph players to be connected to amplifiers. Image File history File linksMetadata RCA_Connector_(photo). ... Image File history File linksMetadata RCA_Connector_(photo). ... Composite video, also called CVBS (Composite Video Blanking and Sync), is the format of an analog television (picture only) signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. ... An electrical connector is a conductive device for joining electrical circuits together. ... RCA, formerly an initialism for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark used by two companies for products descended from that common ancestor: Thomson Consumer Electronics, which manufactures RCA-branded televisions, DVD players, video cassette recorders, direct broadcast satellite decoders, camcorders, audio equipment, telephones, and related accessories; and... The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949. ... Tonearm redirects here. ...

For many other applications it began to replace the older jack plugs used in the audio world when component high fidelity started becoming popular in the 1950s. 2. ... High Fidelity is also the title of a book by Nick Hornby and a film directed by Stephen Frears, based upon Hornbys book. ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ...

The corresponding plug is called an RCA plug or a phono plug. The latter is often confused with a phone plug which refers to a TRS connector. TRS connector Triple contact plug as described in 1907. ...

Uses

In the most normal usage, cables have a standard plug on each end, consisting of a central male connector, surrounded by a ring. The ring is often segmented for flexibility. Devices mount the jack, consisting of a central hole with a ring of metal around it. The ring is slightly smaller in diameter and longer than the ring on the plug, allowing the plug's ring to fit tightly over it. The jack has a small area between the outer and inner rings which is filled with an insulator, typically plastic (very early versions, or those made for use as RF connectors used ceramic). In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female. ... An RF connector is an electrical connector designed to work at radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range. ...

High-quality audio grade RCA connectors.

As with many other connectors, the RCA has been adopted for other uses than originally intended, including as a power connector, an RF connector, and as a connector for loudspeaker cables. Its use as a connector for composite video signals is extremely common, but provides poor impedance matching. RCA connectors and cable are also commonly used to carry SPDIF-formatted digital audio, with plugs colored orange to differentiate them from other typical connections. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 761 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2055 × 1620 pixel, file size: 678 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): RCA connector ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 761 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2055 × 1620 pixel, file size: 678 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): RCA connector ... A power connector is an electrical connector designed to carry a significant amount of electrical power, usually as DC or low-frequency AC. Some types of RF connector may also carry large amounts of power, but are considered as a separate category. ... An RF connector is an electrical connector designed to work at radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range. ... For the Marty Friedman album, see Loudspeaker (album) An inexpensive low fidelity 3. ... Impedance matching is the practice of attempting to make the output impedance of a source equal to the input impedance of the load to which it is ultimately connected, usually in order to maximize the power transfer and minimize reflections from the load. ... S/PDIF or S/P-DIF, for Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format (also IEC 958 type II, part of IEC-60958), is a system for carrying stereo digital audio signals between various devices and stereo components. ... Digital audio comprises audio signals stored in a digital format. ... See also Orange (disambiguation) for other meanings of the word. ...

Connections are made by pushing the cable's plug into the female jack on the device. The signal-carrying pin protrudes from the plug, and often comes into contact with the socket before the grounded rings meet, resulting in loud hum or buzz if the audio components are powered while making connections. Continuous noise can occur if the plug partially falls out of the jack, breaking ground connection but not the signal. Some variants of the plug, especially cheaper versions, also give very poor grip and contact between the ground sheaths due to their lack of flexibility. In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female. ...

They are often color coded, yellow for composite video, red for the right channel and white or black for the left channel of stereo audio. This trio (or pair) of jacks can be found on the back of almost all audio and video equipment. At least one set is usually found on the front panel of modern TV sets, to facilitate connection of camcorders, digital cameras, and video gaming consoles. Although nearly all audio-visual connectors, including audio, composite and component video, and S/PDIF audio can use identical 75 Ω cables, sales of special-purpose cables for each use have proliferated. Varying cable quality means that a cheap line-level audio cable might not successfully transfer component video or digital audio signals.^{[citation needed]} Composite video, also called CVBS (Composite Video Blanking and Sync), is the format of an analog television (picture only) signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. ... Label for 2. ... 8mm Camcorder mini-DV Camcorder A camcorder is a portable electronic device (generally a digital camera) for recording images and audio onto a storage device. ... Digital cameras are a remarkable advance in technology. ... TOSLINK connector (JIS F05) 75 ohm coaxial cable with BNC-to-RCA adapter. ...

The male plug has a center pin which is 3.70 mm in diameter, and is surrounded by an outer shell which is 8.25 mm in diameter

Disadvantages

"Bullet plug" variation. Notice the hollow center conductor and the single pin point for the return signal.

One problem with the RCA jack system is that each signal requires its own wire. Even the simple case of attaching a cassette deck may need four of them, two for input, two for output. In any common setup this quickly leads to cable spaghetti, which is made worse if one considers more complex signals like component video (a total of three for video and two for analog audio or one for digital coaxial audio). There have been numerous attempts to use combined connectors in both the audio and video world, but none of these have ever become universal—with the exception of the SCART connector, which has become very successful in Europe. For a time the 5-pin DIN plug was popular for bi-directional stereo connection between A/V equipment, but it has been entirely displaced by the phono connector on modern consumer devices, despite the fact that it takes four phono jacks to replace it. Nearly all modern TV sets, VCRs, and DVD players sold in Europe have SCART sockets, and in many cases they have no RCA sockets at all. However, RCA-to-SCART adapters are easily available, as SCART cables can also carry composite video and stereo audio, among other signals. For the purposes of consumer digital AV connections, HDMI is largely replacing RCA jacks as, like SCART, it has the ability to carry several different types of signals in the one connector. Three cables, each with RCA plugs at both ends, are often used to carry analog component video Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more components. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... 5 pin 180° DIN connector 4 pin Mini-DIN S-Video connector Speaker DIN line socket (left) and plug DIN connectors are multi-pin electrical connectors based on a DIN standard. ... The video cassette recorder (or VCR, less popularly video tape recorder) is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... The High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) is an industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. ...

Origin

The word phono is an abbreviation of the word phonograph, because this connector was originally created to allow the connection of a phonograph turntable to a radio receiver, utilizing the radio as an amplifier. This setup was present in most radios manufactured in the 1930s onward by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), who later marketed a special turntable for 45 RPM records. Tonearm redirects here. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... 45 RPM is a collection of songs by The The. ...

Color coding in consumer equipment

Plugs and sockets on consumer equipment are conventionally color-coded to aid correct connections. The standard^[1] colors for the various signals are shown below.

Note: in stereo audio applications there are combinations of either Black+Red or White+Red RCA connectors - In both cases, Red denotes Right. Purple may also be substituted by Black.

Composite video, also called CVBS (Composite Video Blanking and Sync), is the format of an analog television (picture only) signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. ... Multichannel audio is the name for a variety of techniques for expanding and enriching the sound of audio playback by recording additional sound channels that can be reproduced on additional speakers. ... TOSLINK connector (JIS F05) 75 ohm coaxial cable with BNC-to-RCA adapter. ... YPbPr (also referred to as YPrPb, PrPbY, and PbPrY) is a color space used in video electronics. ...

References

1. ^ Consumer Electronics Association standard CEA-863-A "Connection Color Codes for Home Theater Systems"

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

RCA connectors

• High-end audio cables