Here are the most popular and commonly used cables for connecting video or audio devices. Keep in mind that this list does not end with connectivity.

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)

Used for: connection Blu-ray players, TVs, AV-receivers, game consoles, personal computers and other high-frequency video devices.
If you have a choice, choose it over the analog audio cable and component video cable.
This is analogous to the performance and use of the DVI digital video interface.
It is an adapter for: DVI, Mini-DVI, Micro-DVI.
Additional ports: connect to the receiver.
In addition to the conduction of pure HD video at a resolution of 1080p and more, HDMI can conduct surround sound including DTS and Dolby Digital. This digital cable Fits most home theater slots, including TVs, receivers, and game consoles. It supports HDCP encryption, so you can play copy-protected movies without any problem. This type of connection is available in several variants: standard HDMI cable 1.3 or high speed 1.4. A new version has additional throughput to watch videos from high resolution in 3D.

RCA (also known as composite video or phono plug)

Used for: basic settings, analog audio and video, sometimes digital audio.
If you have a choice, choose it over coaxial cable.
It is an adapter for: TRS "mini jack" (found on camcorders or MP3 players).
RCA is introduced as a connector used throughout home audio and video equipment. For basic settings, you can use the white plug as for mono audio or left channel, and the yellow plug for video. A red plug usually means right-channel audio, but the connector can carry other signals as well. Sometimes used in digital audio, in which a single cable conducts a full surround sound signal. This cable is also suitable for component video.

Component video (also called RGB or Y-Pb-Pr)

Used for: HDTV videos (especially on older TVs) and gaming systems.
If you have a choice, choose it over RCA composite video, S-Video.
This is analogous to performance and use VGA cable(especially the RGB version).
It is an adapter for: VGA if the device uses the RGB version.
Additional ports: splitter, repeater or receiver.
Component video signals are transmitted via three RCA cables, typically red, green, and blue colors... Component video operates at speeds up to 1800i, making it optimal for analog HDTV connections. Cables are usually labeled Y / Pb / Pr, and indicate the level of brightness, blue and red. Some systems use different designations, often RGB - red, green and blue. There are devices that support both, but if you get a fully toned image in green, then most likely you have created an incorrect color space.

S-Video (or Y / C)

Is used for: .
If you have a choice, choose it over composite RGA and coaxial cable.
It is an adapter for: composite video(but with the loss of quality advantages).
Additional ports: splitter, repeater or radio receiver.
Although this kind of connection expands on the composite RCA connection, S-Video still cannot be on par with cables that support HDTV.

Coaxial video (cable TV connection)

Used for: connecting antennas, conducting VRC for analog TV, to connect a cable broadcast source and a TV.
This is analogous to the performance and use of composite video.
Additional ports: splitter connections.
A coaxial cable is used to transfer video and audio signals between devices. Also the cable is suitable for the TV tuner antenna. Most cable companies use this kind of conductor, although they mostly ship digital signal which is converted and decoded on your TV. You can almost always spend coaxial cable to the TV (except for connecting digital antenna), but one should expect correct work only the basic quality characteristics.

Toslink (also known as optical cable or S / PDIF)

Used for: gaming systems, connecting DVD players, cable boxes, and other devices for radios.
If you have a choice, choose it over analog RCA audio and other audio cables.
This is analogous to the performance and use of a single analog RCA audio cable.
Is an adapter for: Mini Toslink.
Additional ports: splitter and receiver.
V digital connections Toslink sends optical pulses that are decoded into sound. Usually an S / PDIF signal is used that carries the details of the surround sound. ("S / PDIF" is sometimes used synonymously optical cable(although Toslink is more about physical connectors). Mini Toslink cables are sometimes used, especially with Apple computers These connectors are often inside a standard 3.5mm stereo mini-jack port. The smart home system also uses such a cable in its connections.

Mini jack (TRS, 3.5mm jack, 1/8 inch jack, headphone jack)

Used for: portable audio devices, computers, portable speakers, camcorders.
This is analogous to the performance and use of a 1/4 inch jack, 2.5mm jack.
Adapter for: 2.5mm jack, RCA jack, 1/4 '' jack.
This headphone jack is found in almost all audio devices, and is offered as the primary jack on media players. You most often come across stereo connections that have two rings on the plug at the end. If the plug has only one ring, then it will only conduct mono audio. The connector is also often used to carry video along with audio, converting the mini-jack to an RCA device. The audio signal on the mini-jack is louder than the stereo RCA signal, so if you are using an adapter (for example, connecting an iPod to the receiver), then increase the volume gradually.

1/4 inch jack (TRS)

Used for: music equipment, headphones, professional equipment, audio equipment home theater.
If you have a choice, choose it over the mono mini-jack.
This is analogous to the performance and use of a mini-jack, 2.5mm jack.
It is an adapter for: mini-jack, 2.5mm plug, RCA plug.
Additional ports: splitter connection.
This jack most often conducts stereo sound in headphones. It is also used on professional audio equipment, home theater audio components, and many other headphone-equipped devices.

2.5mm jack (also known as TRS)

Used for: mobile phone headset.
If you have a choice, choose it over the mini jack, 1/4 inch jack.
It is an adapter for: RCA plug, 1/4 inch plug, mini-jack.
Additional ports: splitter.
Although most mobile phones have a mini-jack connector, and there are also many 2.5mm interfaces that support microphones or key lock. However, you can plug a large enough headphone cable into this small jack and listen to music.

Used for: mid to high end microphones.
If you have a choice, choose it over the 1/4 inch connector.
This is analogous to the performance and use of a 1/4-inch connector.
Is an adapter for: 1/4-inch plug (but this will not amplify the microphone).
Additional ports: connection to the mixer.
Although this connector can support a large number of contacts, most often the three-pin version is used in the midrange and professional audio equipment. Microphones also often use an XLR cable to amplify the sound.

Used for: connecting speakers.
Additional ports: connection of a receiver or splitter.
A twisted wire (each contains two cables inside) that connects the speakers to the receiver. Caliber speaker cable It has great importance if you want to stretch it to long distances... Thicker, low gauge wires work best. Try to select the cable in length so that no excess is left, otherwise there will be interference in signal transmission. To connect cables, you can use plug banana, but you will achieve the same results simply by connecting the bare wires.

The Jack (TRS) connector appeared in the 19th century and was used by telephonists. Then this connector had a diameter of 6.35 mm. Jack is now the most popular jack in the world. This connector is popular because of its convenience: plug & play. However, it is also considered absolutely unprotected from accidental shutdown, since the jack does not have any protection mechanisms, such as the cannon latch. Also, this connector is fragile if a lateral fracture load is applied to it, and therefore it often breaks (especially with plastic case). Jack comes in three sizes (in diameter): 6.25 mm, 3.5 mm and 2.5 mm. It also differs in the type of mother / folder (male / female). Basically, the type of the plug itself is "folder", and the socket is "mother" ...

Jack 6.25mm

Connectors mono jack plug and stereo jack plug... In Russian, such connectors are called the word "jack", this name has already been established, although it was generated by an inaccurate translation from in English("Jack" is a jack). Initially, it had the meaning of "panel connector" (the cable connector is called "plug"). By the number of contacts, such connectors can be divided into two-pin (Fig. 2) and three-pin (Fig. 3). The former (often called mono or unbalanced jacks) are designed for unbalanced signal transmission, while the latter (often called stereo or balanced jacks) can be used for both single-ended and balanced or two-channel signal transmission. The pins of the connector (female and male parts), in turn, have certain names (Tip Ring Sleeve), and three-pin jacks are also called TRS jacks from the first letters of these names.

In two-channel transmission, pin 2 is used to connect to the common conductor (Ground), and pins 1 and 3 are used for the signal wires of the first and second channel, respectively. A special case of two-channel transmission is the transmission of a stereo signal. Headphones are a prime example of this. In stereo transmission, pin 2 is common, pin 1 is transmitting the left channel signal, and pin 3 is the right channel. Another use of two-way jacks is bi-directional transmission. sound signals... A prime example of this is the channel insert connector on a mixing console. As elsewhere, pin 1 is common, but the wiring standard for the second and third contacts still does not exist. One of the two remaining contacts is the output and the other is the input.

Pin 2 (Fig. 1) is called Sleeve or simply S. Of all the meanings of the word “sleeve”, “sleeve” is the most suitable for a connector. Pin 1 is called Tip (which means "tip") or T. Pin 3 is called Ring (in Russian - "ring") or R. There is no Ring contact in a 2-pin connector. When using a 2-pin connector, pin 2 (Sleeve) is connected to the common or earth conductor, such as braided shield, and pin 1 (Tip) is connected to the signal conductor. A three-pin connector when used for symmetrical switching is unsoldered as follows: pin 2 (Sleeve) is connected to the common conductor. Pin 1 (Tip) is for in-phase signal transmission. In this case, it is called “hot”, “plus”, “phase”, “phase plus” or “hot”. Contact 3 is intended for signal transmission in antiphase. It is called "cold", "minus", "antiphase", "phase minus" or "cold".

Jack 3.5 mm (minijack)

This jack with a diameter of 3.5 mm is widely known for household equipment, most often it is used only for connecting headphones. It is rarely used in professional equipment, and even then - in small sound modules, portable equipment and other devices where socket size is important. The minijack became more widespread in multimedia equipment(players, voice recorders, in-ear headphones). The mini-jack is famous for its unreliability. The names of the contacts and their wiring comply with the rules for jack connectors.

rice. 4

rice. 5

As a rule, unbalanced switching is used in the microphone and line inputs of multimedia sound cards. Therefore, in the case of direct connection of a dynamic microphone to the microphone input of a sound card, there is a problem of transition from balanced output to unbalanced input. If the signal source has a transformer output, then you can use a simple cable adapter, the diagram of which is shown in Fig. 6:

rice. 6

Note If the balanced output of the signal source is transformerless, then to switch from a balanced circuit to an unbalanced one, you must purchase a cable adapter with transformer isolation! And one more pitfall may await owners of some multimedia sound cards. The microphone input of the sound card is designed for connection of a monaural microphone, however, the socket of the connector into which the mini-jack is inserted has three contacts. The Sleeve contact connects to the common conductor, the Tip contact is used to receive the signal from the microphone - as usual. But the Ring contact from the sound card is fed constant pressure, designed to power a multimedia electret microphone, which is sometimes supplied with sound cards. When connecting a dynamic microphone, to avoid unpleasant consequences, the Ring pin should not be connected to any conductor of the microphone cable. In other words, for dynamic microphones with balanced output, connected directly to the microphone input of the sound card, the cable wiring diagram should be as shown in Fig. 7

rice. 7

Note I draw your attention to the fact that to connect a dynamic microphone to a jack that has a constant supply voltage for an electret microphone on the Ring contact, a mono jack plug unusable... It generally cannot be inserted into such a socket, since the mono jack will cause a closure located on sound card electret microphone power supply!

The "Mini-jack" for video cameras also has a fourth contact for transmitting the video itself.

Jack 2.5 mm (microjack)

It is mainly used in miniature multimedia players and cell phones, precisely because of its size, is the only suitable connector in such cases. The wiring and construction is exactly the same as that of the older brothers. Mostly in a stereo version (three-pin). Sometimes it is mono. The only caveat is that this microjack is almost always unrepairable (although there are some similar connectors in radio stores) and breaks even more often than a minijack ...

Connectors and their names.

Firstly. the connector is in two parts. The nest is where stuck. The plug is what what stuck.

monaural jack, or TS. Sleeve to black ring - ground, tip - signal

stereo jack, or TRS. Sleeve to the first ring - ground, contact between black rings (Ring) - right channel or negative phase or power, tip - left channel or signal with positive phase

Mini jack- as in headphones for a player. Looks like a big jack, only smaller - 3.5 millimeters (1/8). V Lately in mobile phones and players, a tiny 2.5 mm jack is sometimes used, but it is not called a mini-jack.

minijack, familiar to you from players

Tulip, or RCA jack- found on professional sound cards (for line inputs and outputs), as well as on household video recorders and old VHS camcorders. Since there are usually two such connectors (left and right channels), the right channel connector is black if there are black and red connectors; and the right channel is red if there are white and red connectors. Initially, the "tulip" was developed back in the forties of the last century to connect radio to gramophones. The tulip is often used as a connector digital interface S / PDIF.

ordinary tulips

also a tulip, only pretends to be a knight

XLR (rarely XLR-3, "canon" or "canon", more correctly Cannon - not to be confused with Canon)- usually found on microphones. Such a massive connector with three pins and a latch.

Every normal microphone has an XLR connector, and a cable is already connected to it. The cable can end with either one more XLR or an ordinary jack. If you don't have a mixer where you can plug the XLR, then you need a cable with a jack. You can connect the jack to a household sound card using an adapter from a regular jack to a mini-jack. Since the connectors line-out, as well as line-in and the microphone input are located on the sound box in close proximity to each other, then quite often this adapter simply does not stick next to the mini-jack going to the speakers. Therefore, you need to buy this adapter not in an all-metal sheath, but in a plastic one. It can be cut with a knife on one side and wrapped with electrical tape. Then it will stick in without difficulty.

Household connector colors

You may have noticed that often the plugs and jacks are color-coded — for example, the microphone plug and jack are pink, and the headphones are light green. This is not a whim of manufacturers, but their adherence to the PC 99 standard. Below I give these colors and their descriptions.

You just bought a TV and looking under back panel, do not understand at all what each one is for connector... Where to connect your home DVD player? How to output sound to external speakers? And is it possible to connect a TV to a computer? If you do not understand anything about this, then this article was written especially for you. In fact, there is nothing complicated about this, the whole variety of connectors can be reduced to certain types, which we now, in fact, will do.

Video connectors

One of the types in any TV are VIDEO connectors. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

The abbreviation for this connector stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. What is meant in Russian as High Definition Multimedia Interface. Nowadays this interface is an the best option connecting any video equipment to Tv, since it allows you to transmit digital video signal, even HD, and plus digital audio up to 8 channels. All new TVs are equipped with one or more of these connectors. It is also present in almost all models of household equipment capable of outputting a video signal: Blu-ray and DVD players, game consoles, laptops, simple video cards for PC, camcorder and some models of smartphones.

PC / VGA In / Analog RGB

This connector is of the D-subminiature family, which is designed to connect a computer to a TV. This connector carries an analog signal therefore the picture quality is inferior to digital connections.

This connector is European standard for connecting various multimedia devices. SCART can transmit not only analog audio and video signals, but also control signals. As for the quality of the resulting image, it is comparable to the component connection, but certainly inferior to HDMI.

Fully stands for Separate Video, which means Separate Video. This connector is so called because it transmits the video signal as two separate signals, color and luminance. In terms of image quality, it lies between the component connection and the composite one. Nowadays, it is almost never used anywhere.

Component (Y / Pb / Pr)

Perhaps, the best way for connectivity source of analog signal to TV. This connector uses three separate cables to carry the video signal: luminance (Y), difference between red and luminance (Pr) and blue and luminance (Pb). There is no mixing of signals, as, for example, in S-Video and composite connections, so the image quality for an analog signal is the best possible. There are also two connectors for transmitting an audio signal.

Composite (CVBS)

Composite connection is the worst option for connecting a video source to a TV, since three analog signal(brightness, saturation and hue). It is recommended to use it only in the most extreme cases. Near the video connector, as a rule, there is a pair of inputs for the audio signal.

Audio connectors

Modern TVs can also be equipped with analog audio entrances. Basically, these are a pair of RCA connectors, or as they are called in the common people "tulips", one of which is red for the right channel and white, which is for the left channel in a stereo or mono channel. There is also a mini-jack, which is used to connect miniature audio equipment.

In addition to TV inputs, there may be audio outputs. This is often a mini headphone jack. But there are also digital ones for optical and coaxial cables. The first is a TOSLINK connector, and the second is RCA, exactly the same as used for audio input.

Other connectors

In addition to the AUDIO and VIDEO connectors, there are also others connectors for other purposes. Let's consider the most common ones.

Antenna / RF In

As you probably already guessed, a regular TV antenna connects here. But besides this, some video devices can also be connected, for example, old video recorders.

This network port... It can be used to connect your TV to local network or the Internet. This way you can use multimedia data from your PC or access various online services.