Home Video Asylum

TVs, VCRs, DVD players, Home Theater systems and more.

Re: video cable length question

204.154.244.88

Many DVD players today have component video outputs(Y,R-Y,B-Y). Also called analog color difference video. This uses three jacks, and separates the video signal into it's color difference components, each signal carried on it's own coax 75 ohm cable, which has RCA, BNC, or F-type connectors. This gives you the best picture and should be used with DVD whenever possible.To take advantage of the component video outputs of your DVD player, your tv needs a set of component inputs. Next down in video quality is s-video (Y/C video), which separates the video signal into it's luminence(Y) signal and it's chroma(C) signal. This uses a single s-video cable which actually contains internally 2 75 ohm coax or twisted pair. These have 4pin DIN connectors at both ends. Composite video combines the luminence and chroma signals on one coax cable and should not be used with DVD, if avoidable, because composite video generates format conversions which cause Y/C separation artifacts that degrade the video quality.

Best case: 3 75 ohm coax cables(RG-6 coax) from DVD player component video output to tv component video input.

Next best case: 1 s-video cable from DVD player s-video output to tv s-video input.

Worst case: 1 coax cable from DVD player composite video output to tv composite video input.

Note: all the above is in regards to video only. You still need to deal with the audio. From your ?s, I gather you don't plan on any Dolby Digital 5.1 (DD), or Pro-Logic surround sound decoding? Some DVD players have a basic DD decoder and can output the 5.1 channels individually, otherwise you need an external processor or AV receiver for this, and use the digital output of the DVD player (Dig coax, or toslink). Then you need enough channels of amplification for your application and speakers for each channel, with or without a subwoofer(usually has it's own internal amp). But it sounds like you just want to route L and R audio to the TV's built in speakers. In this case, you simply run inexpensive audio IC from the DVD player analog audio L and R outputs(usually RCA) to the tv's analog L and R audio inputs.

Larry


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