The video cables field is rapidly changing from analog to digital resulting in much confusion about what the current standards are and how they should be used.
Note, this page covers video cables and connections only. See our Audio Cables page for details on audio cables and connections.
The popular video formats are (In order from best video quality to worst):
HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), released late in 2002, is an all-digital audio/video interface capable of transmitting uncompressed streams of data. This is the format everything is currently moving to, however it includes a Digital Right Management implementation that can limit devices that can use it. See our HDMI section for HDMI articles and additional information.
DVI
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a digital standard introduced in 1999 by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG). It is designed primarily for carrying uncompressed digital video data to a display. Originally the display was a computer monitor but DVI is now commonly used for television as well. The newer HDMI specification was based on this and most new components are moving to HDMI. For additional DVI articles and information see our DVI section.
Component
Because this uses RCA type connections, it is often confused with Composite connections listed below which is unfortunate because Component Connections are far superior to to both Composite and S Video. A common misconception about Component is that it can not carry HDTV level signals. This is incorrect, Component connections are capable of HDTV quality video. See our Component Video Connection section for additional articles and details.
S Video
Better then Composite connections, but not as good as Component connections. This format never has the popularity of the other connection types and is quickly being replaced by the digital connections.
Composite
A composite video connection use a RCA type plug and cable. It is superior to the RF or coaxial connection but inferior to all the other connection types on this page.
Coaxial RF
Coaxial RF Connections were the default for many years from the cable and satellite TV companies to connect your TV or VCR to their boxes. However the quality is not very good and we recommend moving away from this connection type to one of the more advanced options above.
IEEE-1394 Connection (FireWire, iLink)
This is more a general purpose connection then pure video connection like the other connection types listed above. IEEE-1394 is a standard (approved by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) designed for the high-speed exchange of information between PCs and consumer electronics devices. Originally designed to connect digital cameras and camcorders to PCs, it is now being used on TVs as an all-purpose digital A/V connection. This allows digital devices such as cameras to be connected directly to the TV.
RGB Connection (VGA, SVGA, XGA, WVGA, WSVGA and WXGA)
RGB Connections can be a little confusing as the are often labeled according to the formats they carry. Although the connection and video cables look the same you may see the RGB Connection labeled according to one of these formats (VGA, SVGA and XGA are the most common 4:3 formats; WVGA, WSVGA and WXGA are their widescreen counterparts). RGB connections were originally designed to connect monitors to computers, but it is now being used on TVs also. This allows the TVs to easily connect to the computer to be used as a monitor.
Additional Video Cable Information See our article on Cheap HDMI Cables for information on how to find quality cables. Also keep some things in mind when considering cables or hooking up your components.
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Technorati
Y! MyWeb
