the red, purople and blue cables (component video)

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

ok. I don't have HD. I dont have a great job so I wont even consider getting HD in the near future, but I do have a 40 inch plasma screen that I'm very happy with. what's more, I get good picture wihout spening money on a new format for movies.

So i want to put a theory to rest. I want to use component video jacks instead of just the yellow one for my video. Right now I'm using extra yellow white and red chords I had lying around because they fit in the slots, I matched the colors and the picture shows up.

I still hear that I should pay the money for purple, blue, and red chords, that they are constructed better for superior bandwidth. Welll, do I really need to, or is it an urban legend that they are any different from the standard RCA cables aside from what color they are?

Thanks!

 

[Rÿcher]

For HD, you need and HDMI cable (not cheap) and HD service. Without HD service, you can't get HDTV so no matter how many cords you buy, you can't get HD.

Save your money. Just go with the red, yellow and white cable. The rest are for home theater stuff, surround sound, projection and all that. Depending on the number of devices you have (dvd, vcr, video game console, surround sound etc...) you might consider an R/F modulator which gives you more inputs.

 

[Chindogu]

I still hear that I should pay the money for purple, blue, and red chords, that they are constructed better for superior bandwidth. Welll, do I really need to, or is it an urban legend that they are any different from the standard RCA cables aside from what color they are?

Thanks!

To start off on a side note, RCA cables were actually originally designed to run analogue audio.

The only difference between Component and Composite video cables is that when there are three signals, as in a Y/Pb/Pr component video, one needs three cables to run them in. So the question shouldn't be if they are different (as you can tell they aren't by the fact that you're able to use the Yellow/White/Red A/V cables in place of the 3 Component Video cables) but whether or not the Yellow/White/Red cables delivery as good of a picture as a "real" Component cable would.

This all depends on the cables impedance tolerance (good for preventing signal reflection, which causes ringing and ghosting), shielding (for keeping the signal clean of electrical noise in the picture), and low loss (good when one needs to run video over long distances without significant degradation). I don't know what the specs of your cables are, but if you don't notice any of these problems, ie. ghosting/fuzzy picture, then there is no point in going out and spending $50+ on a "real" Component cable.

Of course some may argue that I'm wrong, but those are many uptight videophiles and the people trying to sell you these over priced cables.

 

[Brolan]

For HD, you need and HDMI cable (not cheap) and HD service. Without HD service, you can't get HDTV so no matter how many cords you buy, you can't get HD.

Save your money. Just go with the red, yellow and white cable. The rest are for home theater stuff, surround sound, projection and all that. Depending on the number of devices you have (dvd, vcr, video game console, surround sound etc...) you might consider an R/F modulator which gives you more inputs.

No you can drive HD through component just fine, I've been doing it for years. You just get some copy protection issues like your upscaling DVD/Blu-ray/HD-DVD player may not upscale through component but it will through HDMI.

 

[Brolan]

ok. I don't have HD. I dont have a great job so I wont even consider getting HD in the near future, but I do have a 40 inch plasma screen that I'm very happy with. what's more, I get good picture wihout spening money on a new format for movies.

So i want to put a theory to rest. I want to use component video jacks instead of just the yellow one for my video. Right now I'm using extra yellow white and red chords I had lying around because they fit in the slots, I matched the colors and the picture shows up.

I still hear that I should pay the money for purple, blue, and red chords, that they are constructed better for superior bandwidth. Welll, do I really need to, or is it an urban legend that they are any different from the standard RCA cables aside from what color they are?

Thanks!

Connecting video through the yellow composite input is the worst way there is. Here is a handy chart:

yellow composite = crap
s-video (or super vhs) = good
component/DVI/HDMI = great

You will notice a difference unless the source material is so bad (VHS) there is no quality to begin with.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

well, I'm using what is supposed to be a yellow composite cable, but I'm actually using it for one of the three colors in the composite jacks. I'm also using a spare red and white cable I had lying around for the other two colors.

 

[Brolan]

well, I'm using what is supposed to be a yellow composite cable, but I'm actually using it for one of the three colors in the composite jacks. I'm also using a spare red and white cable I had lying around for the other two colors.

I think you mean you are using them in the component jacks. I'm not engineer enough to tell you if that is ok or not. If you see a good picture, and the color balance is not off, it should be ok. But you should be able to find a set of component cables cheaply on the 'net.

 

[Borjis]

well, I'm using what is supposed to be a yellow composite cable, but I'm actually using it for one of the three colors in the composite jacks. I'm also using a spare red and white cable I had lying around for the other two colors.

if the image from say a MOVIE DVD looks really clean its fine.

if different movies are consistently noisy....the cable is bad.

component cables have better shielding. But composites usually work just fine.

 

[Samurai8472]

For HD, you need and HDMI cable (not cheap) and HD service. Without HD service, you can't get HDTV so no matter how many cords you buy, you can't get HD.

I use to be like you and assumed HDMI cables cost 60 bucks or more but my friend set me straight.

He told me Bestbuy would just rip you off "All you'd get out of a monster cable is the word "Monster" "

So he showed me monoprice.com and in minutes we found a HDMI cable for FIVE DOLLARS

He ordered it for me and in 4 days I got it.

 

[Chaos Descending]

For HD, you need and HDMI cable

False. Component video is just fine for HDTV.

(not cheap)

False. You can get an HDMI cable for as cheap as $6.99. I've heard some claim you can get them even cheaper, but I personally haven't found them that cheap.

and HD service.

Well, obviously true.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

You can get basic HD, such as the three major networks, through an antenna. You wouldn't need "HD service" for that.

 

[Arrqh]

For HD, you need and HDMI cable

False. Component video is just fine for HDTV.

To be technical, some HDTV's do not accept a 1080p signal over component... though this isn't an issue if your source anything but a Blu-Ray player and/or you don't have a 1080p TV.

You can get basic HD, such as the three major networks, through an antenna. You wouldn't need "HD service" for that.

This, of course, depends on where you live.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YPbPr

I think this is what I was looking for but I need comment.
"YPBPR cables are not physically different from composite video cables and can be used interchangeably."

 

[Cap'n Caveman]

Save your money. Just go with the red, yellow and white cable. The rest are for home theater stuff, surround sound, projection and all that. Depending on the number of devices you have (dvd, vcr, video game console, surround sound etc...) you might consider an R/F modulator which gives you more inputs.

If it looks fine, then it is OK. Component cables are just better shielded RCA cables, but unless you are picking up radio interference from another source (cordless phones, CB radios, microwave ovens, etc.) it will not harm your equipment. Do not, however, use an R/F modulator; these devices allow you to hook up video sources to the R/F (antenna) input on your TV, and is much worse than composite video. If you need to switch between multiple video sources and you do not have enough inputs on your TV, use a video switch with the inputs and outputs you need, or invest in a cheap home theater receiver with the correct inputs/outputs (and the audio will sound much better too!).

 

[IJD GAF]

I use these. They're cheap as hell, they work just as good as the not-cheap-as-hell kind. They're so cheap that there's really no good reason not to buy them if you've already got the TV.

 

[Chaos Descending]

To be technical, some HDTV's do not accept a 1080p signal over component... though this isn't an issue if your source anything but a Blu-Ray player and/or you don't have a 1080p TV.

Well, ok, true enough. To be fair, I was just trying to point out that it's not a technical limitation of component video cables, but more of a "design choice". I suppose with the advent of HDCP the claim that 1080p won't work over component video cables becomes more and more true.

 

[zephramc]

As others have said, if the composite cables are working for you then you're golden. Component cables are better in regard to being shielded better. I'm not aware of any other physical differences, other than, perhaps, thicker copper wire in the component cable?

 

[Amaris]

I use these. They're cheap as hell, they work just as good as the not-cheap-as-hell kind. They're so cheap that there's really no good reason not to buy them if you've already got the TV.

I'm glad you posted that. I would have done so otherwise. I'm tired of people paying $30 for a simple HDMI cable when you can buy a box for that price and they're just as good.


J.

 

[Chris3123]

I use these. They're cheap as hell, they work just as good as the not-cheap-as-hell kind. They're so cheap that there's really no good reason not to buy them if you've already got the TV.

Holy crap! Less than 2 dollars for an HDMI cable.

Just bought 2. Thanks for the link!

 

[IJD GAF]

No problem. I, like J., just want to get the word out. I was floored when I first found that deal, and it's something that anybody with an HDTV and something to hook it to should be aware of.