What's new

Are cables the same? (1 Viewer)

Scott Burke

Supporting Actor
Joined
Nov 27, 2000
Messages
510
Location
United States
Real Name
Scott B.
Let me start by saying I know that quality of cables are different, but that is not my question.

My question has to do with the signal running through the cables. For instance, if I have standard a/v cables are they constructed for their specific purpose (yellow for video, red & white for audio) or are the cables colored just for the consumers sake?

Or if you don't understand that...
Is the yellow tipped video cable constructed differently than the other two cables? Just curious.
 

Chu Gai

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
7,270
I can't speak with 100% certainty but generally speaking, they're all made the same. Take for instance Radio Shack A/V cables (15-1508). The reply I obtained from them (quite detailed actually) indicates no differences in construction.
 

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Moderator
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 5, 1999
Messages
6,818
Location
Corpus Christi, TX
Real Name
Wayne
I can assure you that the stuff you see that comes in the box with VCRs and such are all the same.

Back in the 80’s Radio Shack’s Gold series A/V cables had a substantially different-looking video cable – it was much thicker than the two audio cables. Don’t know why, or if there really was a construction difference, but this seems to be a thing of the past for the Golds. The ones Chu referenced are similar to what the Shack has been offering for many years now.

I believe they do have different construction with their new Fusion cables, though.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 

Jack_TN

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
88
I believe bluejeans cables sells an A/V cable with the video cable different from the audio cables.

Jack
 

Chu Gai

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
7,270
Well if you know what particular cable BJ is offering one could look up the information as they're quite forthcoming with their materials of construction. I don't know about the fusions though Wayne...if I think of it, i'll spin off an email to the Shack for more info.
 
Joined
Nov 16, 2003
Messages
39
Okay..... This is slight OT, but I think related enough to bring it up here.

What is the deal with "gold-tipped" optical cables. I don't claim to know it all, but I do have an above-average education and understanding of physics, optics, and electricity (BSEE). So am I just totally missing something here by wondering what difference gold tips on the end of a fiber-optic cable would make in the quality of the digital bits being transferred (and quite honestly the quality of optical signal received is even a moot point as long as the receiver can distinguish a 0 from a 1).

Anyone have a good explanation of why there are gold-tipped fiber cables?

Mike W.
 

DavidLW

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 21, 2003
Messages
161
I know that the cheap cables that comes with most DVD and VSH decks are the same. The better cables have more shielding around the video cable. Video signal are more prone to pick up interference. Specially in longer runs.
 

Chu Gai

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
7,270
You're right in that gold tipped optical cables confer no advantage with the signal. Gold plating though is fairly inexpensive, resists corrosion, and matches to some extent the other connectors in the back that you have that are likely gold plated also.
 

Bob McElfresh

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 22, 1999
Messages
5,182
Is the yellow tipped video cable constructed differently than the other two cables?
Yes, there is a difference.

Video cables need to be made with something called "75 ohm coax". It's a particular impedence made to match the input impedence of video connectors.

Audio cables can be made with any of the common impedence cables: 50, 75, 110, 300 ohm.

Many times - companies use 75 ohm coax for both their audio & video cables. This way they only have to buy 1 type of coax for all their cables.

For a while, Radio Shack sold a bundle of Left/Right/Video cables for about $20 that was all 75 ohm cables. People were buying this instead of the more expensive ($29) component video cables.

But a few years ago someone took one of these cables apart and noticed that the video cable looked different internally than the L/R parts. Radio Shack got wise to the 'cheap component' cable and changed things.

No, you cannot just look at a piece of coax and tell what the impedence is. You usually have to go by the markings on the RCA plug.

Note: For DVD players, the people who wrote the specification for the Coaxial-Digital connection specified a Video cable - 75 ohm coax for this connection. This is why people will tell you to just buy a generic video cable for this use.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,854
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top