RCA Plugs for composite video and stereo audio

An RCA jack, also referred to as a phono connector or CINCH/AV connector, is a type of electrical connector that is commonly used in the audio/video market. Composite video is the format of an Analog television (picture only signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF An electrical connector is a conductive device for joining Electrical circuits together The name "RCA" derives from the Radio Corporation of America, which introduced the design by the early 1940s to allow mono phonograph players to be connected to amplifiers. RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986 The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be The phonograph, or gramophone, was the most common device for playing recorded Sound from the 1870s through the 1980s

For many other applications it began to replace the older jack plugs used in the audio world when component high fidelity started becoming popular in the 1950s. A TRS connector, also called an audio jack, phone plug, jack plug, stereo plug, mini-jack, or mini-stereo, is a common High fidelity or hi-fi reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts ( Audiophiles to refer to high-quality reproduction The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive

The corresponding plug is called an RCA plug or a phono plug. The latter is often confused with a phone plug which refers to a TRS connector. A TRS connector, also called an audio jack, phone plug, jack plug, stereo plug, mini-jack, or mini-stereo, is a common

Uses

In the most normal usage, cables have a standard plug on each end, consisting of a central male connector, surrounded by a ring. In Electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing each of a pair of mating connectors or Fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male The ring is often segmented for flexibility. Devices mount the jack, consisting of a central hole with a ring of metal around it. The ring is slightly smaller in diameter and longer than the ring on the plug, allowing the plug's ring to fit tightly over it. The jack has a small area between the outer and inner rings which is filled with an insulator, typically plastic (very early versions, or those made for use as RF connectors used ceramic). An RF connector is an Electrical connector designed to work at Radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range

High-quality audio grade RCA connectors.

As with many other connectors, the RCA has been adopted for other uses than originally intended, including as a power connector, an RF connector, and as a connector for loudspeaker cables. A power connector is an electrical Connector designed to carry a significant amount of electrical power, usually as DC or low-frequency AC. An RF connector is an Electrical connector designed to work at Radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range For the Marty Friedman album see Loudspeaker (album A loudspeaker, speaker, or speaker system is an electroacoustical Its use as a connector for composite video signals is extremely common, but provides poor impedance matching. Impedance matching is the electronics design practice of setting the Output impedance ( Z S of a signal source equal to the Input impedance ( RCA connectors and cable are also commonly used to carry SPDIF-formatted digital audio, with plugs colored orange to differentiate them from other typical connections. S/PDIF specifies a Data Link Layer protocol and choice of Physical Layer specifications for carrying Digital audio Digital audio uses Digital signals for Sound reproduction. This includes analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, storage The colour orange occurs

Connections are made by pushing the cable's plug into the female jack on the device. In Electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing each of a pair of mating connectors or Fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male The signal-carrying pin protrudes from the plug, and often comes into contact with the socket before the grounded rings meet, resulting in loud hum or buzz if the audio components are powered while making connections. Continuous noise can occur if the plug partially falls out of the jack, breaking ground connection but not the signal. Some variants of the plug, especially cheaper versions, also give very poor grip and contact between the ground sheaths due to their lack of flexibility.

They are often color coded, yellow for composite video, red for the right channel and white or black for the left channel of stereo audio. Composite video is the format of an Analog television (picture only signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF Stereophonic sound, commonly called stereo, is the reproduction of Sound, using two or more independent audio channels through a Symmetrical This trio (or pair) of jacks can be found on the back of almost all audio and video equipment. At least one set is usually found on the front panel of modern TV sets, to facilitate connection of camcorders, digital cameras, and video gaming consoles. A camcorder is a portable Consumer electronics device for recording Video and audio using a built-in recorder unit Many compact digital still cameras can record Sound and moving Video as well as still Photograph. Although nearly all audio-visual connectors, including audio, composite and component video, and S/PDIF audio can use identical 75 Ω cables, sales of special-purpose cables for each use have proliferated. This article is about analog component video for the processing of color components in digital video see Digital video, Chroma subsampling and YCbCr S/PDIF specifies a Data Link Layer protocol and choice of Physical Layer specifications for carrying Digital audio Varying cable quality means that a cheap line-level audio cable might not successfully transfer component video or digital audio signals due to impedance mismatch and poor shielding quality (causing SNR ratio to be too low).

The male plug has a center pin which is 3. 70 mm in diameter, and is surrounded by an outer shell which is 8. 25 mm in diameter

Disadvantages

"Bullet plug" variation. Notice the hollow center conductor and the single pin point for the return signal.

One problem with the RCA jack system is that each signal requires its own wire. Even the simple case of attaching a cassette deck may need four of them, two for input, two for output. In any common setup this quickly leads to cable salad, which is made worse if one considers more complex signals like component video (a total of three for video and two for analog audio or one for digital coaxial audio). This article is about analog component video for the processing of color components in digital video see Digital video, Chroma subsampling and YCbCr There have been numerous attempts to use combined connectors in both the audio and video world, but none of these have ever become universal – with the exception of the SCART connector, which has become very successful in Europe. SCART (from Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs) For a time the 5-pin DIN plug was popular for bi-directional stereo connection between A/V equipment, but it has been entirely displaced by the phono connector on modern consumer devices. A DIN connector is a connector that was originally standardized by the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN the German national standards organization Nearly all modern TV sets, VCRs, and DVD players sold in Europe have SCART sockets. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS IS A GENERAL ARTICLE ABOUT VCRs/VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERS DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is For audio signals, an RCA connection is called unbalanced, and a true balanced connection is generally preferred in certain applications because it allows for the use of long cables while reducing susceptibility to external noise. Balanced audio is a method of interconnecting audio equipment using impedance-balanced lines.

Origin

The word phono is an abbreviation of the word phonograph, because this connector was originally created to allow the connection of a phonograph turntable to a radio receiver, utilizing the radio as an amplifier. The phonograph, or gramophone, was the most common device for playing recorded Sound from the 1870s through the 1980s This setup was present in most radios manufactured in the 1930s onward by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), who later marketed a special turntable for 45 RPM records. RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986 A gramophone

Color coding in consumer equipment

Plugs and sockets on consumer equipment are conventionally color-coded to aid correct connections. The standard^[1] colors for the various signals are shown below.

Note: in stereo audio applications there are combinations of either Black+Red or White+Red RCA connectors - In both cases, Red denotes Right. Purple may also be substituted by Black.

References

1. ^ Consumer Electronics Association standard CEA-863-A "Connection Color Codes for Home Theater Systems"

See also

• High-end audio cables