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So what are the different types of video cables? How are they typical used? Why
isn't my picture getting 1080i/p resolution with that little yellow RCA
cable?
This section will help explain the differences between low
resolution connectors such as composite video through high definition
video connection cables such as HDMI. VXP is here to educate our customers
on why you need the right cables to get the highest resolution for your
portable outdoor movie theater.
Composite Video Cable
Composite - A composite video cable is an analog signal that is typically referred to as the "Yellow RCA" cable. It has been used most commonly at home since the
time of BETA VCR's to connect an outside device to a television set. It is still
a standard connection that you can find on DVD players, camcorders, and video
games systems. This cable compresses and carries all the necessary data to
transport information to make a video image. It's low price one connection
convenience still makes the composite video cable a standard connection on
today's high tech gadgets. This analog signal carries only the picture.
Although convenient, the composite video cable has limitations on its resolution
output. You can not get a high definition signal with a
composite video cable.
So what is happening in the composite
cable to make the video signal happen? It is a composite of two sources called
Y, and C. The Y represents the brightness or luminance in the
picture. The C represents the color or chrominance of the
picture. Together the brightness (Y) and color (C) are compressed and sent on a
single line by electronic pulses from the outside device to a television,
projector, or monitor to create the video image that can be seen.
VXP
uses composite video cables for in number of connections in the Gen 5 AV Workstations. These connections include outputs to monitors in all of the workstations, composite video inputs that are later up converted to component or HDMI in the Pro HD and Premiere Pro 7.1, and a composite video output jack for the back up DVD player on the Performance AV1 Workstation. Since Composite Video cable are limited to a low resolution video output VXP always pre-wires
HDMI output jacks on our AV workstations because they send the highest possible high definition
video signals to your projector.
S-Video Cable
S-Video - An S-Video cable is an analog signal that has a four pin connection found on either end of the cable. The S-Video cable is often referred to as a
"Super-Video" cable. The S-Video cable typically does not come standard on VCR's
but rather just on high end VCR's. This analog signal carries only the picture.
S-video was typically used as an upgrade from a composite video cable for higher
resolution output before component, DVI, and HDMI cables. You can not get a 720 or 1080 high definition signal with an
s-video cable.
So what is happening in the s-video cable to
make the video signal happen? An S-Video cable can transmit a higher video
resolution than a composite video cable because the brightness (Y) travels on a
separate line than the color (C). This resolution can be up to 480i/p. This
separation of the brightness (Y) and color (C) in the signal path ensures that
the two will not interfere with one another. The analog signal is sent by
electronic pulses down the different paths, and the result in a better
resolution in your video image than a composite cable. VXP uses S-Video
cable input jacks that are up-converted to component or HDMI on our Pro HD and Premiere Pro 7.1 AV Workstations. VXP always pre-wires HDMI outputs jacks on our AV
workstations because they send high resolution video signals to your
projector.
Component Video Cable
Component - A component cable is an analog video cable that has the trio of Red, Green,
and Blue male RCA connectors. A component cable can also be referred to as an
RGB cable (Red, Green, Blue cable). This cable does not use any compression in
the signal path and imposes no real limit on color depth and resolution. The
advent of movies on DVD brought the possibility of delivering even higher image
quality. Therefore with the limitations of composite and s-video the RGB
component cable became standard with DVD players. You can find component
connections on X-Box 360, Blu Ray DVD players, standard DVD players, and
more...Component cables give you the highest resolution possible in analog form.
If used correctly, this cable is capable of giving the same resolution as a HDMI
and DVI cable. Like HDMI and DVI this cable can give you
a high definition 1080p signal.
So what is happening in
the component cable to make the high definition video possible? It's simply a
video cable where the components of brightness (Y) and color (C) are separated
to an even greater extent than an S-video cable. There is no compression on a
component video signal from the outside device to the TV or projector. So there
is less chance of the components of color (C) and brightness (Y) interfering
with each other, and will deliver a better resolution than a composite and
s-video cable.
Specifically what is going on in each of the Red, Green
and Blue cable connections? The Green RCA connector carries the brightness (Y).
If the Green RCA connector is plugged into the source by itself it will transmit
a black and white video image. The color is added through the Red and
Blue cables, but unlike the Green cable the Red and Blue cables can
not transmit the image by themselves. In a component cable, the color (C or
chrominance) is further separated in the Red and Blue RCA connectors. Simply the
color is separated into its own components. The Red cable carries
Red minus brightness (R-Y); also labeled as Cr or Pr. The Blue cable carries
Blue minus brightness (B-Y); also labeled Cb or Pb. The analog signal is sent by
electronic pulses down the trio of the Red, Green, and Blue cables and gives you
the best high definition image possible in analog form.
DVI and HDMI Cables
Digital Video Interface (DVI) and High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Cables - The HDMI cable is the first industry-supported, uncompressed,
all-digital audio / video interface. HDMI provides an interface between any
audio / video source, such as Blu Ray DVD player to a high definition projector. HDMI
supports standard, enhanced, and high-definition video. HDMI has an extra large
bandwidth. This gives it the ability to transfer large amounts of data to
accommodate the high demands of high definition video technology. DVI and HDMI cables can give you
up to a 1080p High Definition Digital Video Signal. HDMI is a pure uncompressed
digital Audio and Video signal. For VXP's Gen 5 AV workstations we only need the Video as we are using another path for the audio. What we are doing is simply dropping out all the
audio. DVI is the digital uncompressed video part of the HDMI signal.
So
what is happening in the HDMI and DVI cable to make the high definition video
possible? Unlike the analog cables of composite, s-video, and component cables
that send video data by electronic pulses. HDMI and DVI cables take the digital
information of “ones" and "zeros" and delivers the exact digital copy from
source to source. In other words no information is lost in the digital
transfer.
VXP pre-wires THE CUBE, EZ HD, Performance AV1, Pro HD, and Premiere Pro 7.1 workstations
with HDMI / DVI cables. Native 16:9 projectors are sold with our all inclusive
systems to give you true 720 and 1080 high definition video images.
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