To listen to a CD, you need a CD player and RCA cable. There is a lot of information online about RCA cables but most do not explain what do these red, white, yellow cables mean? Worry not as our sound engineers explain what these are for.
What is an RCA Cable?
RCA cables are used to connect two devices, the data source to the device output. Some examples are connecting TVs to VCRs and DVD players, or CD players to speakers. They are color coded, with red, white, and yellow as the regular colors.
They used to be the most common electronic device connectors but are now being replaced with other cables such as HDMI. RCA cables are also referred to as composite cables.
RCA got its name from the Radio Corporation of America which was the first company to use them.
The Respective Roles of the Red, White, and Yellow Cables
It is very important to connect the right cable to the plug of the devices being connected as each cable color has a specific function. When connected wrong, these cables may not produce a sound or video output.
The yellow cable is for composite video and is responsible for video signal. It carries the analogue video signal with no audio data. Choosing not to plug this in would result to black-and-white video.
The red and white cables are more related to each other as both carry analogue audio data. The red cable is for the right audio channel, while the white cable is for the left audio channel.
How to Plug on TV and Other Devices
Our experts suggest that before plugging in the TV and other devices, you have to make sure that both devices have RCA plugs where they’ll be connected.
Connect the two devices based on the color of the plugs and the color of the cable. The red cable should go to the red plug, white cable to the white plug, and yellow cable to the yellow plug to successfully connect the TV and the other devices.
RCA Cable to HDMI
What if your device doesn’t have an RCA plug but has an HDMI plug? The easiest way to convert the data is by using an adapter.
Composite video to HDMI adapters or RCA to HDMI converters converts the analog data and creates an output for the HDMI to display to the TV or to a monitor.
(Curious about how long an HDMI cable can be? Then, you can read about our page about the max length of an HDMI cable here)
RCA Cable to AUX
Sometimes, you also need to connect a device using an RCA cable to another device that only has an AUX [1] plug. To do this, you need an adapter to split the radio signal so the data can still be read.
Difference From Composite Video
The composite cable is usually confused with composite video. However, composite cables are composed of red, white and yellow cables while composite video is composed of green, blue, and red cables.
The composite video carries only video signals while the composite cable can carry both video and audio signals. The composite video simply splits the video signal into the three cables.
Though the composite video cannot carry audio signal, it is able to produce higher video resolution compared to the composite cable.
(Want a seamless setup for your home theater? Well, you can check our simple guide about how to properly hide speaker wire here)
Our Top Pick for an RCA Cable: Pasow 3 RCA Cable
The Pasow 3 is a solid and economical option for an RCA cable. It features three nickel male RCA plugs with copper wiring for durability and anti-resistance. If you want a simple, no fail connection that can extend to 6 to 15 feet, our team highly recommends this RCA cable.
FAQ
What cable is yellow, red and white?
The yellow, red and white cable is the cable for RCA or composite cables. The red cable carries audio data for the right audio channel while the white is for the left audio channel. The yellow cable carries the composite video.
Where do you plug red white and yellow cables?
The red, white and yellow cables are plugged into the respective color coded plugs in the device’s output or input. The red cable goes to the device’s red plug, yellow cable to the yellow plug, and the white cable to the white plug.
Conclusion
The RCA cable is one of the earliest and most reliable ways to connect devices to produce audio and video data. Our sound experts state that red, white, and yellow cables have specific purposes and plugging them incorrectly will not produce the sound and video that you want.
For other home theater system tips and hacks, you can also visit the pages below:
