Quick guide to TV Connections

[ColourWheel64]

Just because being able to recognise a socket can make choosing the best option so much easier. Here is a quick list of common TV connections.

The following are listed in order of quality, beginning with the lowest:

1. RF
   
2. Composite video (Video only - sound is provided seperately. See below)
   
3. S-Video and dual phono
   
4. SCART
   
5. Component RGB (Video only - sound is provided seperately. See below)
   
6. VGA (Video only - sound is provided seperately. See below)
   
7. DVI (Video only - sound is provided seperately. See below)
   
8. HDMI
   
9. Micro HDMI
   

Explained

• 2 is better than 1 largely due to the audio data and video being sent separately.
  
• Seprate Video is an improvement over Composite due to the two video signals being sent down two cables instead of one.
  
• 7,8 and 9 offer the same quality, but HDMI implements DRM; a technology developed to prevent certain content from being displayed.
  

Here are a list of sound connectors. Fibre Optic is by far the best quality, with the others offering about the same as each other.

1. Microphone/Headphone jack Phono
   
2. Left and Right Component Phono
   
3. Fibre Optic Cable
   

Feel free to add more and tell me where they sit in the list, and please try to supply an image too!

Note: Until I get around to replacing the images below with improved versions, the name of each connection can be found by hovering or clicking on them and checking the photo's file-name.

 

[roy_bates]

7.component video(insert where relevant)


somewhere between vga and hdmi?

 

[Justin]

yeah componet, mini HDMI, digital coaxle and ir sound connectors could be added? also how about numbering the pictures? as image 6 is HDMI on my screen not number 6, does that make sense?

 

[SaviorX]

DVI (Digital Visual Interface), also in between VGA and HDMI, but superior to Component

 

[ColourWheel64]

yeah componet, mini HDMI, digital coaxle and ir sound connectors could be added? also how about numbering the pictures? as image 6 is HDMI on my screen not number 6, does that make sense?

It makes perfect sense. The numbers will change as connection types are added, so instead I intend to add a title to each image.

@Justin, @SaviorX and roy_bates

Many thanks indeed. I'll add them to the list

@Justin

When you said IR, first I thought you meant fibre-optic, but since then I did an internet search and found that headphones and speakers can be connected by IR. Having no experience of them myself, where would you put them in the list? They sound great for being wireless, but do they pick up interference from remote controls, etc. Is the overall quality any good? Do you notice sound delays during use?*

*I ask about sound delay since I purchased a box to convert a Scart signal to RF, and there was a noticeable delay. This is also a beware to people purchasing Scart to RF boxes