Composite component. Used inputs on TV

After the notes on choosing a TV, I decided to arrange a small educational program by entrances and exits.

Everyone is familiar with the TV antenna socket.

Any TV has a simple composite video input and analog audio inputs (tulips).

The picture quality through this input is the lowest; only low-resolution video can be transmitted.

The S-Video connector also transmits low-resolution video.

The picture quality is a little better, but almost insignificantly.

The 21-pin SCART connector can contain inputs and outputs of composite video, analog audio, S-Video and RGB inputs, providing maximum quality analog signal low resolution.

On different TVs, only some of the signals listed above can be output to the SCART connector.

Component connectors also provide best quality analog signal, and also allow you to transmit high-definition video up to 720p.

The sound is transmitted through two separate tulips. There are 5 connectors in total.

VGA connector (aka D-SUB). 15-pin connector for connecting a computer.

The TV works like a standard monitor. Sound is also transmitted through two separate tulips. Unfortunately, new TV models often do not have a VGA connector, and if desktop computer(possibly after modification and installation of the video card) you can connect to the TV via HDMI, but most laptops, alas, cannot.

HDMI connector. A digital input, which, unlike all previous ones, transmits not only video, up to the maximum FullHD resolution, but also digital sound.

HDMI is the most modern and standard connection method.

When connecting a TV to a computer via HDMI or VGA, it is desirable that the TV displays “point to point”, that is, if the image is FullHD, the 1920 pixels wide produced by the computer must exactly match the 1920 pixels displayed by the TV. Often, TVs have the Overscan mode turned on by default, which slightly enlarges the picture and does not allow point-to-point display. It needs to be found and disabled. You can check the correctness of the display by carefully looking at the computer desktop displayed on the TV. All letters should be very clear without smeared edges. Sometimes there are LCD TVs with a screen resolution that does not allow you to display a picture point to point at all. HD Ready plasmas usually have a resolution of 1024x768 with a 16:9 screen format, and each point is not square, but rectangular. At the same time, if you set the resolution on your computer to 1024x768, a big problem arises - the image is stretched, because the computer thinks that the dots are square. To correctly watch movies in this mode, you can use GOM Player and KM Player, which have options for displaying images on a wide TV. The display of photographs is getting worse - I have never been able to find a program that would correctly display photographs on a monitor with rectangular pixels.

Headphone jack. Surprisingly, not all TVs have it.

Sound outputs.

An output that can be connected to an external amplifier to watch TV programs with better sound quality. There are linear (unregulated) and adjustable outputs. The signal level at the adjustable output will depend on the volume level setting on the TV.

Digital audio output (usually optical). Allows you to connect your TV to an AV receiver with decoder digital audio.

USB connector - allows you to connect USB devices (flash drives, hard drives, keyboards, Wi-Fi adapters) to the TV.

The functionality of the USB connector on each TV is different. Some TVs have a built-in player that plays almost all video formats.

SD memory card slot.

Depending on the model, it allows you to watch photos and videos on TV. Videos, as a rule, are only in certain formats.

Connector local network(LAN).

Allows you to connect your TV to home network and the Internet. The functionality is also different for all models that have such a connector. Some can show videos from YouTube, surf the Internet and even allow you to make video calls via Skype, some can play videos over the network from a computer or home server DLNA.

In addition, TVs also have quite exotic connectors. For example, my LG 42PC1RR plasma has an RS-232 connector, which allows you to control the plasma from a computer instead of a remote control, but this functionality is unlikely to ever be needed in everyday life.

Suppose you just bought a brand new TV, printed it out, and saw a huge number of incomprehensible connectors on the back panel? Having taken out the instructions, we discovered that there was no Russian language in it. Questions immediately arose about which connectors to connect the DVD player to, how to connect audio acoustics to external speakers, is it possible to connect this TV to a computer? In reality, if you look at it, there is no difficulty in connecting additional peripherals to the TV. And if you study the tangled pile of connectors in detail, a simple and understandable diagram emerges. In this topic, we will not consider specific connectors used for servicing equipment, but will minimize the description of TV connectors to the following, which connector is intended for what.

TV video connectors

The abbreviation stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. On at the moment HDMI is the best option connecting video equipment to TV, since it allows you to transmit digital video signals of any resolution, including HD, as well as digital audio up to 8 channels. All modern TVs are equipped with at least one, and often several, such connectors. In turn, it is present in almost every model of household equipment capable of outputting a video signal: DVD and Blu-ray players, laptops, game consoles, video cards for desktop PCs, video cameras and even some smartphones.

A connector of the D-sub family (D-subminiature), used to connect a computer to a TV. An analog signal is transmitted through this connector, which is why the image quality is inferior to that obtained when using a digital connection. Used in cases where the PC does not have an HDMI or DVI output.

European standard developed in the late 70s. in France to unify the connection of various devices. Through SCART you can transmit not only analog video and audio, but also control signals. In terms of image quality, it is comparable to a component connection, but, of course, inferior to HDMI.

The abbreviation stands for Separate Video. It is called so because in this case the video signal is transmitted in the form of two separate signals, brightness and color. In terms of image quality, it is between composite and component connections; at the moment it is practically not used anywhere.

Component TV connectors (Y/Pb/Pr)

The best option for connecting an analog video source to your TV. It uses 3 separate cables to transmit video: brightness level (Y), difference between blue level and brightness (Pb) and red level and brightness (Pr). The lack of signal mixing used in S-Video and composite connections allows for the highest possible picture quality for an analog signal. Two additional connectors located in the same block are designed to transmit analog audio.

Composite TV connector (CVBS)

The composite connection offers the worst image quality - three analog signals (brightness, hue and saturation) are carried over one wire - and should only be used when there are simply no other options. As a rule, audio inputs are located next to the video connector (yellow).

TV audio jack

TVs can be equipped with analog audio inputs - usually a pair of RCA connectors (popularly called “tulips”), of which white is used for a mono signal or the left channel in stereo, and red is used for the right channel. There is also a mini-jack (officially called TRS) for connecting portable audio equipment.

In addition to inputs, a TV can also have audio outputs - again a mini-jack for an analog stereo signal (for example, headphones), as well as digital ones for coaxial and optical cables. The first is a regular RCA connector (the same as those discussed above for transmitting an analog signal), the second - TOSLINK - is intended for connection using optical fiber.

Other TV connectors

This is where the television antenna is connected. In addition, some devices can also transmit a video signal (for example, old VCRs).

Network port. With its help, the TV connects to a local network or the Internet. In the first case, the connection can be used for playback multimedia files from a home PC, in the second - to access online services.

IN lately TVs are increasingly equipped with media player functions, and the USB connector is used to connect external drives to them. The designation USB (HDD) means that such a port has sufficient power to work hard disk.

PCMCIA connector for connecting the Common Interface module, into which a smart card from a digital television provider is inserted, which is used to gain access to encrypted media content.

After reading this topic, you will gain basic knowledge, learn to understand TV connectors, and stop adding additional peripherals to your TV at random. Similar instructions, but about PC connectors, can be found here “”.

HDMI

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is an interface for high-definition multimedia that allows the transmission of high-definition digital video data and multi-channel digital audio signals with copy protection. H igh Bandwidth D digital C opy P protection, HDCP). The HDMI connector provides a digital DVI connection to multiple devices using appropriate cables. These connectors are used to connect to the TV. various devices:

• Computer
• DVD player
• Game consoles
• Blu-ray players

HDMI has a bandwidth of 4.9 to 10.2 Gbps.

There are several HDMI standards and manufacturers indicate which transmission standard is supported, for example HDMI 1.3 or HDMI 1.4

Differences in HDMI 1.3, 1.4a, 1.4b, 2.0, 2.1 standards

1.3

• Increased sync frequency from 165 to 340 MHz , which allows you to increase the interface bandwidth from 4.95 Gbps up to 10.2 Gbps;
• Added support for new digital audio formats Dolby HD and DTS-HD
  

1.4

• Added support for 4K x 2K resolution (3840x2160 at 24/25/30 Hz and 4096x2160 at 24 Hz);
  
• Designed by new interface A special connector for miniature devices is micro-HDMI (Type D).
  
• 3D image support.
  
• ARC audio return channel is built-in, allowing you to transmit sound, for example, to a TV.

1.4a

• Improved 3D support

1.4b

Added support for 1080p video at 120 Hz.

The founders of HDMI are Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial (now Panasonic) (Panasonic/National/Technics/Quasar), Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson (RCA).

In short, version 2.0 supports UHD, 4K resolution

8K resolution supported

USB

(u-s-bi, English Universal Serial Bus- "universal serial bus") - a serial interface for data transfer between electronic devices.

To connect peripheral devices to the USB bus, a four-wire cable is used, with two wires used to receive and transmit data, and two wires to power the peripheral device. Thanks to built-in lines USB power supply allows you to connect peripheral devices without its own power supply. USB supplies power 5V 0.5A, this is the standard, but due to the increase in devices that consume power more than 0.5A, ports are being installed on TVs with the ability to supply increased power 1A. You can see in the picture (when enlarged) Samsung TV SMART TV 3D Full HD LED UE40ES6100 that the bottom USB connector signed HDD 5V 1A.

USB Used on TVs to watch movies and can be connected to the TV:

• Flash drives
• HDD portable hard drives.

Component input (Y/Pb/Pr)

The component input is designed to receive an analog signal on the TV. The following signals are transmitted

• Y - transmits the brightness level and sync pulses. indicated by a yellow-green circle
  
• Pb- conveys the difference between the blue level and brightness, indicated by a blue circle
  
• Pr- conveys the difference between the red level and brightness, indicated by a red circle
  

Using this input it is possible to receive a signal from:

• DVD players
• satellite receivers

Since the signal is less converted when transmitted via the component input, there is less loss of picture quality compared to standard RGB connections (tulips, scarts). The same Samsung in many models of modern TVs no longer installs RGB connectors, but only component ones.

Composite input (AV) x 1 (Audio Common for Component)

Only video is transmitted via component or composite connectors; the composite audio input is used to transmit audio signals.

Digital audio output (optical) S/PDIF

Designed to transmit sound from a TV via an optical cable in digital format. It is used when a TV viewer is watching a movie in HD format, for example, over the network or from an HDD and he has 5.1 acoustics; in this case, sound is output from the TV. If the acoustics are of high quality, it can have a built-in receiver for converting digital sound; if it is not built-in, you need to buy an external receiver.

Scart connector, RGB, RCA, tulips, composite

If we talk about the signal input, they are intended for transmits an analog video signal and a stereo signal, audio left and right channels to the TV. The old standard was widely used before the era digital television in VCRs, DVD players.

Scart connector is a European standard for connecting multimedia devices such as a TV, VCR, DVD player. SCART unifies the connections of various devices; it combines all the necessary signals in one plug. SCART can transmit analog and digital commands. For example, if you turn on the VCR, the TV automatically turns on. The Simplink video equipment control protocol, transmitted via the SCART connector, has made it possible to simplify the setup of various equipment using one remote control. For example, from the TV remote control, you can program the VCR to record in specified time from a satellite or cable digital receiver.

Ethernet, LAN input

Standard connector for connecting a TV to computer network, to provide access from the TV to the Internet, as well as to create a home network. Additional services such as Smart TV work through it. And also by installing a special software you can watch movies on your computer hard drive computer, no need to carry flash drives or connect HDMI.

You can see the wiring diagram for the RG45 connector.

Input "IR Out"

used to connect an infrared adapter. The TV is equipped with a universal remote control, which allows you to control receivers cable television, Blu-ray players, home theaters and other TV-connected external devices third-party manufacturers using the remote control.

By installing the adapter, you have the opportunity to work with only one remote control.

Modern computers have ample capabilities for working with video, and their owners often watch movies on the monitor screen. And with the advent of barebone multimedia platforms aimed at use as a home media center, interest in connecting audio and video equipment is only increasing.
It is much more convenient and practical to watch videos on a large TV screen, especially since almost all modern video cards are equipped with a TV output.
The need to connect a TV to a computer also arises when editing amateur video. As you can easily see in practice, the image and sound on a computer are significantly different from what you later see and hear on TV. Therefore, all video editors allow you to view preliminary editing results on a television receiver directly from the working timeline before creating the film. Experienced video amateurs constantly monitor the image and sound, displaying them on a television screen rather than on a computer monitor.
Topics such as setting up video cards, choosing an image standard, and comparing the quality of video outputs of video cards various manufacturers and solving the problems that arise in this case are beyond the scope of this article - here we will consider only the following questions: what connectors can be found on the TV and on the video card, how they are consistent with each other and what methods there are for connecting a computer to a TV.

Display interfaces

Classic analog interface (VGA)

Computers have been using the 15-pin analog D-Sub HD15 (Mini-D-Sub) interface for quite some time, which is traditionally called the VGA interface. The VGA interface carries red, green, and blue (RGB) signals, as well as horizontal scan (H-Sync) and vertical sync (V-Sync) information.

All modern video cards have such an interface or provide it using an adapter from the universal combined DVI-I interface (DVI-integrated).

Thus, both digital and analog monitors can be connected to the DVI-I connector. A DVI-I to VGA adapter is usually included with many graphics cards and allows you to connect older monitors with a 15-pin D-Sub (VGA) plug.

Please note that not every DVI interface supports analog VGA signals, which can be obtained through such adapters. Some video cards have a digital DVI-D interface to which you can connect only digital monitors. Visually, this interface differs from DVD-I in the absence of four holes (contacts) around the horizontal slot (compare the right parts of the white DVI connectors).

Often modern graphics cards are equipped with two DVI outputs, and in this case they are usually universal - DVI-I. Such a video card can simultaneously work with any monitors, both analog and digital in any set.

Digital interface DVI

The DVI interface (TDMS) was designed primarily for digital monitors that do not require the graphics card to translate digital signals to analog.

But since the transition from analog to digital monitors is slow, developers graphics hardware Usually these technologies are used in parallel. In addition, modern video cards can work with two monitors simultaneously.

The universal DVI-I interface allows for both digital and analogue connections, while DVI-D allows for digital only. However, the DVI-D interface is quite rare today and is usually used only in cheap video adapters.

In addition, DVI digital connectors (both DVI-I and DVI-D) have two varieties - Single Link and Dual Link, which differ in the number of contacts (Dual Link uses all 24 digital contacts, while Single Link uses only 18 ). Single Link is suitable for use in devices with resolutions up to 1920x1080 (full HDTV resolution), for O Higher resolutions require Dual Link, which doubles the number of output pixels.

Digital HDMI interface

The digital multimedia interface HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) was developed jointly by a number of large companies - Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, etc. The 19-pin version of HDMI is widely used today for transmitting television signals high definition(HDTV) with resolution up to 1920x1080 (1080i). Higher resolution video requires 29-pin Type B connectors. In addition, HDMI can provide up to eight channels of 24-bit, 192 kHz audio and has built-in Digital Rights Management (DRM).

The HDMI interface is relatively new, but in the computer sector it has quite a lot of competitors - both from the traditional DVI interface and from newer and more advanced interfaces such as UDI or DisplayPort. However, products with HDMI ports are systematically moving onto the market, as modern household video equipment is increasingly equipped with HDMI connectors. Thus, the development of the popularity of multimedia computer platforms will stimulate the emergence of graphic and motherboards with HDMI ports, even though computer manufacturers To use this standard, you have to buy a fairly expensive license and also pay some fixed licensing fees for each HDMI product sold.

License payments also lead to higher prices for products with HDMI ports for the end manufacturer - for example, a video card with an HDMI port will cost about $10 more. In addition, it is unlikely that the package will include an expensive HDMI cable ($10-30), so you will have to purchase it separately. However, there is hope that with the growing popularity HDMI interface the size of such a markup will gradually decrease.

HDMI uses the same TDMS signal technology as DVI-D, so low-cost adapters for these interfaces are available.

And while the HDMI interface has not yet replaced DVI, such adapters can be used to connect video equipment via the DVI interface. Please note that HDMI cables cannot be longer than 15m.

New UDI interface

At the beginning of this year, Intel announced a new digital interface UDI (Unified Display Interface) for connecting digital monitors to a computer. So far, Intel has only announced the development of a new type of connection, but in the near future it plans to completely abandon the old analog VGA interface and connect computers to information display devices through a new digital interface UDI, recently developed by the engineers of this company.

The creation of a new interface is due to the fact that both the analog VGA interface and even the digital DVI interface, according to representatives Intel, today are hopelessly outdated. Additionally, these interfaces do not support latest systems content protection that comes with new generation digital media, such as HD-DVD and Blu-ray.

Thus, UDI is practically an analogue of the HDMI interface used to connect computers to modern HD TVs. The main (and perhaps the only) difference between UDI and HDMI will be the absence of an audio channel, that is, UDI will transmit only video images and is entirely designed to work with computer monitors, and not with HD TVs. Additionally, Intel apparently doesn't want to pay licensing fees for every HDMI device it produces, so UDI would be a good alternative for companies looking to cut costs for their products.

The new interface is fully compatible with HDMI, and will also support all currently known content protection systems, which will allow smooth playback of new media equipped with copy protection.

New DisplayPort interface

Another new video interface, DisplayPort, recently received approval from companies that are part of the VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association).

The open DisplayPort standard is developed by a number of large companies, including ATI Technologies, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, nVidia, Royal Philips Electronics and Samsung Electronics. It is expected that in the future DisplayPort will become a universal digital interface that allows you to connect displays of various types (plasma, LCD, CRT monitors, etc.) to household devices and computer equipment.

The DisplayPort 1.0 specification provides for the possibility of simultaneous transmission of both video signals and audio streams (in this sense, the new interface is completely similar to HDMI). Note that the maximum throughput according to the DisplayPort standard is 10.8 Gbps, and a relatively thin connecting cable with four conductors is used for transmission.

Another feature of DisplayPort is that it supports content security features (similar to HDMI and UDI). Built-in security controls allow the contents of a document or video file to be displayed only on a limited number of "authorized" devices, theoretically reducing the likelihood of illegal copying of copyrighted material. And finally, connectors made in accordance with the new standard are thinner than modern ones DVI connectors and D-Sub. Thanks to this, DisplayPort ports can be used in small form factor equipment and easily make multi-channel devices.

Dell, HP and Lenovo have already announced support for the DisplayPort standard. Apparently, the first devices equipped with new video interfaces will appear before the end of this year.

Video connector on graphics card

On modern video cards, in addition to connectors for connecting monitors (analog - D-Sub or digital - DVI), there is a composite output for video output ("tulip"), or a 4-pin S-Video output, or a 7-pin combined video output ( simultaneously S-Video and composite inputs and outputs).

In the case of S-Video, the situation is simple - there are S-Video cables or adapters for other SCART type connectors.

However, when video cards have a non-standard 7-pin connector, then in this case it is better to keep the adapter that comes with the video card, because there are several standards for wiring such a cable.

Composite video (RCA)

The so-called composite video output has long been widely used for connecting household audio and video equipment. The connector for this signal is usually designated as RCA (Radio Corporation of America), and is popularly called a “tulip” or VHS connector. Please note that such plugs in video equipment can transmit not only composite video or audio, but also many other signals such as component video or high-definition television (HDTV). Typically, tulip plugs are color-coded to make it easier for users to navigate the tangle of wires. Common color meanings are given in table. 1.

Table 1

The wires for transmitting the composite signal can be quite long (simple adapters can be used to extend the wires).

However, the use of low-quality connections and sloppy switching with “tulips” is gradually becoming a thing of the past. In addition, cheap RCA connectors on equipment often break. Today, other types of switching are increasingly used on digital audio and video equipment, and even when transmitting analog signals it is more convenient to use SCART.

S-Video

Often the video card and TV have a four-pin S-Video connector (Y/C, Hosiden), which is used to transmit video signals of higher quality than composite. The fact is that the S-Video standard uses different lines to transmit brightness (the luminance and data synchronization signal is denoted by the letter Y) and color (the chrominance signal is denoted by the letter C). Separation of brightness and color signals allows you to achieve better picture quality compared to a composite RCA interface (“tulip”). More high quality When transmitting analog video, only completely separate RGB or component interfaces can provide. To obtain a composite signal from S-Video, a simple S-Video to RCA adapter is used.

If you don’t have such an adapter, you can make it yourself. However, there are two options for outputting a composite signal from a video card equipped with an S-Video interface, and the choice depends on the type of video card you have. Some cards can switch output modes and supply a simple composite signal to the S-Video output. In the mode of supplying such a signal to S-Video, you simply need to connect the contacts to which the composite signal is supplied with the corresponding outputs of the “tulip”.

The wiring of the RCA cable is simple: the video signal is supplied through the central core, and the outer braid is the “ground”.

The S-Video layout is as follows:

• GND - “ground” for the Y-signal;
• GND - “ground” for the C-signal;
• Y - brightness signal;
• C - chrominance signal (contains both chrominance signals).

If the S-Video output can operate in the composite signal mode, then ground is supplied to the second pin of its connector, and a signal is supplied to the fourth. On a collapsible S-Video plug, which will be needed to make an adapter, the contacts are usually numbered. The socket and plug connectors are numbered mirrored.

If the video card does not have a composite signal output mode, then to obtain it you will have to mix the color and brightness signal from the S-Video signal through a 470 pF capacitor. The signal thus obtained is fed to the central core, and the ground from the second contact is applied to the braid of the composite cord.

SCART

SCART is the most interesting combined analog interface and is widely used in Europe and Asia. Its name comes from a French abbreviation proposed in 1983 by the Association of Developers of Radio and Television Equipment of France (Syndicat des Constructeurs d’Appareils, Radiorecepteurs et Televiseurs, SCART). This interface combines analog video (composite, S-Video and RGB), stereo audio and control signals. Today, every TV or VCR produced for Europe is equipped with at least one SCART connector.

To transmit simple analog signals (composite and S-Video), there are many different SCART adapters on the market. This interface is convenient not only because everything is connected using just one cable, but also because it allows you to connect a high-quality RGB video source to your TV without intermediate encoding into composite or S-Video signals and get the best image quality on a household TV screen (the quality of image and sound when supplied via SCART is noticeably superior to the quality of any other analog connections). This feature, however, is not implemented in all VCRs and televisions.

In addition, the developers included in the SCART interface additional features, reserving a few contacts for the future. And since the SCART interface became a standard in European countries, it has acquired several new properties. For example, using some signals on pin 8, you can control the TV modes via SCART (switch it to “monitor” mode and back), switch the TV to the mode of working with RGB signals (pin 16), etc. Pins 10 and 12 are designed to transmit digital data via SCART, making the number of commands virtually unlimited. There are several well-known systems for exchanging information via SCART: Megalogic, used by Grundig; Easy Link from Philips; SmartLink from Sony. True, their use is limited to communication between a TV and a VCR from these companies.

By the way, the standard provides for four types of SCART cables: type U - universal, providing all connections, V - without audio signals, C - without RGB signals, A - without video signals and RGB. Unfortunately, modern component modes (Y, Cb/Pb, Cr/Pr) are not supported in the SCART standard. However, some manufacturers of DVD players and large format TVs build in the ability to transmit via SCART and a component video signal, which is transmitted through the pins used in the standard for the RGB signal (however, this possibility is practically no different from connecting via RGB).

Composite or S-Video sources are available for connection to SCART. various adapters. Many of them are universal (bidirectional) with an input-output switch.

There are also simple unidirectional adapters, adapters for connecting mono or stereo audio, and jacks for switching control. In the case when you need to connect two devices at once, you can use a SCART splitter for two or three directions. Those who are not satisfied or for whom the proposed options are not available can make their own in accordance with the pin assignments in SCART given in Table. 2.

The pin numbering is usually indicated on the connector:

Of course, computers do not use a SCART connector, however, knowing its specifications, you can always make an appropriate adapter to use an analog computer monitor as a receiver of a video signal from a tape recorder or, conversely, to supply a video signal from a computer to a TV equipped with a SCART connector.

For example, in order to input or output a composite signal from a SCART connector, you need to take a coaxial cable with a characteristic impedance of 75 Ohms and distribute the outer braid (ground) and the inner core (composite signal) on the SCART connector.

Outputting a video signal from a computer to a TV (TV-OUT):

• the composite signal is supplied to pin 20 of the SCART connector;

To input a video signal from a VCR to a computer (TV-IN):

• composite signal - to pin 19 of the SCART connector;
• “ground” - to the 17th pin of the SCART connector.

The correspondence of contacts when making an adapter for S-Video is also indicated in table. 2.

Outputting a video signal from a computer to a TV via S-Video (TV-OUT):

• 3rd pin S-Video - 20th pin SCART;

Inputting a video signal from a VCR to a computer via S-Video (TV-IN):

• 1st S-Video pin - 17th SCART pin;
• 2nd pin S-Video - 13th pin SCART;
• 3rd pin S-Video - 19th pin SCART;
• 4th S-Video pin - 15th SCART pin.

To connect a computer to a TV via RGB, the computer must output an RGB signal in a form that the TV can understand. Sometimes the RGB signal is supplied through a dedicated 7-, 8-, or 9-pin combo video output. In this case, the video card settings should be able to switch the video output to RGB mode. If the video output on the video card has seven pins (this plug is called a mini-DIN 7-pin), then in normal mode the S-Video signal is supplied to exactly the same pins as in a regular four-pin S-Video connector. And in RGB mode, signals can be distributed across the contacts in different ways depending on the video card manufacturer.

As an example, we can give the correspondence of the contacts of one of these 7-pin connectors with SCART (this wiring is used on some video cards based on the NVIDIA chip, but it may be different on your video card):

• 1st contact mini-DIN 7-pin (GND, ground) - 17th SCART contact;
• 2nd contact mini-DIN 7-pin (Green) - 11th SCART contact;
• 3rd contact mini-DIN 7-pin (Sync, sweep) - 20th SCART contact;
• 4th contact mini-DIN 7-pin (Blue) - 7th contact SCART;
• 5th contact mini-DIN 7-pin (GND, ground) - 17th SCART contact;
• 6th contact mini-DIN 7-pin (Red) - 15th SCART contact;
• 7th pin mini-DIN 7-pin (+3 V RGB mode control) - 16th pin SCART.

For any types of adapters, you must use high-quality cables with a resistance of 75 Ohms.

There is no video connector on the graphics card

If your video card does not have a TV output, then, in principle, the TV can be connected to a regular VGA connector. However, in this case you will need electrical diagram signal matching (in general case, however, it is not difficult). There are special devices on the market that convert a regular computer VGA signal into RGB and into a scan (sync) signal for a TV. Such a device is connected to a VGA cable between the computer and the monitor and duplicates the signal that goes through the VGA output.

In principle, such a device can be made independently. The correspondence between VGA and SCART signals will be as follows:

• VGA SCART PIN SCART Description;
• VGA RED - on the 15th SCART pin;
• VGA GREEN - on the 11th SCART pin;
• VGA BLUE - to the 7th SCART pin;
• VGA RGB GROUND - on the 13th, or 9th, or 5th SCART pin;
• VGA HSYNC & VSYNC - on the 16th and 20th SCART pins.

You will also need to apply +1-3V to the 16th SCART pin and 12V to the 8th SCART pin to switch to AV mode with an aspect ratio of 4:3.

However, a direct connection most likely will not work and you will have to make a wiring diagram for synchronization, as shown at http://www.tkk.fi/Misc/Electronics/circuits/vga2tv/circuit.html or http://www.e.kth .se/~pontusf/index2.html .

I am glad to have new communication with my readers and today we will talk about the good old RCA connector. For some, it will be nostalgia for the first experience of using audio-video equipment. Well, I’ll tell the younger generation what this unprecedented curiosity is that is still found on some devices.

To begin with, according to tradition, a short excursion into the history of radio electronics.

Back in 1940, it became necessary to connect phonographs to amplifiers, and the still well-known company Radio Corporation of America (RCA) proposed using a connector in the form of a shielded axial contact. Which later inherited the same name and gained enormous popularity.

By the way, the principle itself, when one of the contacts acts as an external protection, received further development and is successfully used in more modern connectors.

Subject of conversation

Now let's take a closer look at the RCA connector and figure out what it is. First, let's pay attention to the element that is inserted (therefore called “male”) and placed on the cable itself. Since a two-core wire is used, the connector accordingly consists of 2 contacts. The first (main) is a pin 15 mm long and 3.2 mm in diameter with a rounded head (for easy fit into the socket).

It is located inside a cylindrical screen contact with a diameter of 8 mm, and protrudes from it by 9 mm. The nest, called, respectively, “mother”, is made in the form of a sleeve. Its outer part is a screen contact, and inside there is a hole for the pin to enter.

In both halves of the connector, the space between the central and outer contacts is filled with dielectric material. In inexpensive models, ordinary plastic (polyethylene) is used for this purpose, and in more expensive variations, textolite washers are used. Well, in the most trump version - Teflon or ceramics.

We have figured out the physics of the process. Let's move on to the lyrical-floral part of our review. This is not just a literary phrase, but an allusion to the second name of the RCA connector, which is commonly called a tulip. A very accurate figurative hit since three connectors are usually used: one for the video signal, the other two for stereo sound. To differentiate them, the plastic shell of each connector has its own strictly defined color:

• Yellow – video;
• Red – right audio channel;
• White – left audio channel;

Take the cable in your hand, at the end of which there are 3 RCA plugs. Doesn't it really look like a bouquet of tulips?

Until now, no one has argued with this.

For sound 2 and for video 1 plug

You can ask a logical question. How is it possible that there are already 2 connectors for audio, but only one for technologically more complex video?

The fact is that a composite signal passes through the “yellow tulip”, combining all the information:

• Brightness;
• Chroma;
• Extinguishing;
• Line, frame and color synchronization;

But there are also blue and green “tulips”. These are already component plugs for transmitting individual color video streams.

Popularity breeds excellence

Since we've gotten into such complex technical details, it's time to talk about the technical aspects of using an RCA connector.

Its main purpose is the transmission of analog audio-video signals. And he coped with this task brilliantly until the appearance digital standards. At one time, tulips were the only way to connect televisions to VCRs or DVD players.

The convenient connection was actively used in audio equipment and amplifiers. Manufacturers computer hardware They even made such outputs on a sound card.

And the craftsmen performed special RCA wiring to connect TVs as a monitor to a PC.

Over time, many industrial cables and adapters have appeared that allow you to connect TV to more modern gadgets. For example, using an RCA-mini jack cable it was possible to output content from some smartphones.

Nowadays, the RCA connector can also be found on modern TVs or projectors designed for connection with some video playback devices. However, on screens with a maximum resolution of 4K and higher, transmitting an analog signal via RCA seems pointless. Why?

Yes, because a regular composite (rca) can output maximum Full HD.

And therefore, manufacturers are abandoning it in favor of more modern information transfer standards.

As you understand, my dear readers, the era of RCA connectors is ending. But it is still necessary to pay tribute to them. I hope that you will have more modern technology at your disposal. And the one with tulips will simply remind you of the rapid progress of technology.

At this point I say goodbye and promise that we will continue talking about different connectors.

See you soon.