Audio and video interfaces and connectors
Encyclopedia
The existence of many different audio and video standards necessitates the definition of hardware interfaces, which define the physical characteristics of the connections between electrical equipment. This includes the types and numbers of wires required along with the strength and frequency of the signal. It also includes the physical design of the plugs and sockets.
An interface may define a connector that is used only by that interface (e.g., DVI
) or may define a connector that is also used by another interface; for example, RCA connectors are defined both by the composite video
and component video
interfaces.
(also known as the PC 97, PC 98, PC 99, or PC 2001 specification) is a series of hardware design requirements and recommendations for IBM PC compatible personal computers, compiled by Microsoft and Intel Corporation during 1997–2001.
PC 99 introduced a color code for the various standard types of plugs and connectors used on PCs.
The color code for audio plugs follow:
).
Note that there are no differences in the signals transmitted over optical or coaxial S/PDIF
connectors—both carry exactly the same information. Selection of one over the other rests mainly on the availability of appropriate connectors on the chosen equipment and the preference and convenience of the user. Connections longer than 6 meters or so, or those requiring tight bends, should use coaxial cable, since the high light signal attenuation of TOSLINK
cables limits its effective range.
A TRS connector (tip, ring, sleeve) also called an audio jack, phone plug, jack plug, stereo plug, mini-jack, or mini-stereo.
Note: In the USA, the connectors illustrated are never called "jacks", but in other languages and countries they might well be, apparently using "jack" as a short form of "jack plug". The sockets that these plugs mate with are called "jacks" in the USA.
For special applications, plugs with two ring contacts have been made in both 3.5 mm and 6.3 mm sizes.
A DIN connector
is a connector that was originally standardized by the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN).
The BNC
(Bayonet Neill Concelman) connector is a very common type of RF connector used for terminating coaxial cable.
TOSLINK
or Optical Cable is a standardized optical fiber connection system.
The XLR connector
is an electrical connector design. XLR plugs and sockets are used mostly in professional audio and video electronics cabling applications.
The Mini-DIN
connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN
is similar to the larger, older DIN connector
. Both are standards of the Deutsches Institut für Normung, the German standards body.
D-subminiature
or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector used particularly in computers. Calling them "subminiature" was appropriate when they were first introduced, but today they are among the largest common connectors used in computers.
Video In Video Out
, usually seen as the acronym VIVO (commonly pronounced vee-voh), is a graphics card port
which enables some video card
s to have bidirectional
(input and output) video transfer through a Mini-DIN
, usually of the 9-pin variety, and a specialised splitter cable (which can sometimes also transfer sound).
VIVO is found predominantly on high-end ATI
video cards, although a few high-end NVIDIA
video cards also have this port. VIVO on these graphics cards typically supports Composite
, S-Video
, and Component
as outputs, and composite and S-Video as inputs. Many other video cards only support component and/or S-Video outputs to complement Video Graphics Array
or DVI
, typically using a component breakout cable and an S-Video cable.
The Digital Visual Interface
(DVI) is a video interface standard designed to maximize the visual quality of digital display devices such as flat panel LCD computer displays and digital projectors. It is designed for carrying uncompressed digital video data to a display.
There are four basic connectors:
The connector also includes provision for a second data link for high resolution displays, though many devices do not implement this. In those that do, the connector is sometimes referred to as DVI-DL (dual link).
So we need to know two things about the connector:
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
(HDMI) is a compact audio/video standard for transmitting uncompressed digital data.
There are three HDMI connector types. Type A and Type B were defined by the HDMI 1.0 specification. Type C was defined by the HDMI 1.3 specification.
Type A is electrically compatible with single link DVI-D. Type B is electrically compatible with dual link DVI-D but has not yet been used in any products.
DisplayPort
is a digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1a approved on January 11, 2008). It defines a new license-free, royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system.
The video signal is not compatible with DVI
or HDMI
, but a DisplayPort connector can pass these signals through. DisplayPort is a competitor to the HDMI connector, the de facto
digital connection for high-definition consumer electronics devices.
IEEE 1394 FireWire
is a digital data transfer protocol commonly used for digital cameras
(common on MiniDV tape camcorders), but also used for computer data and audio data transfers. In the United States, cable TV converter set top boxes
by law also have the connection for transferring content directly to a TV (if equipped with a port) or computer for viewing. 1394 can also use coaxial cable as a medium for longer runs.
Unlike Point-to-Point connections listed above, IEEE 1394 is able to host several signals on the same wire, with the data delivered and shown on the destination set. It is also fully bi-directional, with its full bandwidth used in one direction or the other, or split directions up to its maximum.
An interface may define a connector that is used only by that interface (e.g., DVI
Digital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
) or may define a connector that is also used by another interface; for example, RCA connectors are defined both by the composite video
Composite video
Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal...
and component video
Component video
Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals...
interfaces.
Interfaces and their connectors
| Interface | Connectors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio or Video | Digital or Analog | Description | |
| Audio Only | Analog | PC System Design Guide PC System Design Guide The PC System Design Guide is a series of hardware design requirements and recommendations for IBM PC compatible personal computers, compiled by Microsoft and Intel Corporation during 1997–2001... . Audio Color Coding |
3.5 mm TRS |
| Digital | S/PDIF S/PDIF S/PDIF is a digital audio interconnect used in consumer audio equipment over relatively short distances. The signal is transmitted over either a coaxial cable with RCA connectors or a fiber optic cable with TOSLINK connectors. S/PDIF interconnects components in home theaters and other digital high... (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format). Via Coaxial or Optical cables. |
RCA Jack (Coaxial), TOSLINK TOSLINK TOSLINK is a standardized optical fiber connection system. Also known generically as an "optical audio cable," its most common use is in consumer audio equipment , where it carries a digital audio stream from components such as MiniDisc, CD and DVD players, DAT recorders, computers, and modern... (Optical), BNC BNC connector The BNC connector ' is a common type of RF connector used for coaxial cable. It is used with radio, television, and other radio-frequency electronic equipment, test instruments, video signals, and was once a popular computer network connector. BNC connectors are made to match the characteristic... (Rare) |
|
| Video Only | Analog | Video Graphics Array Video Graphics Array Video Graphics Array refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, but through its widespread adoption has also come to mean either an analog computer display standard, the 15-pin D-subminiature VGA connector or the 640×480 resolution... (VGA) |
D-subminiature D-subminiature The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smaller connectors used on computer systems.... 15 pin |
| Composite Composite video Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal... . Often designated by the CVBS acronym, meaning "Color, Video, Blank and Sync". |
RCA jack, normally yellow (often accompanied with red and white for right and left audio channels respectively) | ||
| S-Video S-Video Separate Video, more commonly known as S-Video and Y/C, is often referred to by JVC as both an S-VHS connector and as Super Video. It is an analog video transmission scheme, in which video information is encoded on two channels: luma and chroma... aka Separate Video. Carries standard definition video and does not carry audio on the same cable. |
Mini-DIN Mini-DIN connector The mini-DIN connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN is similar to the larger, older DIN connector... 4 Pin |
||
| Component Component video Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals... . In popular use, it refers to a type of analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals. Either RGB Interfaces or YPbPr |
3 RCA Jacks | ||
| Composite Composite video Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal... , S-Video S-Video Separate Video, more commonly known as S-Video and Y/C, is often referred to by JVC as both an S-VHS connector and as Super Video. It is an analog video transmission scheme, in which video information is encoded on two channels: luma and chroma... , and Component Component video Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals... |
VIVO Video In Video Out Video In Video Out, usually seen as the acronym VIVO , is a graphics port which enables some video cards to have bidirectional analog video transfer through a mini-DIN connector, usually of the 9-pin variety, and a specialised splitter cable .VIVO is found on high-end ATI and NVIDIA... = Mini-DIN Mini-DIN connector The mini-DIN connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN is similar to the larger, older DIN connector... 9 Pin with breakout cable. |
||
| Digital And Analog | Digital Visual Interface Digital Visual Interface The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors... (DVI) |
DVI connector | |
| Video and Audio | Analog | SCART SCART SCART is a French-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual equipment together... (Peritel) |
SCART |
| Digital | High-Definition Multimedia Interface High-Definition Multimedia Interface HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA... (HDMI) |
HDMI connector | |
| DisplayPort DisplayPort DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard produced by the Video Electronics Standards Association . The specification defines a royalty-free digital interconnect for audio and video. The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor... |
DisplayPort connector | ||
| IEEE 1394 "FireWire" IEEE 1394 interface The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video, automotive, and aeronautics applications. The interface is also known by the brand... |
FireWire or i.LINK connectors | ||
PC System Design Guide Audio
The PC System Design GuidePC System Design Guide
The PC System Design Guide is a series of hardware design requirements and recommendations for IBM PC compatible personal computers, compiled by Microsoft and Intel Corporation during 1997–2001...
(also known as the PC 97, PC 98, PC 99, or PC 2001 specification) is a series of hardware design requirements and recommendations for IBM PC compatible personal computers, compiled by Microsoft and Intel Corporation during 1997–2001.
PC 99 introduced a color code for the various standard types of plugs and connectors used on PCs.
The color code for audio plugs follow:
| Orange TRS 3.5 mm | Output, subwoofer Subwoofer A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below... |
| Blue TRS 3.5 mm | Input, line level Line level Line level is a term used to denote the strength of an audio signal used to transmit analog sound between audio components such as CD and DVD players, TVs, audio amplifiers, and mixing consoles, and sometimes MP3 players.... |
| Pink TS 3.5 mm | microphone Microphone A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter... input |
| Lime TRS 3.5 mm | Output, front channels |
| Brown TRS 3.5 mm | Output, 'Right-to-left speaker' |
| Gold TRS 3.5 mm | MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other... /game |
S/PDIF
The electrical coaxial cable (with RCA jacks) or optical fibre (TOSLINKTOSLINK
TOSLINK is a standardized optical fiber connection system. Also known generically as an "optical audio cable," its most common use is in consumer audio equipment , where it carries a digital audio stream from components such as MiniDisc, CD and DVD players, DAT recorders, computers, and modern...
).
Note that there are no differences in the signals transmitted over optical or coaxial S/PDIF
S/PDIF
S/PDIF is a digital audio interconnect used in consumer audio equipment over relatively short distances. The signal is transmitted over either a coaxial cable with RCA connectors or a fiber optic cable with TOSLINK connectors. S/PDIF interconnects components in home theaters and other digital high...
connectors—both carry exactly the same information. Selection of one over the other rests mainly on the availability of appropriate connectors on the chosen equipment and the preference and convenience of the user. Connections longer than 6 meters or so, or those requiring tight bends, should use coaxial cable, since the high light signal attenuation of TOSLINK
TOSLINK
TOSLINK is a standardized optical fiber connection system. Also known generically as an "optical audio cable," its most common use is in consumer audio equipment , where it carries a digital audio stream from components such as MiniDisc, CD and DVD players, DAT recorders, computers, and modern...
cables limits its effective range.
TRS
Note: In the USA, the connectors illustrated are never called "jacks", but in other languages and countries they might well be, apparently using "jack" as a short form of "jack plug". The sockets that these plugs mate with are called "jacks" in the USA.
For special applications, plugs with two ring contacts have been made in both 3.5 mm and 6.3 mm sizes.
DIN
DIN connector
A DIN connector is a connector that was originally standardized by the , the German national standards organization. There are DIN standards for a large number of different connectors, therefore the term "DIN connector" alone does not unambiguously identify any particular type of connector unless...
is a connector that was originally standardized by the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN).
BNC
BNC connector
The BNC connector ' is a common type of RF connector used for coaxial cable. It is used with radio, television, and other radio-frequency electronic equipment, test instruments, video signals, and was once a popular computer network connector. BNC connectors are made to match the characteristic...
(Bayonet Neill Concelman) connector is a very common type of RF connector used for terminating coaxial cable.
TOSLINK
TOSLINK
TOSLINK is a standardized optical fiber connection system. Also known generically as an "optical audio cable," its most common use is in consumer audio equipment , where it carries a digital audio stream from components such as MiniDisc, CD and DVD players, DAT recorders, computers, and modern...
or Optical Cable is a standardized optical fiber connection system.
XLR
XLR connector
The XLR connector is a style of electrical connector, primarily found on professional audio, video, and stage lighting equipment. The connectors are circular in design and have between 3 and 7 pins...
is an electrical connector design. XLR plugs and sockets are used mostly in professional audio and video electronics cabling applications.
Mini-DIN
Mini-DIN connector
The mini-DIN connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN is similar to the larger, older DIN connector...
connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN
Mini-DIN connector
The mini-DIN connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN is similar to the larger, older DIN connector...
is similar to the larger, older DIN connector
DIN connector
A DIN connector is a connector that was originally standardized by the , the German national standards organization. There are DIN standards for a large number of different connectors, therefore the term "DIN connector" alone does not unambiguously identify any particular type of connector unless...
. Both are standards of the Deutsches Institut für Normung, the German standards body.
D-subminiature
D-subminiature
The D-subminiature or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector. They are named for their characteristic D-shaped metal shield. When they were introduced, D-subs were among the smaller connectors used on computer systems....
or D-sub is a common type of electrical connector used particularly in computers. Calling them "subminiature" was appropriate when they were first introduced, but today they are among the largest common connectors used in computers.
Video In Video Out
Video In Video Out
Video In Video Out
Video In Video Out, usually seen as the acronym VIVO , is a graphics port which enables some video cards to have bidirectional analog video transfer through a mini-DIN connector, usually of the 9-pin variety, and a specialised splitter cable .VIVO is found on high-end ATI and NVIDIA...
, usually seen as the acronym VIVO (commonly pronounced vee-voh), is a graphics card port
Computer port (hardware)
In computer hardware, a port serves as an interface between the computer and other computers or peripheral devices. Physically, a port is a specialized outlet on a piece of equipment to which a plug or cable connects...
which enables some video card
Video card
A video card, Graphics Card, or Graphics adapter is an expansion card which generates output images to a display. Most video cards offer various functions such as accelerated rendering of 3D scenes and 2D graphics, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors...
s to have bidirectional
Bidirectional
The term "bidirectional" may refer to:*Anything that can move in two directions*A roadway that carries traffic moving in opposite directions*A tram or train or any other vehicle that can be controlled from either end and can move forward or backward with equal ease without any need to be turned...
(input and output) video transfer through a Mini-DIN
Mini-DIN connector
The mini-DIN connectors are a family of multi-pin electrical connectors used in a variety of applications. Mini-DIN is similar to the larger, older DIN connector...
, usually of the 9-pin variety, and a specialised splitter cable (which can sometimes also transfer sound).
VIVO is found predominantly on high-end ATI
ATI Technologies
ATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
video cards, although a few high-end NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
video cards also have this port. VIVO on these graphics cards typically supports Composite
Composite video
Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal...
, S-Video
S-Video
Separate Video, more commonly known as S-Video and Y/C, is often referred to by JVC as both an S-VHS connector and as Super Video. It is an analog video transmission scheme, in which video information is encoded on two channels: luma and chroma...
, and Component
Component video
Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals...
as outputs, and composite and S-Video as inputs. Many other video cards only support component and/or S-Video outputs to complement Video Graphics Array
Video Graphics Array
Video Graphics Array refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, but through its widespread adoption has also come to mean either an analog computer display standard, the 15-pin D-subminiature VGA connector or the 640×480 resolution...
or DVI
Digital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
, typically using a component breakout cable and an S-Video cable.
DVI Connector
Digital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
(DVI) is a video interface standard designed to maximize the visual quality of digital display devices such as flat panel LCD computer displays and digital projectors. It is designed for carrying uncompressed digital video data to a display.
There are four basic connectors:
DVI-D (digital only)
DVI-A (analog only)
DVI-I (integrated, digital & analog)
M1-DA (integrated, digital, analog & USBUniversal Serial BusUSB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
)
The connector also includes provision for a second data link for high resolution displays, though many devices do not implement this. In those that do, the connector is sometimes referred to as DVI-DL (dual link).
So we need to know two things about the connector:
- Whether it carries analog, digital, or both; and
- For connectors that carry digital links, if it is single or dual link, and if it carries USB
RCA Jack
An RCA jack, also referred to as a phono connector or Cinch connector. These were first used inside pre-World-War-II radio-phonographs to connect the turntable pickup to the radio chassis. They were not intended to be disconnected and reconnected frequently, and their retaining friction was quite sufficient for their original purpose. Furthermore, the design of both cable and chassis connectors was for minimum cost.HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
(HDMI) is a compact audio/video standard for transmitting uncompressed digital data.
There are three HDMI connector types. Type A and Type B were defined by the HDMI 1.0 specification. Type C was defined by the HDMI 1.3 specification.
Type A is electrically compatible with single link DVI-D. Type B is electrically compatible with dual link DVI-D but has not yet been used in any products.
DisplayPort
DisplayPort
DisplayPort is a digital display interface standard produced by the Video Electronics Standards Association . The specification defines a royalty-free digital interconnect for audio and video. The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor...
is a digital display interface standard (approved May 2006, current version 1.1a approved on January 11, 2008). It defines a new license-free, royalty-free, digital audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system.
The video signal is not compatible with DVI
Digital Visual Interface
The Digital Visual Interface is a video interface standard covering the transmission of video between a source device and a display device. The DVI standard has achieved widespread acceptance in the PC industry, both in desktop PCs and monitors...
or HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting uncompressed digital data. It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA...
, but a DisplayPort connector can pass these signals through. DisplayPort is a competitor to the HDMI connector, the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
digital connection for high-definition consumer electronics devices.
IEEE 1394 "FireWire"
IEEE 1394 interface
The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial bus interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video, automotive, and aeronautics applications. The interface is also known by the brand...
is a digital data transfer protocol commonly used for digital cameras
FireWire camera
FireWire cameras use the IEEE 1394 bus standard for the transmission of audio, video and control data. FireWire is Apple Computer's trademark for the IEEE 1394 standard....
(common on MiniDV tape camcorders), but also used for computer data and audio data transfers. In the United States, cable TV converter set top boxes
Cable converter box
A cable converter box or television converter box is an electronic tuning device that transposes/converts any of the available channels from a cable television service to an analog RF signal on a single channel, usually VHF channel 3 or 4. The device allows a television set that is not “cable...
by law also have the connection for transferring content directly to a TV (if equipped with a port) or computer for viewing. 1394 can also use coaxial cable as a medium for longer runs.
Unlike Point-to-Point connections listed above, IEEE 1394 is able to host several signals on the same wire, with the data delivered and shown on the destination set. It is also fully bi-directional, with its full bandwidth used in one direction or the other, or split directions up to its maximum.
See also
- Audio and video connectorAudio and video connectorAudio connectors and video connectors are electrical connectors for carrying audio signal and video signal, of either analog or digital format. Analog A/V connectors often use Shielded cable to inhibit radio frequency interference and noise.- Audio only :Audio connectors are electrical...
- Computer port (hardware)Computer port (hardware)In computer hardware, a port serves as an interface between the computer and other computers or peripheral devices. Physically, a port is a specialized outlet on a piece of equipment to which a plug or cable connects...
- List of video connectors