Video Cables vs Video Quality - Which cable is best?
To determine which cable will provide the best video quality you first need to determine the source of your video content and its resolution format. You will then determine the video resolution capabilities of your video hardware and display. Once your source resolution and hardware capabilities are known it will be easy to determine which cable will deliver maximum resolution.
VIDEO SOURCES:
The source of your video content is a vital factor in determining video display quality. Higher quality video content sources will offer the potential for higher resolutions. Below is a list of video sources ranked from lowest to highest resolution:
1. Broadcast TV, Cable TV, Satellite TV, VHS Tapes - Capable of SDTV at 480i.
2. DVDs - Capable of SDTV at 480i or EDTV at 480p.
3. HD Digital Cable, HD Digital Satellite - Capable of SDTV at 480i, EDTV at 480p, HDTV at 720p or 1080i.
4. Blu-Ray & HD-DVD Discs - Capable of SDTV at 480i, EDTV at 480p, HDTV at 720p, 1080i or 1080p.
VIDEO RESOLUTION:
In the home video, home movie and home theater environment there are generally three types of video resolutions: SDTV, EDTV and HDTV. Within HDTV there is 720p, 1080i, 768p (WXGA) and 1080p. Below is a list of video resolutions ranked from lowest to highest quality:
1. SDTV at 480i - LOWEST RESOLUTION
2. EDTV at 480p (widescreen capable)
3. HDTV at 720p (basically equal to 1080i)*
4. HDTV at 1080i (basically equal to 720p)*
5. HDTV at 768p (WXGA)
6. HDTV at 1080p - HIGHEST RESOLUTION
* Note: Progressive scan ("p") provides superior display quality over Interlaced ("i"), however 1080i has the potential to be upconverted (de-interlaced) to 1080p quality. (See our Cabling for Maximum HDTV Resolution article for details.)
VIDEO CABLES:
Generally, there are five different cable transmission options for connecting home video devices and home video displays. Below each option is listed with a description of its resolution transmission capabilities:
1. Composite Video (usually a single RCA connection) - Capable of SDTV at 480i. (To shop for component video cables click here.)
2. S-Video (usually a single 4-pin connection) - SDTV at 480i and EDTV at 480p (including widescreen). (To shop for component video cables click here.)
3. Component Video (usually three RCAs or BNCs, or a single 15-pin connection) - Capable of SDTV at 480i, EDTV at 480p, HDTV at 720p, 1080i & 1080p. (To shop for component video cables click here.)
4. RGB / RGBHV Video (usually five BNCs or a single 15-pin connection) - Capable of SDTV at 480i, EDTV at 480p, HDTV at 720p, 1080i & 1080p. (To shop for RGB & RGBHV video cables click here.)
5. Digital Video (includes HDMI, DVI, DFP, M1, EVC and P&D which can all be plugged into each other with the appropriate cable) - Capable of SDTV at 480i, EDTV at 480p, HDTV at 720p, 1080i & 1080p. (To shop for HDMI, DVI, M1, DFP video cables click here.)
The first four transmission types listed above are analog video formats which travel in the form of waves. Analog video has been around a long time and is the most common form of video transmission. However, digital video which travels in the form of 1s and 0s has been growing in popularity. It is assumed that digital video is superior to analog video, but this isn't exactly true. Both digital and analog video are capable of compression, conversion or transmission errors, and each has certain strengths and weaknesses in transmitting video signals accurately. Generally, in the case of video devices or displays, the quality of their transmission circuitry can vary greatly (and this is often why video displays that appear to be equal can very greatly in price). In the case of cables, the electrical specifications of the cable used and connector termination type and quality can have a great impact on video quality. (See our Comparing Video Cable Quality article for details.)
CONCLUSION:
As you can see above it is important to match up the resolution quality of your video source with the resolution capability of your video devices to determine your cabling options. Then all you need to do is choose a cable that matches the highest resolution that your video source and video devices have in common to enjoy maximum quality video. Also, keep in mind that SDTV content will still be SDTV on an HDTV, and HDTV content will become SDTV on an SDTV video display.
Enjoy the show!
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