Illustrated cable advice

Projector cable guide

Why cable quality matters

Many customers shy away from investing in high-quality cables – in our view, a huge mistake. Because cable quality is visible.
For this we need a short excursion into physics. Don't worry, we will keep it brief. In physical terms, every cable is a low-pass filter. This means that low frequencies (areas without structure) can pass through the cable, whereas high frequencies (details) are blocked. Which image information passes through the cable is indicated by the cut-off frequency.

This depends on the length of the cable and its construction. Together, these determine the capacitance. The higher the capacitance, the lower the cut-off frequency (low cut-off frequency = no image detail). Good cable quality is therefore all the more necessary the longer the cable is and the more detail is to be transmitted. Please do not skimp on cables – poor ones reduce the image quality of your projector.

Cable and connector types at a glance

Picture transmission
Plug	Socket	Graphic	Name
			DVI / DVI-I / DVI-D (Digital Visual Interface) comparable to HDMI. However, no audio signals (irrelevant for projectors) are transmitted, and HDCP is not necessarily supported. DVI and HDMI can be connected via mechanical adapters.
			YUV / Y Pb Pr / component video also called a component signal, outputs picture signals in the format in which they are stored on the DVD: separated into brightness (Y) and the two colour difference signals red-green (U) and blue-green (V). Transmission quality is very high. HD transmission is possible if the signal is not encrypted.
			S-Video / Y/C Y stands for luminance = black/white and C stands for chrominance = colour signals. With this cable, luminance and colour information are transmitted over two separate wires. The S-Video cable has a 4-pin DIN plug at each end, the so-called Hosiden plug. Compared with the composite signal, the signal offers better resolution and less colour flicker.
			Composite video (CVBS) / video transmits analogue picture signals, for example between portable video players and TVs, moderate picture quality, adapters to SCART available (work with all SCART connections). Not suitable for transmitting HD content. Should only be used if the devices in use have no digital inputs or outputs.
			VGA transmits analogue picture signals, for example between computers and monitors, moderate to very good picture quality; TVs and video projectors with VGA often only support a low resolution (640 x 480)
Sound transmission
Plug	Socket	Graphic	Name
			Digital home cinema sound / coaxial audio socket / S/PDIF transmits digital audio signals, for example between a DVD player and AV receiver, very good sound quality, transmits stereo and home cinema sound (Dolby Digital, DTS), adapters to jack plugs available (for portable devices and computers)
			Digital home cinema sound / optical audio socket / S/PDIF transmits digital audio, for example between satellite and AV receivers, very good sound quality, transmits stereo and home cinema sound (Dolby Digital, DTS), prevents hum interference, adapters to optical mini jack plugs available (picture below, for portable devices)
			Home cinema sound / analogue home cinema sound / 5.1 sound transmits analogue audio signals, for example between a DVD player and AV receiver, very good sound quality, but with six plugs per side often impractical due to limited functionality on the AV receiver
			Stereo sound / analogue stereo sound / RCA (phono) transmits analogue audio signals, for example between a CD player or TV and a stereo amplifier, very good sound quality, adapters to jack plugs (3.5 mm) available for portable devices
			Speakers terminals without a binding standard; cables with bare ("stripped") ends are common, cables with plugs ("banana plugs") are more practical; banana-compatible terminals are often closed with easily removable plastic plugs
			Headphones / stereo sound the small version (3.5 mm diameter) is more widespread than the large one (6.3 mm); adapters for large plugs in small sockets and vice versa are available; on portable devices often also usable as an output for a stereo system; the socket is also common as a stereo input, for example on TVs
Picture and sound transmission
Plug	Socket	Graphic	Name
			HDMI(High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is an interface developed from mid-2003 for the fully digital transmission of audio and video. It always supports HDCP. The current version is 1.4. For home cinema projectors, the different versions can be disregarded.
			SCART / Euro-AV transmits analogue picture and sound signals, for example between a DVD player and TV, good picture with RGB and S-Video transmission, moderate composite video transmission also possible, stereo sound, adapters to S-Video and composite video available, the cable should be "fully wired" with 21 pins
Aerial connections
Plug	Socket	Graphic	Name
			Satellite dish connection to the satellite socket, usually with a screw-on outer sleeve; each satellite cable can only transmit one TV channel package (bouquet) at a time (two satellite connections are therefore required for a full channel selection with two satellite receivers)
			Aerial (TV, DVB-T) connection to the cable socket, the building aerial or an indoor aerial; the illustrations show the device side; with the ends reversed, the cable can be used for radios (see below)
			Aerial (FM radio, DAB) connection to the cable socket, the building aerial or an indoor aerial; the illustrations show the device side; with the ends reversed, the cable can be used for TVs (see above)
Data transmission
Plug	Socket	Graphic	Name
			USB connects, for example, computers (flat connector) and digital cameras, MP3 players (both usually mini USB or special connectors), satellite receivers, hard drives and printers (both usually a square connector)
			Network / LAN / Ethernet / RJ-45 connects, for example, computers to network hubs (routers), DSL modems, audio and video network devices (streaming clients) and satellite receivers; setting up network connections usually requires some computer knowledge
			FireWire / i.LINK / DV / IEEE 1394 connects, for example, camcorders (small connector) and computers or DVD recorders; on some camcorders it only works for playback and not for recording, otherwise usually in both directions.
			RS-232 / serial interface connection on AV receivers and satellite receivers for software updates or configuration from a computer.