How audio-video cables are better than coaxial?

Question

Let's say you (still) have a VCR. Are audio-video cables (yellow, white and red) better than coaxial (the ones you use to watch videos on channel 3)? If yes, how?
I know that s-video cables are better and component cables are the best.
I've been asking me myself that question for a long time.

What about connecting a VCR to a (digital) cable box. Are A/V cables better than coaxial cables or there's no difference.

Answer 1

The difference is in the separation of a modulated TV signal.

RF signals or coax are not decoded or separated at all it contains the audio information, luminance and croma information all on one cable, (FYI most VCRs only modulate mono sound video is limited to around 350i 60Hz).

Composite cables are a step better in that they separate the video and audio from each other. The best performance is limited to 480i.

S-Video is really two connections in one it separates the video into luminance and croma information separately hence the four pin 2 for lum 2 for croma. best perfomance is 540i

Component Video is the best ANALOG video cable( note first capable of progressive resolutions:

It separates the Luminance from two other signals. The signal is really one for green croma and luminance, one for red croma, one for blue croma. Best performance is 720p 1080i
(FYI some electronics stores say HDMI or DVI are better, it depends on where you want video processed and how good the cables are! The TV will have to have a decoded signal sometime)

HDMI: A truly digital transmission cable. It relays undecoded video signal to the destination device

DVI : Almost a carbon copy video only.but HDMI is emerging as a leader in support.


Always get good quality cables they should cost 10-20% of your total system.

Answer 2

From a quality perspective, yes. There are several reasons, including the fact that AV cables carry video and audio in three separately shielded cables, as opposed to a bundle.

However, for a VCR, you're not likely to see enough of a difference to fret over it. If you already have a coax setup, stick with it.

Answer 3

Yes, better. This is because the coaxial cable carries sound and all picture elements together, and the TV must sort them out. After mixing and modulating, and then demodulating and sorting out, quality is lost.

The A/V cables carry sound (L & R) on two of the plugs, and carry COMPPOSITE video on the other one. (yellow)

COMPOSITE VIDEO? you ask? This is where the color and brightness information are mixed together in that yellow cable, and then must be sorted out at the TV.

Here is where the S cable comes in. It carries the color and luminance (brightness) channels separately, on indivual conductors, so again less sorting out for the TV to do.

Answer 4

Yes they are better because you are going directly into the TV's video and audio circuits with a signal. When you use the coax you are going through the tuner and the signal has to be heterodyned and discriminated to be converted from RF to audio and video which adds a certain amount of noise to the signal.