# Is there a difference between a RCA Audio cable & RCA video cable?



## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

Is there a difference between a RCA Audio cable & RCA video cable? 

I'm installing some headrests with tv's & have a bunch of rca audio cables laying around & wondering if I need to purchase video cables or if I can use these audio cables.

Thanks


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

Yes. The color.


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## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

LOL. I knew that was coming. So no difference at all besides color?


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## Whiterabbit (May 26, 2006)

ill bet there are differences in the high end gear.

I know that different cable types will have different dielectric properties between the core and wire braid shield, as well as different wire materials (ofc, silver coated, etc.) Different cable types also have different resistance ratings. (you may have heard of 50 ohm cables versus 75 ohm cables. dont ask me what the length unit is or significant figures are for those resistances)

I also know that LCD monitors for the car are very small, and I know from personal experience that a standard audio RCA cable to hold a video signal for a car application is MORE than fine.


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## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

Sounds good to me. Thanks


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## crash813 (Aug 23, 2005)

On most of the cheaper 3-pair RCA's I have laying around the house, most of the video cables are thicker. I'm assuming more insulation to keep noise out of the video signal which would be more apparent to most users. Other than that, I've never seen a difference.


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## Jarick (Mar 20, 2006)

I'm of the opinion that they're all the same wire with different colors and that, so long as there's no excess noise and the shielding and connectors are solid, don't worry about it and enjoy the movie  

It probably depends more on the input and output impedances, which are more the quality of the units. But A/V equipment is somewhat standard in those regards so most any cable will work fine. I just care about quality and reliability of the cable, not the signal.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

For short runs (cheapo cables) you are fine with standard audio wire. For longer runs it's important to use a good quality 75 Ohm coax with as high of shield percentage you can find. I am running up to 200' of 75 Ohm coax at work with no ill effects with only slight amplification (buffer) at the sending end.

Chad


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## ocuriel (Oct 7, 2005)

cool. thanks.


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