A/V Connectors & Cables

Chasis Mount Connector A connector that is built into a piece of equipment

Cable End Connector A connector on the end of a cable

Adapters A device that changes the type, or connector end, of an existing connector

Plug A connector (male) with one or more pins that fits into the hole(s) of a jack

Jack A connector (female) with one or more holes that receives the pin(s) of a plug

Mini Connector A consumer connector 1/8 in diameter and single pronged.

Rca Connector Also called a phono connector Consumer A/V connector characterized by colors: yellow (video), red (audio right), and white (audio left).

Bnc Connector Professional video connector where the male and female ends lock together

S-Video Connectors Multi pronged cables that carry analog video signals used to connect VHS/DVD players to a TV set.

xlr Typically a 3 wire audio connector used for balanced audio cables.

Balanced Line A three wire mic cable (2 audio, 1 ground) that minimizes electrical interference.

Unbalanced Line A two wire mic cable (1 audio, 1 ground) that is subject to electrical interference

Phone Connector A ¼ connector commonly used to route audio signals.

USB Cable Cable commonly used to connect devices & accessories to a computer.

Firewire Cable Cable commonly used to connect digital devices & external hard drives to a computer.

vga A common 15-pin video connector used for computers

dvi Usually a 29-pin video connector used for computers

hdmi Cable that provides both audio & video transmission through a single cable