Make the Connection

The hardest part of setting up your home for a complete digital entertainment experience is the wiring/cabling or whatever you call it. Figuring out the types of cables, wires provided, the myriad number of connections in your Digital entertainment components is enough to make you take that fateful decision to go and become a monk in the Himalayas. Come on, admit it, you are afraid as I am.

You fear that chaotic nest of wires behind your home entertainment system, you get nightmares of a slithering mass of wires and cables reaching out to you. Yes, I've been there. Not to worry, PopCola is here.

For both the newcomer and the old hand alike, connecting equipment in the most efficient and effective manner can be a painful chore. The following information will improve your background knowledge concerning potential A/V system connection schemes and where each is most appropriate. The next time you find yourself in a "connectivity quandary" perhaps the ideas shared here will help you to quickly solve the riddle of which wire goes where and why!

There's more after the turn...
Here's a rundown of all those wires, cables and connectors.

Audio Cables
Audio cables in home theaters take the form of either analog or digital interconnects.

Analog Audio:

• RCA Connectors
• BNC Bayonet-Style Connection
• XLR Audio Connection

Digital Audio:

• AES/EBU Digital Audio
• SPDIF Digital Connectors
• Toshiba Link, or TOSLINK

Video Cables
Video Cables are available as either analog or digital interconnects, with the majority of analog video interconnects being based on the same type of RCA or BNC connectors found in home theater sound systems.

Analog Video:

• Coaxial RF Cable
• Composite Video
• S-Video
• Component Video
• RGB Video and the SCART A/V Connector

Digital Video:

• i.LINK
• DVI
• HDMI

There are many more types of connectors for both audio and video, but the list featured above is more then enough for most people.



















Practical Home Theater Guide has a more detailed guide for selecting AV cables and Connectors for setting up your Home Theater. Do Click here for the Guide.

With the vast selection of options available, choosing the right cables and connectors will be downright confusing for the beginner. Familiarity with the options available on contemporary components will allow you to make an informed decision and, when all is said and done, end up with a home theater or music system that provides the level of performance and convenience you envisioned.

Important: The Cables & Interconnects that are shipped with the components are not always the best choice. Sometimes replacing them with the optimum choice will result in substantial improvement in system performance.