A/V Cable Guide for Video Game Consoles

With the rapid advances in their graphics and audio capabilities, video game consoles have become similar to pieces of home theater equipment. While in the past it was fine to hook the old Nintendo and Sega consoles into the TV and forget about it, today's high performance TVs and audio systems demand quality cables in order to maximize their capabilities.

Check the back of your TV for the inputs to the following cables:

RF Cables (poor)

The ‘last resort’ connection when no other option is available. RF is the standard cable TV connection. While it gets you cable TV channels, it is terrible for video game consoles. The picture and sound signals are all lumped together in a single signal, causing heavy signal ‘traffic’, in other words, fuzziness on your screen and in your game sound. Also, RF cables support only mono sound, not stereo. RF’s only advantage is that it is compatible with even the oldest of TVs. It is a good idea to keep an RF cable handy if you plan on bringing your game console with you on a vacation. Many condominiums and rental houses have old TVs that will only accept RF connections, so keep a backup RF cable along with your higher quality cables.

Composite Cables (good)

Sometimes referred to as ‘RCA’ cables, composite cables are the standard cables included with all of the game consoles. They are definitely of higher quality than RF cables, however, they are far below the superior connections. The video is a little fuzzy, still, but the audio is in stereo sound, unlike RF. Most middle-age TVs support composite connections.

S-Video Cables (great)

S-Video is the first step into the realm of high quality video. The picture quality is infinitely cleaner and sharper than RF and Composite. Image artifacts (such as the crawling red dot effect) that plague the inferior cables are nowhere to be found on S-Video. S-Video is included on fairly recent, middle-to-large sized TVs.

Component Cables (excellent)

Component is the high end cable for the home theater buff. Each channel of color is separated from each other, eliminating interference between the signals, providing a vibrant, clear, clean picture. The difference between Component and S-Video is not as drastic as the difference between S-Video and RF/Composite, but if your TV supports Component, it is the best choice for your game console. In addition, Component supports progressive scan output for even greater picture quality. Most GameCube and Xbox games support progressive scan, and the feature is being added to the latest round of Playstation 2 titles. Your TV must support progressive scan to use the feature, but Component cables will still provide excellent image quality with or without progressive scan from your TV.

Digital-Optical Audio Cable (for your receiver)

If you want to connect your game console to your home theater system, Digital-Optical is the best approach. Most Xbox games support Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and some Playstation 2 titles support DTS 5.1 surround sound. In addition to the surround sound, Digital-Optical cables provide crystal clear audio quality, a step above the standard white/red stereo cables.

Most of these cables are available at video game specialty stores and the video games section of department stores. Keep your eye out for gold-plated cables, for they provide a slight boost in quality. If you demand the utmost performance and longevity out of your game console’s A/V output, Monster Cable sells a line of cables for the Playstation 2 and Xbox. Monster Cable’s ‘Monster Game’ brand can be found at online retailers and Best Buy.