component composite video

Wig

Just sent this to Maplin Technical support

"Looking at composite video lead order code L10BA and component video lead L77BA
These products appear to be exactly the same in construction save the colour coding....
why is one twice the price of the other?
Are they interchangeable functionally on the TV equipment (ignoring of course the different colours)?"

One is 7 pounds the other is 15 pounds! same manufacturer, the only difference I can see is a slightly thicker cable. But the construction must be identical in other words each is essentially the same standard connector with a two core cable (or single core cable as the case may be)

moneyuser

because one is component and one is composite? Although they are different you probably wouldn't notice any difference in video quality.

Maplin are a rip off anyway!

jamesybravo

composite is 1 for video(yellow I'm sure) and 2 for audio(red & white)

component is 3 for video and you would need to purchase another audio jack for sound(red & white cable)

Hope this helps

magic_pants

Maybe one is better than the other!! Remember that composite is an analogue signal so better cable, better made should reduce interference/signal loss etc.. You get what you pay for!

Wig

I think you're all missing the point, the basic structure of the cables is identical (some posh ones have shielding - but ignoring the shielding the signals are still travelling along a wire between identical RCA plugs) So you can use them interchangeably, someone mentioned the red and white plugged audio cables, these too are identical in structure and could be used for a component or composite video lead, the only thing that would be different is the colour of the RCA plugs which is irrelevant because it is just coloured rubber and serves no purpose.

Now I accept that there are different qualities of leads and looking at the pictures of these leads the thicker ones would suggest a slightly better cable. but if one was to buy the cheap composite cable for 7 quid it would work as a component cable.

r-ingram

they may well be internally identical, but if you have the option for component connections I am guessing you have good quality hardware and I would want to get posh connectors - £15 is probably not going to be very good quality at all.

After a certain price point (you can spend £400!) any differences in picture quality will be invisible to most (and some suggest, they are imagined), but the difference between budget and reasonably posh may be much more apparent.

It is possible to spend very silly money, but Mark Grant makes them himself (to your exact spec if you require) from the very best materials. I have had various custom cables made up and they are superb. I have no connection (pun ???) with him other than as a happy customer.

(this is actually a money saving tip as I believe cables of this quality generally cost three figure sums).