RCA - Red, yellow, and white circular ports. These are most frequently seen on VCRs, DVD players, and older consoles. HDMI - A flat, wide input used for high-definition appliances. Your TV may have more than one of these. S-video - A circular piece of plastic with several small holes in it. This input is ideal for getting optimal quality for older technology, such as VCRs or old DVD players. S-video doesn’t carry sound, so you’ll need the red and white cables from the RCA cable set if you’re hooking up a DVD player or VCR.
DVD player - Usually RCA, s-video, and/or HDMI. VCR - RCA and/or s-video. Cable box - HDMI, though some old cable boxes have RCA outputs.
If your TV only has one HDMI input, you’ll probably want to connect the cable box to it and use a different cable type for the DVD player. If you have a receiver that hooks up to your TV’s HDMI input, you may be able to connect both the DVD player and the cable box to the receiver via HDMI.
DVD player - Ideally, you’ll use HDMI if it’s available. If not, use RCA cables or s-video cables. Since your DVDs will be higher-quality than your VHS tapes, use s-video here instead of for the VCR if necessary. VCR - You’ll want to use either RCA cables or s-video cables for your VCR. This will usually depend on what you’re using for your DVD player. Cable box - You’ll need an HDMI cable to attach the cable box to the TV, as well as a coaxial cable to connect the box to the cable service.
If you’re buying an s-video cable, make sure that you buy the right one. When buying cables, don’t worry about getting the most expensive one that you can find. Good HDMI or s-video cables shouldn’t run you more than $15 to $20 depending on where you shop (online is typically the cheapest).
If you’re using an s-video cable for your DVD player, you’ll also need the red and white RCA cables.
If you’re using an s-video cable, you’ll also need to plug the red and white RCA cables into the red and white ports on the back of the DVD player.
If you use a receiver for your TV, you may be able to use your receiver’s inputs instead of your TV’s.
If you aren’t using s-video cables, make sure that the yellow RCA cable is also attached to the VCR.
If you use a receiver for your TV, you may be able to use your receiver’s inputs instead of your TV’s.
If the DVD player’s cable is detached from the player itself, you’ll need to attach the cable to the back of the DVD player as well.
If the coaxial output is elsewhere in the room, you may need to get a longer coaxial cable and run it the length of the room.
If you use a receiver for your TV, you may be able to use your receiver’s HDMI input instead of your TV’s.
