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{{Short description|Electrical connector used for analog audio and video}}
{{Distinguish|Phone connector (audio)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox connector
|name               = RCA connector
|type               = [[RF coaxial connector]] 
|image              = [[Image:Composite-cables.jpg|250px]]
|logo               =
|caption            = RCA plugs for [[composite video]] (yellow) and [[stereo audio]] (white and red)
|designer           = [[Radio Corporation of America]]
|design_date        = 1930s
|manufacturer       =
|diameter           = {{convert|0.327|in|mm|abbr=on}}<br />{{convert|0.126|in|mm|abbr=on}} ''contact dia.''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cuidevices.com/product/resource/rcj-05x.pdf | title=RCJ Jack, Vertical, PCB Mount |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028130235/https://www.cuidevices.com/product/resource/rcj-05x.pdf |archive-date=28 October 2022 |url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cuidevices.com/product/resource/rcp-02x.pdf |title=RCA Plug, Modular, Plastic Handle |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028130234/https://www.cuidevices.com/product/resource/rcp-02x.pdf |archive-date=28 October 2022 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|width              =
|height             =
|electrical         =
|earth              =
|maximum_voltage    =
|maximum_current    =
|cable              = [[Coaxial cable|Coaxial]]
|passband           = Typically 0–100&nbsp;MHz
|physical_connector =
}}

The '''RCA connector'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cuidevices.com/catalog/interconnect/connectors/rca-connectors |title=RCA {{!}} Connectors {{!}} CUI Devices |website=CUI Devices}}</ref> is a type of [[electrical connector]] commonly used to carry analog audio and video signals.  The name refers to the popular name of [[Radio Corporation of America]], which introduced the design in the 1930s.<ref name="RCA-GT-1939"/>  Typically, the output is a [[Plug (connector)|plug]] type connector and the input a [[Jack (connector)|jack]] type connector. These are referred to as '''RCA plug''' and '''RCA jack''' respectively.

It is also called a '''phono connector''',<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Electronics/50s/1953/Radio-Electronics-1953-07.pdf |title=Music-Center Control Box |magazine=Radio-Electronics |date=July 1953 |pages=93{{ndash}}94}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Lafayette-Catalogs/Lafayette-1951-951A.pdf |title=Phono Tip Plug and Jack |magazine=Lafayette |publisher=Radio Wire Television Inc. |issue=951A |page=63 |date= 1951}}</ref><ref name="SC-440M"/> referring to its early use to connect a [[phonograph turntable]] to an [[AM radio]] receiver.<ref name="RCA-GT-1939"/> As [[Home audio|home audio systems]] became more complex, RCA cables became a standard way to connect components such as [[radio receiver]]s, [[amplifier]]s, turntables, [[tape deck]]s, and [[CD player|CD players]] (1980s). Their ubiquity led to them also being used for video: connecting [[AV receiver]]s, [[analog television]]s, [[videocassette recorder]]s, [[DVD player]]s, and [[game console]]s. They remain in use as a simple, widely supported means of connection.
In some European countries such as [[:fr:Connecteur_RCA|France]] and [[:de:Cinch|Germany]], the name ''cinch'' is still used as an [[antonomasia]] of the Chicago-based manufacturer Cinch,<ref>{{cite web |title=Cinch Cables |website=[[Teufel Audio]] |location=Berlin |url=https://lu.teufelaudio.com/accessories/all-cables/cinch-cables#:~:text=Where%20does%20the%20name%20cinch%20come%20from? |access-date=August 17, 2024 }}</ref> for such a connector and socket.

==History==
[[File:RCAradio45EMback.JPG|thumb|Rear panel of a 1939 RCA model 45EM [[vacuum tube]] desktop [[AM radio]] with a female RCA jack.<ref>{{cite web |title=1939 RCA Model 45EM AM Radio |url=https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_45em_45_em_ch_rc_435a_rc4.html |website=Radio Museum |access-date=January 5, 2021}}</ref> Tag reads "An inexpensive RCA Victor record player will make a fine [[Victrola]] of this radio. Plug here."]]
The following dates were derived from historical RCA documentation.

RCA introduced this connector by 1937, when it was used inside a RCA model U-109 [[AM radio|radio]]-[[phonograph]] and model R-97 phonograph. In the U-109, the internal amplifier chassis had female connectors that accepted male cables from the internal radio chassis and built-in phonograph player.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/ARCHIVE-RCA/RCA-Service/RCA-Victor-Service-Notes-1937.pdf |title=RCA Victor Service Notes for 1937 Broadcast Radio Receivers, All-Wave Radio Receivers, Phonograph Combination Instruments, and Miscellaneous Service Information |edition=1st |publisher=RCA Manufacturing Company |chapter=Model U-109: Sixteen-Tube, Three-Band, A-C, Radio-Phonograph |page=256}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/ARCHIVE-RCA/RCA-Service/RCA-Victor-Service-Notes-1937.pdf |title=RCA Victor Service Notes for 1937 Broadcast Radio Receivers, All-Wave Radio Receivers, Phonograph Combination Instruments, and Miscellaneous Service Information |edition=1st |publisher=RCA Manufacturing Company |chapter=Models R-96 and R-97: Three-Tube, A-C, Electric Phonographs |page=290}}</ref>  Originally, the concept was intended as an easy method to unhook sources while [[troubleshooting]] the console during servicing.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

By 1938,<ref name="RCA-GT-1939">{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Early-Radio-Assorted/RCA-Globetrotter-1939.pdf |title=Improved Electric Tuning For All Is Keystone of New RCA Victor Standard Line of Domestic Models |first1=Paul |last1=Richardson |magazine=RCA Globe Trotter |date=June 1938 |volume=2 |number=3 |page=15}}</ref> RCA had migrated the female connector to the rear panel of many of their desktop AM radio models to allow customers an easy method to attach an external phonograph or television at a later date.<ref name="SC-440M">{{Cite web |url=https://antiqueradio.org/StrombergCarlson440M.htm |title=Stromberg-Carlson Model 440M Console Radio (1939) |website=Phil's Old Radios}}</ref> The connector was labeled on the back of radio with one of the following terms: "[[Victrola]]", "[[Phonograph|Phono]]", "Pick-up", or "Television".<ref name="ET-EET"/><ref name="RCA-TT5-DS">{{cite web |url=https://www.earlytelevision.org/pdf/rca_tt5_dealer_sheet.pdf |title=RCA Victor Television Attachment Model TT-5 |type=Dealer sheet |date=1939}}</ref> RCA later marketed a special turntable for [[Gramophone record|45 RPM]] records, the model 9JY.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blueboyrecords.com/record-player/rca-45-rpm-9-jy-record-player-and-rca-tube-radio-6-xd-5 |title=RCA 45 RPM 9-JY Record Player and RCA Tube Radio 6-XD-5 |publisher=BlueBoy Records |access-date=2011-08-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910211432/http://www.blueboyrecords.com/record-player/rca-45-rpm-9-jy-record-player-and-rca-tube-radio-6-xd-5 |archive-date=2011-09-10 }}</ref>

In 1939, RCA introduced two radio-television floor consoles (TRK-9, TRK-12) which used the same internal connection concept but the audio output of the television chassis was connected to the radio/amplifier chassis via a male to male cable.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/ARCHIVE-RCA/RCA-Service/RCA-Service-Data-1938-1942-C.pdf |title=RCA Victor Service Data Volume II: 1938-1942: Radio Receivers, Phonographs, and Television |publisher=Radio Corporation of America, RCA Victor Division |edition=1st |date=1944 |chapter=Models TRK-9, TRK-12, TRK-90, and TRK-120: AC, Superheterodyne, High-Picture-Definition, Five-Television-Channel, Receiver and Three-Band, Electric Tuning, AC, Superheterodyne Broadcast Receiver |pages=261{{hyphen}}C, 275{{hyphen}}C}}</ref> Three lower-cost 1939 television models had an audio output connector on their rear panel instead of an integrated amplifier and speaker: RCA TT-5, Westinghouse WRT-700, GE HM-171.<ref name="ET-EET">{{Cite web |url=https://www.earlytelevision.org/wireless_tv_sound.html |title=Wireless TV Sound |website=Early Television Museum}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.earlytelevision.org/rca_tt-5.html |title=RCA TT-5 |website=Early Television Museum}}</ref>

In the 1950s, RCA connectors began to replace the older {{convert|1/4|in|mm|2}} [[Phone connector (audio)|phone connectors]] for many other applications in the consumer audio world when component [[high-fidelity]] systems started becoming popular during the transistor revolution.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}  Refinement of the RCA connectors came with later designs, although they remained compatible.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

In the 1980s, some computer monitors<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/zenith/monitor/585-033-1_ZVM-122_123_Video_Monitors_Service_Manual_1983.pdf | title=Video Monitors - Service Manual | website=www.bitsavers.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=AppleColor Composite Monitor Owners Guide | url=http://www.apple-iigs.info/doc/fichiers/AppleColorCompositeMonitorOwnersGuide.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515033711/http://www.apple-iigs.info:80/doc/fichiers/AppleColorCompositeMonitorOwnersGuide.pdf | archive-date=2013-05-15}}</ref> and TVs had a RCA jack for composite video input.<ref>Sony KV-1965 television</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/kv-2501/page/n6/mode/1up | title=Sony KX-2501 Service Manual }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/sonykv25xbrservicemanual | title=Sony KV-25XBR Service Manual }}</ref> These were typically high end TVs for the time, a notable example being the Sony ProFeel line.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Computers & Electronics | date=June 1983 | url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/80s/1983/CE-1983-06.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831064905/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/80s/1983/CE-1983-06.pdf | archive-date=2020-08-31}}</ref> While in theory this improved image quality by eliminating the need for an RF modulator, when connecting devices such as VCRs and computers, there was no guarantee for higher image quality.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOQDAAAAMBAJ&dq=video+input+monitor+vcr+1983&pg=PA82 | title=Popular Mechanics | date=February 1985 | publisher=Hearst Magazines }}</ref> Later, some televisions had RCA jacks for audio and video out<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/W000/W0006260M.pdf|title=Sony Trinitron color TV KV-2786R|website=www.sony.com}}</ref> or component video inputs.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Trinitron Color TV | url=https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/3860/38603712M.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205155532/https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/3860/38603712M.pdf | archive-date=2020-12-05}}</ref><ref>Pioneer Service Manual. LD DVD player DVL-909.</ref>

==Other uses==
[[File:Component video jack.jpg|thumb|RCA female jacks used for [[YPbPr]] [[component video]] output]]
[[File:Microsoft-Xbox-360-AV-Cables-Composite.jpg|thumb|Composite video cable with RCA male plugs for the [[Xbox 360]]]]

In the most normal use, cables have a standard plug on each end, consisting of a central [[male connector]], surrounded by a ring. The ring is often segmented to provide spring gripping pressure when mated. Devices mount the socket ([[Gender of connectors and fasteners|female jack]]), consisting of a central hole with a ring of metal around it. The ring on the jack is slightly smaller in diameter and longer than the ring on the plug, allowing the plug's ring to fit tightly over it. The jack has a small area between the outer and inner rings which is filled with an insulator, typically plastic (very early versions, or those made for use as [[RF connector]]s, used ceramic).

The RCA connector was initially used for [[audio signal]]s. As with many other connectors, it has been adopted for uses other than originally intended, including as a [[DC power connector]], an RF connector, and as a connector for [[loudspeaker]] cables. Its use as a connector for composite video signals is extremely common but provides poor [[impedance matching]]: there is neither a standard for plug impedance, nor is it feasible to provide a true match to 75&nbsp;Ω due to plug dimensions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=1&doc_id=1283456|last=Pell|first=Rich|title=The RCA phono plug: An outdated relic?|publisher=EETimes|date=April 21, 2010|access-date=March 8, 2017}}</ref> RCA connectors and cable are also commonly used to carry [[S/PDIF]]-formatted [[digital audio]], with plugs colored orange to differentiate them from other typical connections.

Connections are made by pushing the cable's plug into the female jack on the device. The signal-carrying pin protrudes from the plug, and often comes into contact with the socket before the grounded rings meet, resulting in loud hum or buzz if the audio components do not share a common ground and are powered while making connections. Continuous noise can occur if the plug partially falls out of the jack, breaking the ground connection but not the signal.  Some variants of the plug, especially cheaper versions, also give very poor grip and contact between the ground sheaths due to their lack of spring action.

They are often color-coded, yellow for [[composite video]], red for the right audio channel, and white or black for the left channel of [[stereo audio]]. This trio (or pair) of jacks can often be found on the back of audio and video equipment. One or more sets are often found on TV sets to facilitate connection of [[camcorder]]s, other portable video sources and [[video game console]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/12/how-to-connect-your-old-video-game-consoles-to-a-new-tv/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226082923/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/12/how-to-connect-your-old-video-game-consoles-to-a-new-tv/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 26, 2013|title=How To Connect Your Old Video Game Consoles To A New TV|author=Alan Henry|publisher=[[Kotaku]]|date=25 December 2013|access-date=27 November 2016}}</ref> Although nearly all connectors, including analog and S/PDIF audio as well as composite and [[component video]], can use identical 75&nbsp;Ω cables, sales of special-purpose cables for each use have proliferated. Varying cable quality means that a cheap line-level audio cable might not successfully transfer component video. For digital audio, as long as a connection is successfully made using the cables the sound will remain faithful to the original signal because a [[digital signal]] can only be [[Cliff effect|fully received or not received at all]]. Cables should meet the S/PDIF specification as defined by the international standard [[IEC 60958|IEC 60958-3]] for assured performance.

The male plug has a center pin that is {{convert|1/8|in|mm|3}} in diameter, and is surrounded by an outer shell that is {{convert|1/3|in|mm|2}} in diameter.<!-- OD or ID? ID would be the critical one.-->

==Disadvantages==
[[File:High-quality-RCA-bullet-plug-Eichmann.jpg|thumb|right|"Bullet plug" variation – Note the hollow center conductor and the pin point for the return signal.]]

When connecting the male into the female, the inner, ''hot'' (signal) connection is made before the ground connection has been guaranteed; this often produces a loud buzz if the equipment is active when the connection is made.

The hot signal wire and signal ground provided by an RCA connection implement an [[Balanced audio|unbalanced]] connection. A true balanced connection is generally preferred in certain applications, particularly professional settings because it allows for the use of long cables while reducing susceptibility to external noise.

Using RCA connectors, each signal requires its own plug. Even the simple case of attaching a cassette deck may need four of them{{snd}}two for stereo input and two for stereo output. In any common setup this quickly leads to a disarray of cables and confusion in how to connect them. This situation is made worse if one considers more complex signals like component video (a total of three for video and two for analog audio – or one for digital coaxial audio).

Attempts were made to introduce combined audio/video connectors for direct signals - the most successful example was the [[SCART]] connector, which was successful in [[Europe]] but did not enter widespread use elsewhere.<ref name="scarpers">{{citation |url=http://uk.cinenow.com/articles/7249-hdmi-when-scart-scarpers |title=HDMI : when SCART scarpers! |date=January 1, 2006 |access-date=2011-08-27 |archive-date=2008-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123130017/http://uk.cinenow.com/articles/7249-hdmi-when-scart-scarpers |url-status=dead }}</ref>  For a time the 5-pin [[DIN connector]] was popular for bi-directional stereo connection between A/V equipment, but it has been entirely displaced on modern consumer devices.  Though [[RF modulator]]s inherently transmit combined A/V signals in video applications, they depend on [[broadcast television systems]] and RF connectors which are not universal worldwide; RF signals are also generally inferior to direct signals due to protocol conversion and the RF limitations of the three major analog TV systems ([[NTSC]], [[PAL]] and [[SECAM]]).

Before HD television became a standard, nearly all TV sets, [[VCRs]], and [[DVD]] players sold in Europe had SCART connectors,<ref name="scarpers"/> although these were sometimes supplemented by RCA and/or RF connectors. SCART–RCA [[adapter]]s also exist, which usually allow input of composite video and stereo audio.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amabilidade2002.com/scart5.htm |title=3 RCA plugs to Scart plug |access-date=2011-08-23}}</ref> Outside Europe, separate RCA connectors are usually used,{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} supplemented by RF connectors for [[backward compatibility]] and simplicity. Although [[mini-DIN connector]]s are used for [[S-Video]] connections, composite video, component video, and analog audio ([[Monaural|mono]] or stereo) all use RCA connectors unless the signals are sent via SCART. In the digital realm, however, combined A/V connectors are gaining ground: [[HDMI]] is commonly used today for consumer electronics; and [[DisplayPort]], a potential competitor to HDMI, is often found on home computers and peripherals.

==Color coding in consumer equipment==
[[File:Output connectors for component video (green, blue, red RCA jacks), digital audio (TOSLINK), digital audio (orange), analog stereo (red, white), composite video (yel.) and S-Video (Mini-DIN) on Sony DVP-NS53P DVD player (2005).jpg|thumb|Various color coded RCA connectors on a DVD player]]
Plugs and sockets on consumer equipment are conventionally color-coded to aid correct connections. The standard<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.ce.org/Standards/browseByCommittee_6548.asp |title=Consumer Electronics Association standard CEA-863-B - Connection Color Codes for Home Theater Systems |publisher=CEA |date=February 2011 |access-date=2011-08-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712090413/http://www.ce.org/Standards/browseByCommittee_6548.asp |archive-date=2011-07-12 }}</ref> colors for the various signals are shown in the table below; however, beyond 7.1 audio, the standard has degraded to a more general white/yellow, red/blue, and green/yellow color scheme for each cable respectively.

Stereo audio applications use either black and red, grey and red, or white and red RCA connectors; in all three cases, red denotes right. White or purple may also be replaced by black. Some older tape recorders, and equipment like receivers designed to connect to them, use a 5-pin DIN connector to connect left and right for record and playback with a single cable. Adapters between this connector and RCA connectors have used white and red for left and right channel recording, and blue (or sometimes black) and yellow for playback, but this is not universal. Most modern equipment with RCA connectors for recording devices simply uses white and red for all stereo pairs, whether record or playback.

While these are the standard colors found on commercially made products, cables with different-colored connectors may be used, as long as the cable itself is compatible with the application (for example, cables with 75 ohms impedance for video and [[S/PDIF]]).

{| class="wikitable"  style="margin:auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|align="right"|[[Composite video|Composite analog video]]
|Composite
|Yellow
|style="background:#fde910; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
| style="text-align:right;" rowspan="10"|Analog audio
|Left/Mono (record if 4 connector tape cable)
|White
| style="background:#fff;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Right (record if 4 connector tape cable)
|Red
|style="background:#fd1b14; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Left tape (play if 4 connector tape cable)
|Black
|style="background:#000000; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Right tape (play if 4 connector tape cable)
|Yellow
|style="background:#fde910; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Center
|Green
| style="background:#6c3;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Left [[Surround sound|surround]]
|Blue
|style="background:#0088ce; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Right surround
|Grey
|style="background:#9d9d9d; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Left back surround
|Brown
|style="background:#964b00; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Right back surround
|Tan
| style="background:tan;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|Subwoofer
|Purple
| style="background:purple;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|align="right"|Digital audio
|[[S/PDIF]]
|Orange
|style="background:#ffa000; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
| style="text-align:right;" rowspan="3"|[[Component video|Component analog video]] ([[YPbPr|{{YPbPr}}]])
|Y
|Green
|style="background:#6c3;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|P<sub>B</sub>/C<sub>B</sub>
|Blue
|style="background:#0088ce; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|P<sub>R</sub>/C<sub>R</sub>
|Red
|style="background:#fd1b14; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
| style="text-align:right;" rowspan="5"|[[Component video|Component analog video]]/[[VGA]] (RGB/HV)
|R
|Red
|style="background:#fd1b14; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|G
|Green
| style="background:#6c3;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|B
|Blue
|style="background:#0088ce; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|H (Horizontal sync)/S(Composite Sync)
|Yellow
|style="background:#fde910; "|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
|V (Vertical sync)
|White
| style="background:#fff;"|&nbsp;&nbsp;
|}

== Examples of devices with RCA jacks ==
<gallery>
Yamaha CD-555 rear panel.jpg|RCA stereo output on a [[CD player]]
DVD player output.jpg|[[DVD player]] with video and audio outputs
IFA 2012 Yamaha RX-A2020 rear.jpg|Backside of an AV Receiver from 2012
Later model projection TV wiring I-O panel.jpg|Early 2000s [[Rear-projection television|CRT projection TV]] with 1080i [[HD ready]] capabilities
File:Apple TV. 1st generation-2290.jpg|First generation of the [[Apple TV (device)|Apple TV]] with RCA stereo outputs
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|RCA connectors}}
{{Portal|Electronics}}

{{AVconn|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Audio_and_video_interfaces_and connectors}}
{{RF connectors}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rca Connector}}
[[Category:Electrical connectors]]
[[Category:Audiovisual connectors]]
[[Category:RF connectors]]