THESE plugins are really cool (SCART, 13W3, HDBaseT)

Nowadays, connecting a TV or monitor is kind of easy. You are probably using a single HDMI or Display Port cable to transmit video and audio. And if you may have older equipment, you are probably aware of RCA cables for composite or component connections, in addition to blue VGA connectors for older monitors.

But did that there are various more unknown connectors and a few of them are still available?

Let’s start by talking about considered one of the more well-known, lesser-known video connectors. This device is known as SCART, which is a French acronym that stands for Radio and TV Manufacturers Association, also referred to as Peritel.

If the name sounds a bit old-fashioned, that is since it is. SCART has been in existence since 1976. It was developed to standardize connection types on TVs. And even though it originated in France, it will definitely spread throughout Europe. It was quite a sophisticated connector for its time since it allowed two-way communication, unlike the composite RCA connectors so popular in North America. So SCART could actually communicate more directly with the cable provider for features like pay-per-view and closed captioning.

And although SCART was an analog connection, later versions could transmit high-definition signals, something like component video, via RCA. Nonetheless, as a result of the event of the HDMI standard, this configuration has not found much use.

Nonetheless, SCART stays popular amongst gamers who enjoy retro titles because it could possibly actually transmit RGB signals on separate channels, leading to higher image quality. It’s something like VGA. North Americans have even been known to spend extra cash on SCART hardware to get the very best experience possible from older consoles.

Moving on, let’s discuss this cool looking guy. This is known as a 13W3 connector and it doesn’t slide right off the tongue. This will remind you of a funnier-looking VGA connector, and that is because, in a way, it’s.

13W3 was actually considered one of the predecessors of VGA and was used notably in some Apple monitors that were intended to be paired with early Mac computers. These three large, circular parts carry the actual color signals, red, blue and green, one color for every pin. They may also be used for power, but that is a side note. The remaining pins were used for ground and synchronization, just like newer VGA connectors. Nonetheless, 13W3C cables are usually not universally interchangeable, as the facility issue may suggest. You do not need to send voltage to the RGB lines.

And back after they were popular, monitors didn’t sync the identical way either. So some cables actually had physical DIP switches that you just needed to tinker with to get the image to look right. So it’s no surprise that simpler connections like VGA quickly overtook the 13W3 in popularity, causing it to develop into obsolete.

For our third act, let’s discuss something more modern, HDBaseT. But wait a minute, that appears like an Ethernet connector. It seems that HDBaseT actually uses the identical connector as Ethernet. What I mean is that the T stands for twisted pair, the form of cable utilized in standard Ethernet, and it actually carries the Ethernet signal, together with 4K video, 5.1 audio, USB signals, and even power as much as 100 watts. It is actually a universal connection, operating using considered one of the most cost effective cables available on the market.

So why hasn’t many of the public heard of it, and why don’t we use it for essentially all of our electronics needs? The fundamental concern, not surprisingly, is cost. HDBaseT is not intended to completely replace HDMI or some other standard. As a substitute, it is meant for places that must transmit signals over long distances without the tangle of costly cables, since Ethernet cables are less expensive per meter than HDMI. The issue, nevertheless, is that HDBaseT-compatible hardware, equivalent to converters and receivers, is kind of expensive as a result of its dearer bill of materials. Due to this fact, it’s an answer mainly for giant organizations that implement AV gadgets remotely.

Did we miss any of your favorite connectors? Tell us within the comments.