Plugging Composite into Component (Solved)

Plugging composite into component is not something you would normally do because component goes into the green, blue, red ports while composite goes into the yellow, white, red ports. However, what if your TV only has component input and your source device is composite? In this article, we will show you how you can plug composite into component. 

To plug composite into component, use an RCA cable to connect the yellow composite to the green component, white composite to white component and red composite to the red component. 

You want to set it up like this:

Composite  => Component TV
Yellow          => Green (Video)
None           => Blue (Video)
None           => Red (Video)
White          => White (Audio)
Red             => Red (Audio)

That is how you connect composite to component. As an example, the “Video” or green input on a component TV doubles as the yellow jack for composite video.

Note: Please note that not all TVs do this but it is becoming more common because most brands are moving away from dedicated composite inputs.

How to Plug a Component Cable Into Component Video Inputs?

What You will need:

1. Component Video Cable with 3 RCA connectors (Red, Green, Blue) and 2 stereo audio connectors

2. Coaxial cable with F-type connector

3. TV with component video in – if your television does not have the connections you need then you can use an adapter or perhaps a set of A/V switches. For example, this would take 3 component cables and convert them to a single S-Video output.

If your TV does not have any HD inputs at all, there are devices that will allow you to convert HDMI into a DVI connection which a monitor may have.

4. A/V Receiver with Component Video In – if your receiver does not have the connections you need then there are again converters that you can buy for this purpose.

5. The relevant input on your receiver – usually labeled “Component 1”, “YUV IN” etc. If it is not labeled as such, you may have to look at the manual of the device to find out exactly where each type of input starts from 1 through n.

You will want to choose a set of component video inputs that do not share input with anything else if possible.

6. The relevant cables available in your house (if needed) – if your TV or receiver has the right connections, you will need to run some coaxial cable from your wall outlet to your device.

This is so that you can link up all the devices with a single cable coming out of the wall and entering into each of the devices before going into a large multi-connector which then feeds into a single connection on your television.

7. The relevant cables for hooking up your equipment – use an HDMI Cable for connecting between a Blu Ray Player and a compatible HDTV with HDMI support or directly from PC Desktop Video Card to A/V Receiver with HDMI In.

Use RCA Cables (Red & White) for most other connections such as connecting from S-Video outputs on VCRs, DVD Players, etc. to your TV.

Use Component Video Cables as well as Stereo Audio RCA cables for connections between your TV and A/V Receiver or directly from a DVD Player with component video out to A/V Receiver with component video inputs.

8. Screwdriver – to strip back the outer covering on wires

9. Wire stripper/scissors – to cut back the outer covering on wires

Plugging Composite into Component Procedure

1). Turn off all devices at the wall outlet. If using an extension cord, make sure it is unplugged from the wall as well.

Make sure that there are no tapes or DVDs in any of your players or recorders. In other words, make sure that there is nothing “live” that you are going to be plugging in.

2). Strip the outer covering on each wire. Strip back about 2 inches of the outer covering on each wire using a screwdriver or wire stripper/scissors. You will then see that each wire is covered in colored plastic. Leave this plastic on for now.

3). Take your component video cable and find the Red, Green, and Blue wires. Match these colors up with the corresponding colors on the device you are connecting to, usually, these will be labeled Y, Pb, Pr, or something similar.

There may also be a shield around the 3 wires. Make sure this is twisted around all 3 of the colored wires and not just one.

4). Do the same process with the Coaxial Cable if this is what you are using – usually, this will also have a “Y” wire, shield wire, and red/white wires.

5). Turn off all the devices. Make sure that all the devices are turned off again before plugging them in to avoid shock or equipment damage.

6). Plug the component video cable into the Y, Pb, Pr ports of your TV. Plug one end of the Coaxial Cable into the wall outlet and plug the other end directly into your cable box if this is where you are getting your signal from.

If you are instead using some kind of antenna for over-the-air signals – which would be legal if watching via an ATSC Tuner on supported TVs – then plug it directly into where it says “Antenna in” or “RF IN” on your TV.

7). Connect the other end of the Coaxial Cable to your A/V Receiver’s input labeled “TV/SAT”. For the Component Video connection, connect one side to an available component video input on your receiver – usually, 1 through 4 will be available for this purpose depending on how many components you have connected to it.

The other end of the cable needs to go to each “Video Out” port on every device you are connecting, this should include all DVD Players, VCR players, etc.

You can run all cables at once and then power them up in sequence as long as you are fully aware that if any device is turned on before another one, it will change the picture of that device as well as any other devices on that “chain” or sequence of cables.

8). Turn on all your equipment in the following order:

• TV first – make sure you have selected proper input from your remote control for this connection which is usually either “TV”, “Input”, or “Source”. You can also often just choose a particular type of connection such as HDMI, Component Video, etc., and cycle through those inputs with a single button press to select one at random. If you have a Cable Box, turn it on next and let it initialize before going onto the final step.
• A/V Receiver last – if you are using an A/V Receiver to switch between different audio and video inputs, make sure it is turned on last and has been set to the input you are using. If everything is connected properly, you should now see a picture on your TV.

Plugging Composite into Component

Required Materials:

• Composite Video Cable (called “RCA Cable” in some countries)
• Component Video Cable (more commonly known as “RGB Cables”)
• 3 RCA Male to 2 RCA Female Adapter 
• Soldering Iron with solder

Step 1: Purchase the 3 RCA to 2 RCA adapters. These can be purchased at any radio shack for $5-$10.

Step 2: Strip down the ends of the Component Video Cable so that there are three separate wires exposed.

The middle wire should have its insulation stripped off but should remain attached to the wire itself. The other two wires should be completely removed from their outer insulation and all three wires should still remain attached to each other.

Step 3: Unscrew one end of the 3RCA cable where it attaches to a red, green, and blue wire. From this point on you will need to strip down these wires so their insulation is gone and they are exposed.

Step 4: Attach the black wire on the Component Video Cable to the red wire on the 3RCA cable using your soldering iron, solder, and some electrical tape.

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 with the white wire of Component Video Cable with the green wire of 3RCA cable.

Step 6: Twist together all three ground wires (black, white, and bare copper). If you do not have a ground wire attached to either one of these cables, then none should be twisted together in this step.

After you twist them together each set of stripped wires uses electrical tape across them to keep them from moving apart or touching other things that could conduct electricity into it.

Step 7: Insert the 3RCA cable into the female end of each adapter. Ensure that all three wires are pushed in as far as they will go and that no exposed wire is visible outside of the adapter.

If any bare wire is seen it should be covered with electrical tape to prevent an accidental short circuit that could damage your TV or other components.

Step 8: Screw on the male (blue) end to the female (red or green). Ensure that none of the three color-coded wires are able to move around because this might cause a short circuit.

The ground wire will not need to be secured at this point as its insulation provides enough protection against movement.

Step 9: Connect your component video cables to your TV or another component. The red, green, and blue plugs should be inserted into the matching color-coded slots on the back of your TV/component. If everything has been correctly connected then you should see a clear, crisp picture on your screen.

If at any point you find that the video quality is not as good as it could be, or if there are strange lines going through the image, then check to make sure all of your connections are tight and secure. You can also try adjusting the position of the cables until you get the best possible picture.

Conclusion

In summary, we have seen that a component can be plugged into a composite with no trouble. The other way around can also be done because it is basically the same thing.