What cable is needed for digital television. Antenna wires for TV

A television coaxial cable is a round conductor with a diameter of up to 7 mm. Inside, the wire has one copper conductor core covered with insulating material. Foamed polyethylene is usually used as an insulator. Aluminum foil (screen) braided with thin copper or steel wire is laid on top of the insulation. The antenna cable braid is covered with external insulation.

Types of Antenna Cables

In work, the following brands of coaxial shielded TV wire are most often used: RG 58, RG 6, PK 75. The resistance of such a conductor is 75 Ohms, it is excellent for laying inside and outside the building.

Antenna cable RG 6. This is an affordable and most popular wire. The outer diameter is 6 mm, the diameter of the conductor is 1 mm, the TV wire has an aluminum foil screen and copper braid. Used when connecting the TV to a community or terrestrial (digital) antenna. The low attenuation coefficient allows for stable signal transmission over long distances.

Antenna cable RG 58. Suitable for connecting terrestrial, satellite and digital antennas located at a short distance from the TV. The outer diameter of the antenna cable is 4.8 mm, the diameter of the central conductor is 0.48 mm. It is difficult to properly secure a thin wire in the connectors of the splitter and antenna sockets, so it is advisable to use this wire to connect one TV. The conductor breaks easily if laid incorrectly and has a high attenuation coefficient. The small thickness of the cord makes it easy to lay and camouflage indoors.

Antenna cable RK 75. The thickness of the central copper conductor is 1 mm. Depending on the design, it can have different types of screen - a double screen made of tin-plated copper and aluminum foil or a single screen made of copper braid. A cable with a single screen is used to connect a TV to an over-the-air or community antenna. The double screen is used to connect to a satellite dish.

TV cable marking

Knowing the markings, it is easy to determine which antenna cord is best to use under certain operating conditions. The designation is applied to the outer sheath, every meter of wire. The labeling indicates:

• manufacturer or trademark of the enterprise;
• product brand;
• number of braid strands;
• wave resistance;
• meter of wire in the bay.

Many manufacturers adhere to this marking, however, markings are rarely applied to wires with black and blue insulation. In this case, the characteristics are indicated on a tag attached to the bay.

It is customary that a cord with white insulation is used for installation indoors, and a cord with black insulation is used for outdoor use. However, you need to choose a TV wire according to its technical specifications, in which there is no color marking.

For high-quality television broadcasting, not only sufficient power of the incoming signal is important, but also the quality of the antenna wire. A high-quality television cable will ensure the transmission of a powerful signal without loss. It is necessary to choose the right wire for your TV to ensure that you receive a strong enough TV signal to enjoy your favorite TV programs without interference.
Almost any antenna wire has a special marking. Here you can find basic information about the product.

Almost all television wires have the same design. The basis is the internal conductor (central core), which is covered with an insulating layer. A shielding layer in the form of a braid is located on top of the insulation. The structure is protected by a hard shell of insulation.
Cables with this structure are called coaxial.

The high frequency current of the television signal flows through the central core. The higher the frequency of the signal, the closer to the surface it will flow. This means that at high frequencies the current loss for cables of different cross-sections will be the same. To reduce these losses, space technologies use a gold surface layer to prevent signal loss.
For home use, copper or steel conductors are used. To reduce signal attenuation, the steel core of the cable is coated with a thin layer of copper. A coaxial cable with a steel core is cheaper, but is not able to transmit the signal from a satellite dish without large losses.
A copper vein can easily transmit a television signal of any nature, including a signal from a satellite dish.

The shielding layer or braid protects the cable from external electromagnetic interference. The quality of the TV signal directly depends on the strength of the interference.
The material for making the shielding layer is aluminum foil. The braid is made of thin copper or aluminum wire.

For a shielded wire, a value called the shielding coefficient is determined, which describes the degree of protection of the cable.

The internal insulating shell protects the internal conductor from damage and also insulates from contact with the shield. It is made of plastic. PTFE is used in especially high-quality wires.

The outer protective shell protects the structure from mechanical damage, dust, moisture, and other external influences. It is made from polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or other insulating materials.

Cable selection

When choosing a cable, you must follow some recommendations:

• The required characteristic impedance of the television wire is 75 Ohms. Cables with a different characteristic impedance do not match the TV tuner and, as a result, cannot transmit high-quality images.
• Choose a coaxial cable with a diameter of at least 6mm. Thinner cables are flimsy and can be easily damaged.
• The shielding coefficient of a high-quality shielded wire is at least 60 dB. To achieve the best degree of protection, it is better to choose a cable with a coefficient of at least 90dB.
• Study the cable carefully. If the product has an unpleasant odor or is missing markings, then this is most likely a fake.µ
• Try bending the cable. It should be easily deformed, but “wrinkles” should not appear on it. If they appear, then what you have in your hands is not the best high quality cable.

We present to your attention some brands and models of coaxial cables:

It is recommended to buy DG 13 television cables - they are durable, reliable, and have many other advantages. If you are not able to buy such an expensive television cable, then you can choose a cheaper option from the list.

For an overview of coaxial cables, see the video below:

Compound

After purchasing a suitable cable, you need to connect it to your TV.
This stage is no less important than the choice of wire, since even the most expensive and high-quality product will not transmit a good signal if the connection is made incorrectly.
Plug installation
It is recommended to buy plugs from the same store where you buy the cables. Ask the seller to help you select the appropriate components.
The most common type of plug is the F-plug. It is designed to transmit both analogue and digital television signals.

Connecting the plug to the antenna wire is very simple:

1. Using a utility knife, make a circular cut of the top protective layer up to the screen shell, a couple of centimeters long;
2. After removing the outer shell, carefully bend the shield or braid back. Fold part of the foil again so that not the inner, but the outer part of it contacts the plug;
3. Remove the insulating sheath of the center wire;
4. Place the plug on the cable and twist it clockwise until it stops;
5. Cut off any excess wire.

Plug installation is complete.

It is also useful to watch the video on how to connect a television plug to a coaxial cable:

Sometimes the quality of the TV signal suddenly decreases. In such cases, it is necessary to identify the causes of signal deterioration and eliminate them.

• If the cable is damaged, you first need to find the break point.
  Next, divide the cable into 2 parts and perform the same operation with each part as when putting on the plug. Buy special attachments that fit onto the cable and connect the damaged parts.
• You can extend the cable in the same way. It is recommended to use a cable of the same brand and model for extension.
• Signal quality may also decrease due to sharp turns of the television wire.
  Do not bend the cable sharply 90 degrees. Be sure to bend the cable within a certain radius.

Be sure to watch the video on how to connect a television cable:

Connecting multiple TVs

To connect several devices to one antenna at once, splitters are used, which are otherwise called “crabs”.

How to connect multiple TVs to one antenna via a video splitter:

Crabs are recommended for use in areas with strong television signals, i.e. close to television towers, since when a crab is connected, the signal strength decreases sharply. For example, if you connect 2 TVs to one antenna, the signal loss will be about 30%.
The number of outputs on the crab must strictly equal the number of connected devices. If there is a free exit on the crab, the signal quality will still drop.

Amplifiers

To amplify the television signal, special devices are used - amplifiers.
The device should be close to the TV or antenna.
Most often, amplifiers are used to compensate for signal loss due to the use of crabs.

Connecting the TV to the antenna via a video amplifier:

As you can see, choosing and installing a good television wire for an antenna requires taking into account many nuances. But it’s worth it, because with the right choice of TV cable, broadcasting will proceed without interference. We hope that the article on television cables will help you make the right choice.

In pursuit of perfect picture quality, television equipment manufacturers have reached a very high level. Monitor displays have been developed that can convey a colossal number of shades, new ones have been created, and much more. But all the advantages of modern equipment can be negated by a poor quality television cable.

Today we will look at:

How to determine what type of cable is suitable for your equipment?

Each cable has a number of characteristics. This set may differ for cables used for different purposes.

Let's consider the device of a television cable.

There is nothing complicated about it:
conductor core in the middle;
an insulating layer around it;
a layer of shielding foil;
layer of shielding braid;
a layer of external insulation.

Characteristics of the conductor

It is through the metal wire that the signal is transmitted, carrying the image that you see on the screen.

Metal

There are many different opinions about the significance of the metal from which the core is made. Television equipment installers confidently claim that for home use, cables with copper cores and cables with copper-plated steel alloy cores give exactly the same results.

Core thickness

Cable diameter and core thickness are not always proportional quantities. The thickness of the core can be different, but a straight section of cable without switching nodes works with a thin core in exactly the same way as with a thicker one. However, experts give preference to cables with thicker cores - they are more reliable in operation when, when laying a cable, you have to make a lot of bends and use switching units.

Characteristic impedance

A characteristic such as cable resistance directly affects the amount of television interference. To ensure a high-quality signal, it is necessary that the cable resistance be at least 75 Ohms.

Shielding quality

High quality cables are shielded with a double layer, first with aluminum foil, then with copper winding. Double shielding can significantly reduce the amount of interference. TV equipment installation and repair specialists note that replacing an old single-layer shielded cable with a double-shielded cable can significantly improve picture quality.

External insulation

Usually, TV antennas are installed on the roof of a house or on a balcony, so part of the cable will be outdoors under the influence of external conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a cable with a durable and high-quality insulating coating that can be used outdoors.

Cable size

When calculating the cable size, it is necessary to take into account all the bends and turns of its future installation. It is important to remember that the cable should not be under tension. Therefore, after measuring the cable path length, it is advisable to add a little in reserve. A thinner cable is easier to bend and camouflage in the interior. But, on the other hand, thin cables fail faster: they bend more easily, fray, and at some point the core breaks.

Manufacturer and cost

Without experience, it can sometimes be difficult to determine how well the outer insulation layer of a cable is made, let alone its internal characteristics. Therefore, many are guided by cost and country of origin. Cheap Chinese products very often turn out to be not of the best quality, and sometimes do not correspond to the characteristics stated by the seller. Professionals prefer cable products from European countries or well-known brands.

How to determine its characteristics by type of cable

On high-quality cable products, all the necessary information is printed on the cable itself. The marking indicates the logo or name of the manufacturer, cable brand, characteristic impedance value, diameter and other characteristics. Such markings are affixed approximately every meter.

By following the recommendations described above, you can easily purchase a good quality television cable and fully enjoy it.

Physical characteristics of the wire

Electrical characteristics of TV cable for TV

Types of TV cables

1. Coaxial is the most common type of cable. Each TV is equipped with a connector for coaxial cables. But today this connecting element is considered obsolete, as more modern cables have appeared. Experts recommend using an analog antenna cable to connect home-type TV antennas, as the signal will be very reliable.
2. Composite - used to attach video equipment (game consoles, players) to the screen. This wire is only suitable for analog signal transmission. The connection occurs in accordance with the colors of the cords and connectors of the monitor.
3. Component high-quality cable is a modern development, suitable for transmitting satellite TV signals. The connection also occurs in accordance with the colors.
4. HDMI, DVI - designed for transmitting a high-resolution signal, for example, digital television (TV), so if your television equipment has an HDMI connector, it is recommended to connect through it, since the quality of the broadcast picture will be ideal. HDMI and DVI cables are also often used in computer technology to connect game consoles.

Choosing a high-quality cable for your TV is the most important undertaking. Even the most advanced and modern signal source and correctly installed plugs cannot guarantee high-quality images if the wrong cord is used. Therefore, the question arises of how to choose good cords for connection.

How to choose a high-quality television cable?

To watch TV broadcasts comfortably, you need high-quality equipment, including connecting cables. When choosing the best wire, be sure to take into account the criteria that determine the quality of the wire and guarantee reliable operation.

One of the important characteristics of a cord is its wave impedance. As a standard, its value should be at least 75 Ohms, however, in our online store you can buy cords with lower resistance. The higher the value, the better the wire resists exposure various types interference. The range includes options with a diameter of 4 and 6 mm. The thicker the cable, the less influence interference and distortion have on its operation.

Structurally, the cable consists of a central core, insulation layers separating the screen layer and the central core, and also protecting the TV cable from external influences. In modern wires I use only a monolithic core. The cable is not subject to mechanical deformation in operation; it is usually firmly fixed along the entire route. It is not economically feasible to make it flexible.

For outdoor use, it is better to inquire about the resistance of the TV cable to low temperatures and ultraviolet radiation. For a cable not adapted to such conditions, after some time the outer layer will become brittle, crack and eventually become saturated with water. There were cases when water flowed into the room from the cable like through a hose.

Choose a wire in which the central core is made of copper wire, with the insulation tightly pressed. And the foil has a copper braid. A cable with a middle core made of a metal alloy is allowed. Its advantages are low price. Compliance with these requirements allows you to obtain a high-quality image.

When calculating the footage of a television cable, it is necessary to take into account all turns, ascents, descents and curvatures. It is better to purchase a TV cable with a small reserve. This will allow you to move the screen to another location in the future.

When a longer line length of 50 m and above is required, suitable cords can be selected from a range of copper cords. This will play a role due to the low attenuation coefficient of a copper TV cord.

In addition to a high-quality antenna wire for a TV or a cable for a digital signal, be sure to purchase high-quality splitters and connectors. The use of homemade solders and twists is not allowed.

Popular options

TV cords are produced under different brands, the most common options are presented below:

RG-6U

RG-6U has the necessary characteristics and an affordable price. The central core is made of copper. This wire is considered a worthwhile alternative to outdated RK cables. Suitable for connecting analog and satellite equipment.

The service life of the RG-6U is 8 years, but when used outdoors, it often fails earlier. The advantage of this TV cable is that it can be freely purchased at any specialized store. Cost from 8 rubles per meter.

SAT 703

Reliable product, excellent TV signal transmission, suitable for satellite television. It withstands operation well in outdoor conditions, as the cord is resistant to changes in weather and temperature.

The central core is copper, the wire is equipped with double shielding. Service life: 15 years. Price: from 18.5 rubles.

Cable DG 113

This option is more expensive than previous wires. The characteristics presented by the manufacturer are almost identical to the SAT 703 wire, but there is one significant difference - DG 113 has a higher shielding coefficient, it starts from 90 dmb. Thanks to this, the quality of the TV signal is ideal, without interruptions or interference.

Service life: 10 years. Price: from 23.6 rubles.

• TV cable