Canare LV-61S Discrete RGBHV Video Cable Set

Canare LV-61S RGBHV Video Discrete Cable Set - "Pro Series" Precision Discrete 5-Channel Set, shown here with black cable jackets, terminated with RCA connectors.

This Canare LV-61S Discrete R/G/B/H/V Video 5-channel Cable Set features 75 Ohm precision cables, terminated with Canare's high-quality, impedance-matched "True 75 Ohm" connectors.

Our standard connector option for this cable is BNC to BNC, but you may also select RCA connectors for either or both ends below.

 Both connector options are fitted with flexible color-coded silicone strain-relief boots.  The boots enhance the appearance of the cables and avoid sharp bends at the connectors while providing visual identification of the channels.

While our "standard" jacket color for video cables is yellow, please feel free to select from any of the 11 color options shown below.

If you are not sure which cable to choose, this comparison of Canare component video cables may be helpful.

Why Component?

As you may know, R/G/B/H/V is a form of component video.  Component video hook-ups eliminate some encoding and decoding steps.  This is likely to improve picture quality because encoding or decoding a color signal is not a very clean process.  Invariably some information is lost, and undesirable artifacts such as chroma crawl, busy edges, loss of detail in colored areas, and cross-color rainbows are generated.  Each pass through the process adds to the problem, so the fewer times a signal is encoded and decoded, the better.  If your equipment supports R/G/B/H/V component video connections, you will certainly want to take advantage of it.

What Makes Canare So Great?

You can tell, just by looking, that Canare cables and connectors are well made, and you can tell by reading the rave reviews that Canare cables are great performers!  Canare is the choice of professionals and discriminating enthusiasts, alike.

We have found that the key to great video cables is in the connectors.  Exotic conductors and shielding are fine, but it's the connectors that really make the difference. 

Here's what you need if you want the finest video that your equipment can deliver.  You need video cables that are capable of maintaining a constant impedance.  You don't want any bumps at the connectors, and you don't want the cable itself to change impedance when it bends.  Even the finest cable changes impedance a little bit when it is bent sharply, so avoid doing so.  Nice, smooth, consistent 75 ohm impedance.  That's what your equipment wants, and that's what will deliver the best picture.

You also want superior mechanical integrity - nice, tight connections that will not degrade over time.  To inhibit degradation, avoid dissimilar metals, which can lead to corrosion and degrade connections. To avoid dissimilar metals, try to stay away from soldered connections wherever you can, because solder almost guarantees that dissimilar metals will be in contact. Good solder work minimizes the problem, but there is always the challenge of preventing dielectric deformation as a result of the heat associated with soldering.  Any dimensional change in the dielectric will affect the impedance of the cable at that point.

Of course you also want high quality cable.  Flexibility is desirable because it avoids stress on your equipment and the interconnects. Try to avoid multiple materials in the conductors or shielding, because of the problems associated with dissimilar metals.  Low loss is desirable, but don't sacrifice mechanical integrity in favor of small differences in loss specification!  Cables with foamed dielectric materials generally have lower loss, but foam is not without it's own inherent problems.  Shielding is important, but don't be confused by exorbitant claims.  Electrical shielding is not the same as waterproofing -- you don't need two, three, four, or more layers of shielding to get good electrical shielding, and all the extra layers make the cables stiff, and tend to make good terminations more difficult to install, and more prone to failure.

These cables are made with Canare's most popular cable, LV-61S. They are lightweight and extremely flexible.  This superior flexibility also ensure longer flex life.  They have PVC jackets with a smooth, non-glare finish.  They even stay flexible in sub-zero weather! Hopefully, your equipment will never be subjected to such an extreme temperature, but the point is that the cables really are made of high-quality materials.  Here are some specs on the cable:

• Outside diameter, 6.1mm (.240 in.)
• Low loss - less than .013 dB per meter at 1 MHz, and less than 4.2 dB even at 1 GHz!
• Tightly woven all-copper shield with greater than 95% coverage
• Nominal capacitance, 67 pF per meter at 1 KHz
• Nominal impedance, 75 ohms
• Velocity of propagation, 66%

In our experience, this is one of the finest video cables available at any price.  We prefer it even to other offerings from Canare, such as the CFB series cables (which we also offer), for several important reasons.  The CFB series cables have excellent high-frequency specifications, to be sure, but there is no practical advantage to using them for component video, and there are several disadvantages.  For example, this LV-61S cable is much more flexible and is easier to work with.  It also stands up better to handling and bending.  LV-61S has more than enough bandwidth for component video -- we have used this cable, with great success, in runs over 50 meters in length.

The BNC Connectors

The BNC-type connector is the best connector that is commonly available for applications of this type.  In general, it is both mechanically and electrically superior to an RCA connector.  It has a twist-lock mechanism to ensure that the connection is mechanically secure, and the electrical design of the connector does a good job of maintaining constant impedance at the connector.

Canare takes this inherent superiority to the next level.  For example, many BNC connectors have a characteristic impedance of only 50 ohms, but Canare connectors are engineered to maintain a constant impedance of 75 ohms.  This make a lot of sense because virtually all A/V equipment is designed to work best with 75 ohm cables.  It follows that if you want the best performance your equipment can deliver, you will need cables and connectors that maintain this impedance.

This electrical superiority is the result of superior mechanical design, high-quality materials and precision manufacturing.  Canare's BNC connectors are almost artful in their design...and they work very well indeed.

The RCA Connectors

Ironically, the most common connector used for interconnecting consumer A/V gear may also be the worst connector in general use today.  Generic RCA type audio plugs and cables have been around since the 1940s, but the old solder-type plugs typically have an impedance of about 25 ohms. As a result, they exhibit extremely poor return loss performance, even when mated to high quality cable. Some of the most expensive "high end" cables still rely on connector designs that are both electrically and mechanically inferior.

Canare's "True 75 Ohm" RCA crimp plugs solve these problems. They are impedance matched to achieve excellent performance in both digital and analog applications.  They have a usable bandwidth of over 200 MHz and VSWR is typically less than 1.1:1 from DC to 200 MHz!  This low standing wave ratio minimizes reflected signals for maximum signal transfer and clear sound.

If you look at the picture at the right, you can see the gold-plated center shaft.  If you click on the picture, you can get a better look at the internal gold-plated beryllium copper pressure fingers.  The design ensures good contact, while solving the "grip of death" problem that can be an issue with Monster and some of the other manufacturers' connectors.  (Those "grip of death" connectors put unnecessary strain on your equipment!)  Canare connectors connect up smoothly, and maintain good contact, while protecting your equipment investment.