[3.1] What are the outputs of a DVD player?

DVD players usually have two or three kinds of video output (composite, s-video, and component) and three or four kinds of audio output (analog stereo, digital PCM stereo, Dolby Digital, and DTS). More details below and in 3.2.

Most DVD players have the following video output connections, which can carry an NTSC, PAL, or SECAM signal.

• S-video (Y/C). 4-pin round plug. Carries brightness signal (Y) and two combined color signals (C).
• Composite video (CVBS). Standard yellow RCA video plug. Combines all three video signals into one.
• European players combine both of the signals above, and others, into a 21-pin rectangular SCART connector (aka Peritel or Euro Connector [EC]).

Some players may have additional video connections:

• Component interlaced analog video (EIA 770.1). Keeps all three video signals separate.
  - Y'PbPr format: 3 RCA or BNC connectors.
  - RGB (or RGBS or RGBHV) format: SCART connector or 3, 4, or 5 RCA or BNC connectors.
• Component progressive analog video. Keeps all three video signals separate.
  - Y'PbPr format: 3 RCA connectors.
  - RGB (or RGBS or RGBHV) format: SCART connector or 3, 4, or 5 RCA or BNC connectors.
• RF video. For connecting to the TV antenna input, usually on channel 3 or 4.
  - Screw-on, 75-ohm, F-type connector. May require an adapter for TVs that have 300-ohm, two-screw, antenna wire connectors.
• HDMI. Digital video in the DVI format, plus digital audio.

Most DVD players with component video outputs use YUV (Y'PbPr), which is incompatible with RGB equipment. European players with component video outputs usually provide RGBS (red/green/blue/sync) signals on the SCART connector. YUV to RGB transcoders are rumored to be available for $200-$300, but seem hard to track down. A $700 converter is available from avscience, and $900 converter, the CVC 100, is available from Extron. Converters are also available from Altinex, Kramer, Monster Cable, and others. For progressive scan you need a converter that can handle 31.5 kHz signals. Converters from s-video are also an option (from Markertek).

Note: The correct term for analog color-difference output is Y'Pb'Pr', not Y'Cb'Cr' (which is digital, not analog). To simplify things, this FAQ sometimes uses the term YUV in the generic sense to refer to analog color difference signals.

There are specialty players from companies such as Theta Digital, and Vigatec with SDI (serial digital interface) output, but they connect only to high-end or production equipment.

Most DVD players have the following audio output connections.

• Analog stereo audio. May be in Dolby Surround, depending on the disc.  
  - Two RCA connectors, red and white.
  - European players transmit analog stereo audio on the SCART connector.
• Digital audio with 1 to 5.1 channels. Raw digital audio in PCM, MLP, Dolby Digital (AC-3), DTS, or MPEG-2 format. Requires an amplifier/receiver with a built-in decoder (or a separate external decoder).
  - S/PDIF coax format: RCA connector. (IEC-958 Type II)
  - Toslink format: square optical connector. (EIAJ CP-340 and EIAJ CP-1201)

Some players may have additional audio connections:

• Multichannel analog audio. Requires a multichannel-ready or "Dolby Digital ready" amplifier/receiver with 6 inputs.
  - Six RCA connectors or one DB-25 connector.
• AC-3 RF audio. Only on combination LD/DVD players. Carries audio from AC-3 laserdiscs.
  - One RCA connector.
• High-resolution digital audio.
  - 1394 (FireWire): rectangular connector. Requires a receiver with 1394 audio input.
  - HDMI. Requires a receiver/TV with HDMI input.

Some players and receivers support only S/PDIF or only Toslink. If your player and receiver don't match, you'll need a converter such as the Audio Authority 977 Midiman C02, COP 1, or POF.

Some players can output 96/24 PCM audio using a non-standard variation of IEC-958 running at 6.144 Mbps instead of the normal limit of 3.1 MHz. Note: The CSS license does not allow digital PCM output of CSS-protected material at 96 kHz. The player must downsample to 48 kHz. The Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai is the only DVD player (as of Sep 2002) with DTCP-protected 1394 output for full, multichannel 96/24 and 192/24 PCM.