Last updated on May 2nd, 2024 at 02:17 pm
These days, connecting a cable box to your TV is a no-brainer.
Cable boxes come with HDMI, RCA, and component video connections.
The best connection to undertake is an HDMI connection. With an HDMI connection, you don’t have to worry about connecting separate cables for video and audio.
Through a single cable, you get high-definition video and audio.
But what if you have an older TV that doesn’t support HDMI? Or do you have an HDTV with non-functioning HDMI ports?
It could also be that you have limited HDMI ports on your TV (one or two) used by other devices.
In these cases, how do you hook up a cable box to your TV without HDMI?
Here are ways you can do it without having to spend money on a new TV with HDMI.
You can still use your analog TV or first-generation HDTV without an HDMI in connection.
Use an RCA or composite Connection
RCA or composite is a universal connection found in almost all AV equipment.
An RCA connection is also available on all cable boxes.
You can easily sport the three RCA ports. They are colored yellow, white, and red.
Yellow is for video, while the red and white ports are for audio (right and left stereo)
With an RCA connection, you’ll not get the picture quality of a native HDMI connection. But then you’ll get a watchable standard definition 480i for NTSC and 576i for PAL.
Go with a composite video connection if picture quality isn’t an issue. Also, try to get a set of good-quality RCA cables for better video quality.
Read more about RCA (Composite) Video.
Use a Component Video Connection
The component video gives you the highest analog video resolution. It can support the following video resolutions – 480p, 576p, 720p and 1080p.
Your TV must come with component video input to benefit from component video.
You’ll likely have component video input if you have a flatscreen analog TV with a silver frame around the screen.
You can easily spot component video ports. They’re marked green, blue, and red.
These three ports are for the video signal. You’ll need two more cables for the red and white audio connection.
With a component connection, you’ll need 5 cables to connect your cable box to your TV, as shown below.
Generally, you can use RCA cables to make a component video connection. However, there are dedicated component video cables available out there. They are thicker cables with gold-plated connectors that minimize video signal loss.
Read more about Component Video.
Use an HDMI to Component Video Converter: Highly Recommended
Does your TV have component video inputs? If so, you can benefit from the HDMI connection on your cable box through an HDMI to component video converter.
This converter turns an HDMI signal into a component video signal.
The benefit of using an HDMI-to-component-video converter is evident in TVs with component input that supports 1080p or 1080i video. Some TVs can support 720p resolution with a component video connection.
You’ll get picture quality that is much better than if you use a component-to-component connection.
Getting the converter to work is pretty straightforward, Just plug an HDMI cable from your cable box to the HDMI input of the converter. Then connect the component cables from the converter to your TV set.
Depending on your TV’s component video resolution, you can get 1080p, 720p or 480p on your TV.
The converter has a button that allows you to adjust the output resolution on your TV set.
Check out this affordable HDMI-to-component video converter to hook your cable box to your TV without HDMI.
If you are ordering other models like the one below, ensure that it’s an HDMI-to-component video converter and not a component video-to-HDMI converter. The latter will not work when connecting a cable box to a TV without HDMI.
That said, you may check out other HDMI-to-component video converters.
Use an HDMI to RCA (Composite) Converter
If your TV doesn’t have component video input, you can use an HDMI to RCA converter.
You should not confuse this with an HDMI or RCA cable. As shown below, this cable doesn’t have the converter function and will not work.
An HDMI-to-RCA converter works like an HDMI-to-component video converter. However, you’ll get only an RCA (composite) quality picture.
The HDMI to AV converter comes with a PAL/NTSC switcher. A power cable (USB)is included to power the converter.
You can set up the device within minutes. Just plug the HDMI cable from the cable box into the converter’s HDMI input.
Then plug the RCA cables from the converter into your TV RCA input ports.
Check out this affordable HDMI to RCA converter.
Also, check out a wide range of HDMI to RCA converters. Again, be sure to choose HDMI over RCA instead of RCA over HDMI.
