A video color format that maintains the three traditional TV video signals (YUV) in three separate channels. Component video provides a sharper image than composite video and S-video. See YUV, composite video and S-video.|
Analog Component Video
With regard to TVs, DVD players, cable boxes, receivers and related consumer A/V equipment, component video generally refers to "analog" component video. The connection comprises three separate cables identified as Y, Pb and Pr (see YPbPr). Component video cables often come as five-wire sets: the three video and two more for left and right analog audio.
Digital Component Video
Component video may also refer to "digital" component video (YCbCr), which is the norm for videotape formats such as MiniDV, DV and Digital Betacam. The connection uses one cable, typically FireWire or SDI, and is natively supported by many nonlinear video editing programs (NLEs). Digital component video is also carried over HDMI cables, but to avoid confusion, the term "digital" is used to refer to HDMI signals, not "digital component." See YCbCr and chroma subsampling.
RGB: Digital or Analog
Sometimes, component video refers to RGB signals rather than YUV. It may refer to "digital" RGB, which is the native graphics format in the computer, and it is supported by all nonlinear video editing programs (NLEs).
Component video may also refer to "analog" RGB, especially with regard to a three-cable RGB attachment to a studio monitor or high-end video camera. See YUV.
Component video often refers to the three-cable attachments to consumer and professional equipment such as DVD players, receivers, set-top boxes and TVs. Digital component video (not shown here) uses only one cable.
The top diagram shows how YUV signals are mixed and distributed to outside connectors, and the device on the bottom shows the actual ports from an NVIDIA display adapter. Note that the red, green and blue sockets are not the red, green and blue of RGB. (Bottom image courtesy of NVIDIA Corporation.)