Professional Video Cables & Accessories

Choosing Professional Cables and Adapters

To create highly advanced projects with your audio and video gear, you may need to use professional cables to connect all your equipment. Knowing what type of cables and adapters you need is half the battle. From audio equipment to cameras and filmmaking gadgets, different devices require different types of cables. Some may even need adapters that help cables fit with other gear.

Picking the Right Video Cables

There is an array of professional video cables made for various applications. Use HDMI cables for gaming and connecting your laptop to your television. You may also use HDMI cables to connect a Blu-ray player to your home theater setup. 4K gaming and video also rely on HDMI cables, although, you may need to get the most modern varieties available. RCA is a much older video cable and comprises of three separate connections (red, white, and yellow), but with DisplayPort 1.4 or higher, you get a cable that can handle 8K video.

Which Audio Cables Should You Use?

For basic recording and listening needs, USB is the go-to choice. You can achieve high-quality sound with USB microphones, and with USB, it may be more accessible and flexible compared to other audio cables. For example, you can use a USB cable to link up a mic with your smartphone. Phone cables are a common audio cable choice and you can use them with microphones, headphones, musical instruments, and a wide range of small electronic devices. XLR microphone cables and standard XLR cables are most useful in professional audio environments. These cables use a three-pin system for balanced audio, whether you're setting up a live performance or recording high-quality sound in a studio.

Cable Accessories

There are several cable accessories to consider for your projects. With professional video Y-cables, multiple users can listen to the same audio with two pairs of headphones connected to a single device. There are also plenty of accessories for HDMI cables, including HDMI adapters that help connect laptops and other devices that don't have built-in HDMI ports. Stereo adapters are also useful if you want to join a smaller phone cable to a larger phone port. For example, use a 1/4 to 1/8-inch phone adapter to play your electric guitar while listening to the sound with headphones.

Check out B&H Photo and Video for a wide selection of professional cables. Find cables, cords, and accessories for all your video and audio requirements.