Building Your Encoding Hardware - A Practical Guide to Video and Audio Compression - page 451

sensitive to a drop in the signal level. This connection is good for about 100 feet of cable.
Racks that are further away can be connected with fiberoptic transducers with only a local
signal being carried via coax.
Bear in mind that audio signals may either be embedded in the serial digital stream
or be supplied separately.

29.4.2 Composite

This is an analog signal predominantly used as a consumer format. Some older offline studio
systems and desktop-monitoring equipment may use this format as well. Composite video is
delivered on a single-screened cable and connector using an RCA jack (i.e., a phono plug).

29.4.3 S-Video

S-video is designed as a superior connection for consumer equipment that delivers the luma
and chroma signals down separate wires. It is connected together with a 4-way cable that
has special mini-plugs at each end. In an emergency, an Apple ADB keyboard cable will serve
as an S-video connector. This signal may also be delivered via a SCART (Peritel) connector.

29.5 Audio Connectivity

Audio comes in several flavors, depending on whether you are connecting consumer or
professional equipment. In broadcasting systems, the audio may be supplied in a variety
of formats:

Unbalanced mono

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Unbalanced dual mono or stereo

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Balanced mono or stereo

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AES digital audio

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SPDIF

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Surround DTS, THX, Dolby, AC3, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1

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29.5.1 Consumer Audio

Stereo audio from line-out sockets on domestic hi-fi equipment connects using RCA
phono jacks. Originally designed for connecting hi-fi separates, it is now often found on
computer audio input/output (I/O) panels and mixing desks. Each wire carries an unbal-
anced analog mono signal.

29.5.2 Balanced Analog Audio

Refer to Chapter 7 for a discussion on balanced audio and how it works. The signal is trans-
mitted down two wires with a common ground. External USB and FireWire interfaces and