Can Composite Cable Transmit 720P?

Composite video cables usually have yellow connectors.

Composite audio and video cables are also called RCA, which stands for Radio Corporation of America, cables. Home television setups frequently use composite cables for standard-definition television viewing. Composite cables cannot transmit 720p signals.

HDTV Defined

A true high-definition display on a standard widescreen TV must have a resolution of 720p, or 720 progressive-scan lines. The 720 scan lines stack vertically and extend across the screen horizontally, so the minimum high-definition resolution is 1280-by-720.

HDTV Cables

In order to display a 720p signal, you must use a cable that can transfer that amount of data. Common high-definition video cable types include HDMI, DVI and component.

Composite Cables

Composite cables support standard-definition signals, which have a maximum of 480i (interlaced lines) or 480p on a typical 4-by-3 standard-definition television. These 480 scan lines stack vertically and extend across the screen horizontally, so the resolution is 640-by-480. Composite cables cannot display higher-definition video content.

References

• HDTV Info Port: HDTV - Buyers Guide
• HDTV Tuners Now: Glossary