RCA splitter question?

Question

Can i use regular RCA splitters for component video??

I am trying to split my xbox 360's component video into my TV and my new HD capture card.(to get rid of the screen lag when capturing) and am wondering what the best way to accomplish this would be??

Answer 1

Yes. The regular RCA splitters are probably the most affordable option. You could just go buy one with the standard yellow, white, and red inputs and outputs. Then just take the component red, green, and blue and just match them up with any colors as long as they are all the same.

For example:

RED TO RED

BLUE TO WHITE

GREEN TO YELLOW

They are all the same wires inside just with different color coded ends. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Yes, you can.

The plastic color of the splitter/wire doesn't matter (whether it's color coded or just black).  The point of the colors is helping you remember what goes where.  I like to take a Sharpie and masking tape to "color" my wires' plugs correctly if I don't have the right color one.  Then I can also write which wire goes to what device.

The important part is that you hook up the correct plugs on the xbox output to the correct inputs on the TV and Capture Card.

I suggest plugging the first splitter into "Y" (green) output and hook up all the wires to the corrisponding "Y" input on the TV and video card.  Then hook up another splitter to "Pb" (blue) output and hook up the corrisponding "Pb" input on the TV and video card.  Then the only thing left is "Pr" (red) to the "Pr" inputs.

My only reason for the sequence of hooking things up is it helps make sure you don't mix up the unlabeled/miscolored splitter wires.  If you plugged in all the splitters you wouldn't know what pigtail goes where and could get confused...I've been there and you have to rip it all out to make any sense of it.