TV Coaxial Cables
Pay TV brings us hours of entertainment and continues to do so, even with the advent of the Internet, but in order to watch pay TV, you need to invest in good TV cables to ensure the best reception of video signals. Coaxial cables are one of the most important television accessories for setting up and completing a pay TV system.
What are TV Coaxial Cables?
The structure of a coaxial cable consists of an inner conductor is surrounded by an insulating layer, then a metallic shield, and very often, another insulating jacket on top of the metal shield. This kind of cable holds in the electricity conducted within the cable well, with little leakage, but at the same time prevents interferences from external electric and magnetic fields due to the presence of the insulating jacket and metal shield. For this reason, coaxial cables are perfect for carrying weaker signals that cannot withstand interference as well as for strong signals that cannot leak out. Connectors on a coaxial cable can be male-male, female-female, or male-female, depending on what you need.
RG6 and RG7 Cables
The RG6 type of coaxial cable is one of the most commonly used for pay TV systems, and typically comes with F-type connectors. It comes in two subtypes, the RG6/U and the RG6/UG. The former has either one or two layers of shielding, while the latter has four layers, or what we call a quad configuration. The more the number of layers, the more effective the cable is at holding in signals and preventing interference. The RG6 has an impedance of 75 ohms, just like the RG7, another popular option. The RG7 has double shielding and is generally thicker in width.
Other TV Coaxial Cables
Besides the RG6 and RG7, there are other TV coaxial cables available, including the RG11/U, RG-59/U, RG-59A/U, 3C-2V, RG-60/U, and so on. For this reason, it is important to check that the cable fits the system you are setting up. There are various branded and unbranded/generic TV coaxial cables to choose from, all at price points that are comfortable for you.