I have ordered some cables online, but they have not arrived yet. I currently have several sets of composite cables (with the red, white, and yellow connectors). I also have a set of monster audio cables with two connectors. Is it OK to use the composite cable combined with the audio cable as a component connection. I realize this may not produce the ideal picture, but it will allow me to get HD from my cable box until my real cables arrive. Is there any danger of this damaging anything? I wouldn't think so, but I'm a little gun shy since I had to return a TV today with a messed up display.

Thanks

YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT!
Your component connections are strictly video, Red, Green, Blue. The audio connections should not be placed in the component inputs. In addition to not doing anything, there may exist a slim possibility of damaging those inputs component inputs with audio signals.
If you want Hi-Def, you've gotta play by the rules. This means real component cable connections or HDMI.

Is it OK to use the composite cable combined with the audio cable as a component connection.Yes!

discopaul didn't read your query properly. :eek:

All you want to do is use an RCA-to-RCA cable with composite (yellow colour) and stereo audio (red & white colours) in place of a "component" cable with red, green and blue coloured plugs. Just watch which is which, ie. red for red, yellow for green and white for blue.

The cheap composite+audio cable may not have the bandwidth of a dedicated component cable but I doubt you'll be able to tell the difference unless the cable is very long.

Oops :o
OK, I guess it's bedtime :D
Oh, and yes, using the cables will work.

It's confusing to call them "component cables" because "component" refers to a specific kind of cable that transmits only video signal and has three cables (Red, Green, Blue) and has a very good picture. If you use these three "component cables" you will also need two audio cables (left right).

Yes, you can use the composite cable (single video cable known for poor quality) along with two audio cables to hook up your equipment, but try to graduate to three bona fide "component cables" in the future to get a better picture, or try hdmi or dvi connections.

Thanks for all of the helpful responses!

Component cables have more bandwidth and more shielding than composite (especially audio cables). It may work as a temporary fix but with decent component cables selling for less than $25 at WalMart why bother?

Okay so a little of a layman's question:

Color code for video cables/input/output:
Red and White = audio
Yellow = video (composite)
Blue, Green, Magenta, etc. = video (component)

Is this correct?

Composite (also known as RS170 or NTSC) is where the three colors are wrapped around each other and transmitted on ONE WIRE, hense the term Composite. Component video does not wrap them together and therefore does not have to "strip" them once received in the set. Some content/detail may/is lost in this composite/decomposite activity.

The use of a cable that has different color plastic tips will not matter unless you get them confused. Better cables offer less corruption, better impedance matching. But in a pinch, a wire is a wire.

decent component cables selling for less than $25 at WalMart$25!! :eek:

How 'bout $3.27 for component+stereo from monoprice.com (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10235&cs_id=1023501&p_id=2182&style=&seq=1&format=1#largeimage) ?!

http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/21821.jpg

Color code for video cables/input/output:
Red and White = audio
Yellow = video (composite)
Blue, Green, Magenta, etc. = video (component)See Color coding in consumer equipment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector#Color_coding_in_consumer_equipment).

See Color coding in consumer equipment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector#Color_coding_in_consumer_equipment).

Wow, it has every color code for every AV cable/connection. Wahoo!!!

Thanks indeed :)