RCA connector - technical definition

A plug and socket for a coaxial cable that is widely used to connect audio and video components. Comprising two wires; an inner signal and an outer ground, they are found on every TV, DVD player, stereo amplifier, set-top box and countless other devices. Also known as a "phono connector" because in the 1940s, Radio Corporation of America (RCA) designed it to cable an RCA Victor "phonograph" turntable to the radio to greatly amplify the sound. Of course, only one jack was used as it carried a monophonic signal, not stereo.

Typically used for analog signals, RCA and mini-phone are the most widely used connector types on consumer equipment (see mini-phone connector). See coaxial cable and A/V ports.