How to Convert AV Cables to USB

By James Clark

Updated September 28, 2017

Items you will need

  • AV cables

  • AV to USB adapter

  • Component with AV jacks

  • Component with USB port

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Audio/Video cables make quick work of connecting home theater components with standard jacks, but the proliferation of electronic devices with different ports and jacks can make it challenging to integrate different types of equipment. Computers, cell phones and MP3 players, for example, often use USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports for connecting other devices. When a user wants to connect a CD player to a computer, for example, there needs to be some sort of converter in place to change the round audio plugs to a USB plug. An adapter is the key to this conversion.

Connect the AV cables to the AV to USB adapter by inserting the yellow video plug in the yellow jack, and the white and red audio plugs in the corresponding color-coded jacks.

Connect the other end of the adapter cable, which terminates in a USB plug, into a free USB port on an electronic device.

Plug the AV cables into an audio-video device, using the yellow plug for the Video OUT connection, and white and red for the Audio OUT connections. This setup transmits picture and sound from the AV device to the USB device.

Tips

Use an S-video plug with a USB adapter whenever possible for improved picture quality. Adapters are often equipped with both standard composite video plugs and S-video plugs. An example is linked in "References," below.

Warnings

Unplug all components from the wall outlet while hooking up AV and USB cables.

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