Many types of video coax. What’re the differences and how select?

In brief, there are three of essential factors :

• Center conductor
• Insulation
• Shield

Each factor has its advantage and disadvantage as described below:

• Center Conductor : two types existing, “Solid” and “Stranded”. Stranded conductor is more flexible and therefore the best choice for mobile and stage use.
• Insulation : includes “Solid”, “Foamed”, and “Highly - foamed” types. Foamed and highly - foamed insulation would perform better attenuation, compared to the solid type thus they are often selected for hi - def video. However, since foamed and high - foamed insulation contain the air physically, they are weak to external pressure. You should pay attention to where and how the cables are installed.
• Shield : we have “Braided” and “Braided with aluminum foil” type. Braided shields include single, double, or triple layers as well as bare copper or tinned copper. Braided with aluminum foil offers perfect screening, but they are not suitable for repeated bending and mobile applications due to the foil’s lack of strength. In that case, it’s better to choose “Braided”.

What is Propagation Delay?

Propagation delay refers to the time required for a signal to be transmitted from one end of connection to another. In the case of cable transmission, this greatly depends on the materials and construction of the actual cable, and large differences in delay can cause transmission errors if they exceed the receiver delay tolerance.

The following table shows the differences in coaxial cable propagation delay time relative to the insulation type. Propagation Delay Caused by Coaxial Cable Insulation (reference)

Canare cables

We can offer you the complete range of products from the renowned Japanese manufacturer Canare, a leader in the market for over 50 years, providing high-quality cables and accessories for video experts and telecommunications. Their offerings include audio, video, and data cables, as well as fiber optics and cable accessories such as connectors, tools, patch panels, and reels.

In our store, we primarily feature Canare BNC or SDI cables for seamless signal transmission in video production. If you require any Canare products not listed in our store, please send us an inquiry. For a comprehensive overview of Canare's offerings, we recommend reviewing their brochures available on the Canare website.