What is ‘CVBS in 1’ the yellow RCA for?

Your new replacement car stereo is an Android headunit that comes with a large number of connectors. These extra cables are usually marked with cryptic text and no written description of what they should be connected to. You may not even need to connect them, but unless you know what they are, how would you know?

Advanced features need more wires.

All the advanced features are unavailable on every Android headunit, so you may not have every wire listed in our ‘Connection Guide’ box below. But now you have a guide to every wire that should hopefully decode the cryptic text on the headunit connectors.

CBVS – the yellow RCA

CVBS is an acronym for ‘composite video baseband signal’ and is usually carried on a yellow RCA / Phono type plug and socket.

CVBS is a video signal (standard definition, analog video).

CVBS IN is a video input (incoming to the Android headunit). You can use this input to display video from, say, an old games console or composite video type analog camera on the screen of the Android headunit. CVBS is a widespread and highly universal video connector.

Although CVBS is very well supported, it has recently been replaced by HDMI leads for HD video.

CVBS IN 1 identifies it as the first (number 1) instead of 2 (number 2). This helps if there is more than one video input lead for your Android headunit.

CVBS IN 1, the first video input connector.

What does the CVBS in 1 plug look like?

The CVBS in 1 socket needs a matching RCA or Phono type plug, and it usually has a yellow jacket to help differentiate it from other, same format connectors. The color doesn’t affect its function; it just helps with the mass of wires.