Component HD AV Cable

Description

The Xbox 360 Component HD AV Cable is Microsoft’s official high‑definition analogue video lead released alongside the console in 2005, designed to connect the system to televisions that lacked HDMI but supported component input. Despite HDMI quickly becoming ubiquitous across consumer electronics, Microsoft chose not to provide HDMI or any other digital output to the original Xbox 360. This cable was included with most early ‘Pro’ console sets except in Japan, where the D-Terminal HD AV Cable took its place. D-Terminal carried the same video signal as component but in a nicer, more featured single plug, like HDMI.

This cable terminates in six colour‑coded RCA plugs — red, green and blue for video, plus red and white for stereo audio. This allowed the Xbox 360 to output resolutions up to 1080i over component, giving early adopters access to high‑definition gaming. The cable provides both component YPbPr and composite video RCA (yellow jack), which could be used simultaneously albeit only in SD. A switch on the console‑side connector to toggle between standard TV and HDTV modes. The connector includes an optical audio port on the connector, which was lacking on the console.

The cable reflects the console’s transitional design: Microsoft had to market this as the premium video option even though it was already technically dated. Later hardware revisions beginning with the Xbox 360 Elite in 2007, finally added HDMI, and from that point the Component HD AV Cable quickly became redundant. In hindsight, the accessory is remembered less as a feature and more as evidence of how the 360’s launch hardware lagged behind the emerging digital standard.

It is notable the best analogue video cable available was the VGA HD AV Cable that shared a similar design. While component could go up to 1080i/720p, HDMI 1080p, where VGA output supported 1080p or even 1200p. My initial time with the Xbox 360 was played at 1920×1200 on a 16:10 monitor, which although analogue, was above the output provided by HDMI.

Part Number: X810972-001. Retail SKU varied by region, including B4V-00004 in North America and B4V-00005 in Japan.