RCA cables, also known as composite cables, are generally a set of 3 cables, one of which carries video (yellow, usually a heavier cable), and two that carry audio (white and red). These cables can appear in a number of varieties: 2 cables instead of 3 (only one audio cable - only provides mono sound), different colors (ex. yellow, red, black), and all cables being the same thickness.

The advantages of using RCA cables instead of coax are: slightly higher quality video, stereo sound (up to Dolby Prologic through a stereo receiver), less right-side RF interference.

When installing these cables into a television, it must be in the appropriate input mode. Specific names for these modes depend on the television, are generally labeled near the physical input on the device into which the RCA cables are being inserted, and may be numbered if multiple such inputs exist (such as two sets of RCA inputs being labeled "Input1" and "Input2". Some examples are: Input, Video, Aux, Source, Line, L, or even virtual channels - channels that don't exist through standard off-air broadcasts, such as ch. 0, 1, 91, 92, 95, etc. If also connecting a VCR using these cables, the VCR must be on and must be in its appropriate input mode to view satellite programming.

DISH Network doesn't recommend runs over 12' and RCA cables should not exceed 20'.

If properly installed RCA cabes begin to fail, symptoms can include:

Video cable: Intermittent, dark, or complete loss of video.
Audio cable(s): Intermittent audio on one or both feeds, increased susceptibility to interference, ground hum, or complete audio loss on one or both feeds.