When choosing an SDI cable, it's easy to focus on one specification: the maximum signal rate.

But two cables that both support professional SDI video may be very different physically.

Cable diameter, flexibility, attenuation and required transmission distance can all affect which coaxial cable is best for a particular video production system.

Three common choices are Mini RG59, RG59 and RG6.

Understanding the differences can help you build a cleaner installation without using a cable that's unnecessarily large—or selecting one that's too small for the required distance.

FIRST: SDI CABLE IS MORE THAN JUST COAX

Professional SDI video systems use 75-ohm coaxial cable and 75-ohm connectors.

However, cable size and construction can vary significantly.

As SDI data rates increase from HD-SDI and 3G-SDI to 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI, signal loss becomes increasingly important.

Generally, larger professional video coax provides lower attenuation and can support longer transmission distances. The tradeoff is additional diameter, weight and reduced flexibility.

That's why there isn't one perfect SDI cable for every application.

WHAT IS MINI RG59?

Mini RG59 is designed for installations where compact size and flexibility are important.

A good example is 4855R Mini RG59 12G-SDI cable, which has a compact diameter of approximately 4.5 mm.

Its smaller size makes Mini RG59 particularly useful inside:

• Equipment racks
• Fly packs
• Production cases
• Broadcast trucks
• Patch panels
• Camera rigs
• Switcher installations
• High-density routing environments

Imagine connecting 20 or 30 SDI cables behind a video router.

Cable diameter suddenly matters.

Using smaller cable can reduce congestion considerably and make equipment easier to install, route and service.

WHEN SHOULD YOU CHOOSE MINI RG59?

Mini RG59 is especially attractive for shorter equipment interconnects.

For example, connections between a switcher, router, recorder and monitor within the same rack often don't require a large RG6 cable.

A smaller cable provides professional connectivity while being considerably easier to route.

Mini RG59 is also an excellent option for portable systems where reducing cable bulk and weight is valuable.

The tradeoff is attenuation. As transmission distance increases, a larger cable may become the better choice.

View AV-Cables 12G-SDI Mini RG59 Cable Options →

WHAT IS STANDARD RG59?

Standard RG59 occupies the middle ground.

It's larger than Mini RG59 but smaller and generally easier to handle than RG6.

For professional video applications, the appropriate 75-ohm RG59 cable can provide an excellent combination of:

Performance + Flexibility + Manageable Cable Diameter

This makes RG59 useful for installations where Mini RG59 may not provide the desired transmission distance but RG6 would be unnecessarily large.

Common RG59 Applications

• Studio installations
• Equipment-to-equipment connections
• Medium-distance production runs
• Control rooms
• Corporate AV installations
• Houses of worship
• Mobile production systems

RG59 can be particularly useful when you're trying to balance cable management with lower signal loss.

View Professional 12G-SDI RG59 Cable Options →

WHAT IS RG6?

RG6 is the largest of these three common cable families.

Its larger construction generally provides lower attenuation, making it particularly useful for longer SDI transmission distances.

Professional RG6 video coax is commonly used for:

• Long facility runs
• Permanent installations
• Studios
• Arenas and venues
• Broadcast facilities
• Machine rooms
• Control rooms
• Longer camera or equipment connections

The downside is physical size.

If you're connecting two devices three feet apart inside a rack, RG6 may provide little practical benefit while making cable management more difficult.

View AV-Cables RG6 SDI Cable Options →

MINI RG59 VS RG59 VS RG6 — QUICK COMPARISON

BIGGER ISN'T AUTOMATICALLY BETTER

It's tempting to assume that the largest cable is always the best cable.

Technically, a lower-loss cable can provide greater transmission capability.

But installations involve more than signal loss.

A production rack containing dozens of short RG6 cables can quickly become difficult to manage.

Likewise, selecting a miniature cable solely because it's easier to route may not be appropriate for a long 12G-SDI connection.

The goal should be to select the smallest practical cable that reliably supports the required signal and transmission distance.

That produces a cleaner installation without sacrificing performance.

6G-SDI VS 12G-SDI — DOES IT CHANGE YOUR CABLE CHOICE?

Yes.

The required SDI data rate matters.

A cable may be capable of considerably longer transmission distances at HD-SDI or 3G-SDI than at 12G-SDI.

As signal bandwidth increases, attenuation becomes increasingly important.

When designing a 12G-SDI system, don't assume that a cable distance you've successfully used for 3G-SDI will automatically provide the same results at 12G.

Check the performance specifications for the specific cable being used.

AV-Cables offers professional cable assemblies for both 6G-SDI applications and 12G-SDI applications.

DON'T FORGET THE CONNECTORS

Cable selection is only part of the signal path.

Professional SDI assemblies should use true 75-ohm connectors appropriate for digital video.

Depending on your equipment, that could include:

BNC

The traditional professional video connector and still one of the most widely used connections throughout broadcast and professional production environments.

HD-BNC

HD-BNC cable assemblies provide professional 75-ohm connectivity in a much smaller connector footprint.

They are particularly useful on high-density professional equipment such as routers, switchers, cameras, multiviewers and video interfaces.

DIN 1.0/2.3

DIN 1.0/2.3 broadcast cables provide another compact connection commonly found on professional video equipment.

The coax and connector should always be considered together as part of the complete signal path.

WHAT ABOUT MULTI-CHANNEL SDI SNAKE CABLES?

Cable diameter becomes even more important when several SDI channels need to travel together.

A multi-channel SDI snake containing four, five or more coaxial cables can become bulky very quickly.

Using miniature 12G-capable coax can provide a compact solution for:

• Live production
• Portable production systems
• Fly packs
• Broadcast trucks
• Sports production
• Corporate AV
• Houses of worship
• Staging and rental companies

Custom snake assemblies can also simplify setup because multiple video connections travel together as a single organized harness.

AV-Cables manufactures custom broadcast SDI snake cables for professional production applications, including multi-channel 6G and 12G-SDI configurations.

Explore Custom Broadcast Snake Cables →

WHICH SDI CABLE SHOULD YOU BUY?

Start with three questions.

1. WHAT SDI SIGNAL ARE YOU CARRYING?

HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI have different transmission requirements.

2. HOW LONG IS THE CABLE RUN?

Short equipment interconnects and long facility runs shouldn't automatically use the same cable.

3. HOW IMPORTANT ARE CABLE SIZE AND FLEXIBILITY?

Rack installations, fly packs and portable production systems often benefit considerably from smaller coax.

Once you know those three things, choosing between Mini RG59, RG59 and RG6 becomes much easier.

AV-CABLES PROFESSIONAL SDI CABLE ASSEMBLIES

AV-Cables manufactures professional SDI cable assemblies for broadcast, video production, corporate AV, houses of worship, OEM, government and live-production applications.

Available configurations include:

• Mini RG59 12G-SDI cables
• RG59 12G-SDI cables
• RG6 SDI cables
• 6G-SDI cable assemblies
• 12G-SDI cable assemblies
• HD-BNC cable assemblies
• DIN 1.0/2.3 cable assemblies
• Multi-channel SDI snake cables
• Custom lengths and connector configurations

Our professional SDI cable assemblies are hand-assembled in the USA and individually tested before shipment.

AV-Cables — Professional Broadcast Connectivity Solutions