How to Connect a Security Camera to a TV Without HDMI
By Marlo Strydom · Updated
You can connect some security cameras to a TV without HDMI through a compatible composite video connection, or use a recorder’s VGA output if the TV has a VGA input. The camera or recorder must produce a video signal the TV accepts. Matching the shape of two connectors is not enough.
Start with the recorder you have
Before buying anything, check whether you are connecting one camera directly or displaying cameras through an existing DVR or NVR. If you already use a recorder, its display outputs are usually the first place to look.
Identify both ends of the connection
Read the port labels and the manuals for the camera, recorder and TV. Record both the connector and its video format. A DVR usually receives cameras over coaxial cable; an NVR receives network-camera streams. Check your recorder’s actual inputs and outputs, since hybrid models also exist.
Swipe across the table to see all three columns.
| Your equipment | Possible route without HDMI | What must match |
|---|---|---|
| Camera with a CVBS composite output; TV with composite AV input | Coax video cable and the appropriate BNC-to-RCA connection | Both ends must support composite video and the applicable PAL/NTSC format. |
| DVR or NVR with VGA output; TV with VGA/PC input | VGA cable from recorder to TV | A resolution and refresh rate accepted by both devices. |
| Recorder with a composite video output; TV with composite input | Recorder video output to the TV’s AV input | Confirm the socket is a video output and what view it can display. |
| HD analog camera using TVI, AHD or CVI; TV with composite input only | A recorder or active converter explicitly supporting both formats | An ordinary connector adapter will not convert HD analog video to CVBS. |
| Network camera with Ethernet or Wi-Fi only | A compatible recorder, decoder or supported viewing app | The receiving device must understand the camera’s stream. A passive cable cannot decode a network camera’s video stream. |
For examples of why the format matters, CCTV Camera Pros distinguishes composite cameras from HD analog cameras in its TV connection guide.
Connect a composite camera to the TV’s AV input
This method applies to a camera that actually outputs CVBS composite video. A BNC connector alone does not establish that: some cameras with the same connector output a different signal. CCTV Camera Pros describes a compatible direct connection in its camera-to-TV support answer.
- Confirm that the camera outputs CVBS. For a multi-format model, follow its manual to select the correct output mode.
- Identify the TV’s composite video input, often a yellow RCA socket. Some TVs need a model-specific AV breakout lead; check the TV manual before buying one.
- With the equipment switched off, connect the camera’s video output to that input using a suitable video cable and a BNC-to-RCA adapter where required.
- Power the camera with its specified supply, turn on the TV, and choose AV, Video or Composite as the source.
The red and white RCA sockets are normally for audio, not the camera picture. A direct video connection displays the feed; it does not add recording unless another device records it.
A connector adapter changes how a cable attaches. It does not decode TVI, AHD or CVI. If both plugs fit but there is no picture, verify the signal type before replacing the cable.
Use the recorder’s VGA output
If your TV has a VGA input, connect it to the DVR or NVR’s VGA output and choose the TV’s PC or VGA source. Select an output resolution supported by both devices. Check the recorder manual: available resolutions can differ between its HDMI and VGA outputs.
VGA carries video without audio. Reolink confirms this distinction in its NVR display-port documentation. If sound is needed, check whether both pieces of equipment support a separate compatible audio connection.
If the TV shows the recorder’s startup logo and then loses the picture, the operating output resolution is one thing to investigate. Use a compatible display to access the recorder’s settings if necessary. Reolink’s no-video troubleshooting page covers cable, display and resolution checks for its NVRs.
Check a recorder’s composite output carefully
A recorder may have many BNC sockets for camera inputs and a separate socket for video output. Connecting the TV to a camera input will not send it a picture. Look specifically for labels such as Video Out, CVBS Out or Spot Out, and confirm their purpose in the manual.
A spot output may show a selected camera or sequence rather than the same menus and layout as the main display. As a concrete example, the Viewtron VT-DVR-4 specifications list HDMI, VGA and a CVBS main-or-spot output. Check your recorder’s specifications for the same feature before buying a cable.
If your camera only connects to the network
An Ethernet port carries network data. Connecting an IP camera to the TV’s network socket does not turn the TV into a camera viewer. You need a compatible way to receive and decode the video, such as an NVR with a suitable display output.
If avoiding a physical display cable is the real aim, check whether your camera manufacturer supports a viewing app on your exact TV platform. Do not assume that “smart TV” means it can open every camera stream.
A computer may be a simpler existing screen to use. Our guide to viewing CCTV on a laptop over the local network covers that route. The separate laptop screen connection guide explains why a laptop’s display connector is usually an output.
Before buying a converter
Write the required direction in plain language: for example, “camera’s TVI output to TV’s composite input.” Check that the converter explicitly supports that direction, video format, resolution and power requirements. A product described only as “BNC adapter” is not enough information.
If your existing camera, recorder and TV have no compatible route, compare the complete converter setup with using another display you already own. The guide to choosing a screen for CCTV can help assess input compatibility and screen size before spending money.
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