Understanding the Function of a 3 Prong Cord for Audio-Video Equipment

[Line]

I'm having a little dilema. I just got a portable DVD player from Minitek.
I plug a cord into the AV out jack. When I plugged it into the audio-video input jacks on my tv it didn't work.

But that's not my quest. I want to know how a cord which has 1 prong on 1 end and 3 on the other splits the signal. I have a red ,white,and yellow prongs on the end with colors the correspond to each jack. I want to know how if the signals go in through 1 connection how do they split and into 3 connections. Does each signal go to eachprong or do they majicaly go to certain prongs?

 

[chroot]

If you look closely at the "single" connector, which plugs into your DVD player, you'll likely see that there are, in fact, several metal contacts, each separated from the others by a strip of plastic. The cable actually consists of three independent signal wires, each connected to one of the three contacts on the "single" connector.

- Warren

 

[Ouabache]

The second plug down on this http://www.maisoneo.com/images/products/komelec/kitpc-tv_b.jpg illustrates the concept that chroot described. This kind of plug may also be found on stereo jacks though wired to different signals.