The demise of the DIN socket

[Arran]

Have you noticed that DIN sockets are no longer as common now as they were in the late 20th century.

They were found on tape recorders, radios, Hi-Fis, televisions, video recorders, 8 and 16 bit computers, and PCs. They are still around as an S-Video connector and some PCs have PS/2 sockets on their motherboards but they are no longer in regular use in consumer electronics.

[Richard1978]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

I've noticed the 5 pin DIN seemed to be replaced by either 2 photo sockets or a 3.5mm jack on audio equipment.

A few years ago I bought a leads kit from Argos with some adaptors included that had a DIN at one end.

[jamesa]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

I think DIN was more convenient and less wires, but the phono sockets maybe allowed for better quality cables and connections - in a way that one as we have gone back to them!

[Chris-T]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

Annoying that some of my UK boomboxes have DIN sockets yet the U.S market same model have phono (RCA) sockets... DIN seemed not to work as expected in many cases.

[Richard1978]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

I've found a good site linked before with lots of info on old radios, many of which have DIN connections.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/

At one time a lot of Hi-fi equipment seemed to be fitted with DIN sockets rather than RCA ones, mostly ones made in Europe.

[staffslad]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

I remember the DIN socket very well. There was one included on Video recorders I bought in the 80s and early 90s. I still have 3 video recorders, all from the early 2000s or late 90s, and none has a DIN.

[Arran]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

Annoying that some of my UK boomboxes have DIN sockets yet the U.S market same model have phono (RCA) sockets... DIN seemed not to work as expected in many cases.

DIN is European in origin (German) whereas RCA sockets are American in origin. RCA sockets were rare on products sold in Europe until the late 1970s and they were mostly found on Japanese products.

[Richard1978]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

DIN is European in origin (German) whereas RCA sockets are American in origin. RCA sockets were rare on products sold in Europe until the late 1970s and they were mostly found on Japanese products.

Yes I was thinking that, but I've seen a few Japanese devices with a DIN socket on.

My Dad's 1970s Trio amplifier has mostly RCA connections but also a DIN for the tape connection.

[Arran]

Re: The demise of the DIN socket

The old DIN audio standard with 5 pin 180 deg sockets uses a different voltage and impedance from the consumer line level standard with RCA connectors. Audio DIN sockets used on TVs and video recorders are consumer line level standard. So is SCART. An exceptional case are tape recorder sockets on TVs and power amplifiers that are the DIN audio standard.