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Types of RG6 Cables
The term "RG6" refers to coaxial cables used for TV and antennas, video distribution and downleads from satellite dishes. They all have a "characteristic impedance" of 75 ohms and use an 18 American Wire Gauge center conductor, which has a diameter of 0.04 inches. The cable has an overall diameter of 0.27 inches. However, the term does not specify quality. You might buy a cheap generic cable with the braiding reduced to a minimum and a copper-covered steel center conductor. At the other extreme, you could buy a densely braided cable with a solid copper center conductor and nitrogen-injected foam dielectric.
Multiple Shield
Dual-shielded coax uses a layer of foil and a layer of plaited braid for shielding. Quad shield uses alternate layers of foil and braid. This improves reception, particularly at higher frequencies used by satellite dishes. It also costs more. The better quality cables will copper instead of steel or aluminum. Cheaper cables also will have a thin coating of copper on the outside of the dielectric. The cheapest have no foil, only braiding.
Dielectric Types
The dielectric is the insulating material surrounding the center conductor, keeping it separate from the shielding. Cheaper cables use solid polyethylene. Better quality cables make this plastic into a foam by injecting air to form bubbles. Larger bubbles in this cable improve performance, but you must be careful when installing this type of cable to avoid kinks that can crush the bubbles.
Water Infiltration
Water entering the cable can harm performance. Well-shielded cable prevents this from happening. There also is "flood-proof" cable.