Will a short circuit in analog A/V cables cause electrical damage to connected equipment?
The amounts of power that need to be conveyed through analog A/V cables other than speaker wires is generally pretty small, and most devices which output analog audio or video are incapable of outputting so much power as to damage themselves in the event of an output short circuit.  Some devices may output power through a cable along with an audio or video signal, however, and a short between the power wire and a signal wire could cause damage.