The Conductive PE layer is black. When initially stripping back the cable, it appears that both conductors are black. The red and white PE insulators are under the black layer of conductive PE. Please note that since it's conductive, it must be stripped back a bit prior to soldering. Finally, it's important to note that while PVC is cheaper than PE, we chose PE because it is the best choice. There are plenty of cheap cables on the market. We wanted to build the best.