S-Video vs Composite

[folkboat]

Apparently S-Video has a better output/picture than composite for TV-out on a video card.
Unfortunatly my GBPVR system forces me to use composite (not enough inputs into my receiver)..........yes even my DVD players are composite.

I would like to buy a video card with S-Video out and use a S-Video too composite adapter. (Someday I may upgrade my receiver to S-Video switching). Config: NTSC, SDTV.

Has anyone done this??? Do they work??

[zehd]

Apparently S-Video has a better output/picture than composite for TV-out on a video card.
Unfortunatly my GBPVR system forces me to use composite (not enough inputs into my receiver)..........yes even my DVD players are composite.

I would like to buy a video card with S-Video out and use a S-Video too composite adapter. (Someday I may upgrade my receiver to S-Video switching). Config: NTSC, SDTV.

Has anyone done this??? Do they work??

Yes it works. The adapter might look like this...

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

I too have an arrangement like what you are talking about. My Cable Set Top box connects to my pvr150 with s-video and my video card outputs composite with a cable like pictured above.

Although some documentation says that you must use the same type video all around, the computer PVR does the 'translation'...

[Paulp33]

There is absolutely no advantage to doing this. The reason that svideo gives a better picture is that the signal is split into colour and brightness components which better preserves the quality of the recombined picture. If you recombine the signal before the display device you will get the same result as if it was generated as a composite signal to start with.

[gEd]

you're right but don't most video cards have s-video outputs istead of composite?

[folkboat]

I do realize there are no advantages to converting S-Video to composite, other than being able to have a wider choice of video cards. Additionally if in the future my GBPVR/TV/Surround Sound Receiver should change and allow me to use S-video I won't need to buy another card.

Finally - HDTV is a looooong way off for me, so digital DVI output although common on cards offers no advantage either.

Just wanted to know if anyone has used the adapter, and if it really works.

Thanks

[Paulp33]

I do realize there are no advantages to converting S-Video to composite, other than being able to have a wider choice of video cards. Additionally if in the future my GBPVR/TV/Surround Sound Receiver should change and allow me to use S-video I won't need to buy another card.

Finally - HDTV is a looooong way off for me, so digital DVI output although common on cards offers no advantage either.

Just wanted to know if anyone has used the adapter, and if it really works.

Thanks

I misunderstood the reason for your query. I have tried an adapter in the past and it worked fine. I don't think that the adapter does any combining of the signal, it just connects the required pins so that the signal is composite rather than svideo (ie you set the card to composite output so it only uses two of the four pins in the svideo plug to output the signal and these two pins are connected through the adapter to the RCA plug).

[zehd]

Simply because it produces a slightly better picture than the S-Video lead does. It shouldn't, but it does....

yeah s-video should, and for me does, provide a better picture. But I think for folkboat (and for me) he has no choice given his current receiver configuration. It only does composite..

Currently, I'm using the composite-only reciever because it has older dolby prologic that gives me the surround. (which is really only an audio issue) If I were to change it to a great 5.1/7.1 PC speaker set, I could remove the receiver altogether, also the cd player, VHS (put it in the basement) and DVD player, because the PVR can do all my media already...

For now, the important thing, for me, is that I have s-video from my Cable box to my tuner, so that the recordings are a better picture.

And for HDTV, man, you can't believe how much I'm looking forward to me winning the lottery, the horse to come in, my five month old to start modelling...