Coaxial vs. S-video: Help me decide.

[Arschloch]

I just had Dish Network installed at home. It has connections available for coaxial cable, A/V cable, and S-video.

Right now, I have it hooked up to my TV using coax, simply because that's all I had. My question is this: Is it worth buying the necessary things to upgrade to S-video?

I'd need to buy the S-video cable, of course. I'd also have to get some kind of a switch-box because my Dreamcast is currently using the A/V connection on the TV. I'd really rather not have to change the A/V cables out every time I want to play Dreamcast.

I've never experienced S-video before, so that's why I'm so clueless. Any suggestions? Is it worth shelling out the extra money for the cable and the switch-box? If so, where would you recommend I buy them (i.e., somewhere cheaper than Radio Shack)?

Thanks.

 

[Adul]

S-video provides a sharper, clearer image because the signal is seperated in the svhs cable. That provides a cleaner signal which provides a better picture overall.

 

[AnthraX101]

Personaly, I would say -yes-. It is deffiniatly worth it to switch over. Get some decent cable (radio shack gold), and if possible plug in your dreamcast into another AVInput, so you just have to change the channel. If you dumb down the SVideo so it goes to RCA, it's not worth it.

Armani

 

[JoeKing]

Really depends on your TV. Coax combines your signal into one line. I usually go S-Video whenever I can, but if you plan to run your S-vid through your A/V connector you'll lose most video gains you would normally see if it was connected directly to a TV with s-vid input. Then again S-vid cables only cost a few buck so go to radio shack buy the cable...and if you don't like the improvment return it

 

[Arschloch]

Thanks for the input. I'll try to be a little clearer.

My TV does have a separate S-video connection. However, I know that in order to get audio with S-video hooked up, I still have to use RCA cables. At least, that's the impression I was under -- use the S-video connection for video, and two of the three RCA cables for audio. Is this correct? Or is this not the correct way to set up S-video?

Unfortunately, there's only one AV Input on the TV. So, if I'm using that for the audio coming from the satellite, then I have no way to hook up the Dreamcast without some kind of AV switch box.

Suggestions?

 

[Sugadaddy]

<< Thanks for the input. I'll try to be a little clearer.

My TV does have a separate S-video connection. However, I know that in order to get audio with S-video hooked up, I still have to use RCA cables. At least, that's the impression I was under -- use the S-video connection for video, and two of the three RCA cables for audio. Is this correct? Or is this not the correct way to set up S-video?

Unfortunately, there's only one AV Input on the TV. So, if I'm using that for the audio coming from the satellite, then I have no way to hook up the Dreamcast without some kind of AV switch box.

Suggestions? >>




Yes, that's correct. Though you wouldn't need an A/V switchbox, just an audio splitter, which should also be cheap. (red/white is the audio BTW)

And definitely use S-Video if you can, coax sucks.

 

[Arschloch]

<< Yes, that's correct. Though you wouldn't need an A/V switchbox, just an audio splitter, which should also be cheap. (red/white is the audio BTW)

And definitely use S-Video if you can, coax sucks. >>


When you say an audio splitter, do you mean something like this: Circuited 2-Way Splitter
It's from Wal-Mart's site. It's a Philips two-way splitter... "allows two components to receive the same 75 ohm signal." Something like this?

-Arschloch

 

[Captain4]

No, the splitter you are looking at is for coax. Make sure you get a Y-splitter for RCA audio cables. Should have it at BB or someplace. S-video is definitely better. I use it on my ReplayTV and notice a definite improvement in picture clarity over standard RCA cables.

 

[cressida]

hm.. I think he means just regular rca audio splitters

 

[Sugadaddy]

Nope, that's a coax splitter. You need a composite audio splitter. Like 2 of these... .
Just make sure you don't turn both the DC and Dish on at the same time, or you'll be hearing weird stuff...



edit: Or two of these, even cheaper...

 

[Arschloch]

<< No, the splitter you are looking at is for coax. Make sure you get a Y-splitter for RCA audio cables. Should have it at BB or someplace. S-video is definitely better. I use it on my ReplayTV and notice a definite improvement in picture clarity over standard RCA cables. >>


You're right; I'm a moron. Why I didn't recognize that that splitter was for coax is beyond me.

Anyway, I am looking for a splitter online just so I know what to look for when I'm at my local BB / Radio Shack. Can anyone find one of these?

Thanks.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

definitely svideo, coaxial doesnt even compare

 

[Captain4]

<<

<< No, the splitter you are looking at is for coax. Make sure you get a Y-splitter for RCA audio cables. Should have it at BB or someplace. S-video is definitely better. I use it on my ReplayTV and notice a definite improvement in picture clarity over standard RCA cables. >>


You're right; I'm a moron. Why I didn't recognize that that splitter was for coax is beyond me.

Anyway, I am looking for a splitter online just so I know what to look for when I'm at my local BB / Radio Shack. Can anyone find one of these?

Thanks. >>



Look for something like this. Make sure you get two female and one male as opposed to two male/one female. The latter will allow you to split one signal to two outputs. You want to combine two signals to one input. Hope this helps.

 

[Arschloch]

<< Look for something like this. Make sure you get two female and one male as opposed to two male/one female. The latter will allow you to split one signal to two outputs. You want to combine two signals to one input. Hope this helps. >>


Yes, that definitely helps. That adapter has made the most sense to me out of anything I've seen so far.

I guess that what confuses me is that there's two audio channels with AV cables. So wouldn't there need to be FOUR connections (two for the two audio channels from the satellite, and two more for the two audio channels from the Dreamcast) in the adapter?

 

[Captain4]

You will end up with four connections. Two Y-splitters, one for each channel (left/right or red/white on the jacks) x 2 jacks per splitter = 4 jacks total.

 

[Sugadaddy]

huh, did anybody read my last post?


I said you needed two of them. You hook one up to the red jack on your TV, and the other to the white jack. Then you plug the white cables from the DC and Dish to the one hooked up to the white jack, and same thing with the red cables to the splitter hooked up to the red jack on the TV.

 

[Viperoni]

I would worry about signal degradation in the svideo splitter/selector....it will probably be worth it though.

Why not just try out your TV with the svideo mode and see how/if it's any better.