Component video vs S-video: would I notice a difference?

[Sandor]

I just got a 27" Sony WEGA TV last night, and the sales person was trying to push me to buy some component video cables to hook up my DVD player (for like $90!). I was just wondering how big an improvement there would be over S-video, i.e., is it something that can be noticed to warrant dropping another $50+?

 

[amnesiac]

component video cables shouldn't cost $90. What kind of sketchy store were you at? Monster Cable component video cables only cost $50 and those are pretty close to top of the line...

 

[FSUpaintball]

Yeah, Monster is the best, and they're nowhere near $90.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that S-Video was higher quality than RCA composite.

 

[wedi42]

for $90 hell NO
try some from radio shack for $20
if you see a differance then keep them, if not return the cables
i'm guessing you wont be able to tell the differance on a 27" TV

 

[Fritzo]

Yeah, stores like Best Buy and Circuit City really soak you for those. To tell you the truth, the only difference I could see between SVidea and Component video is that with Component Video, the color yellow seemed to be brighter. That's it! Go with S Video if you don't want to spend the cash.

 

[wedi42]

<< Yeah, Monster is the best, and they're nowhere near $90.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that S-Video was higher quality than RCA composite. >>



it goes Composite, Svideo then Component

 

[amnesiac]

RCA - Single cable
S-Video - Single cable but splits up signal into different brightness levels, "cleaning up" the picture compared to RCA
Component - Splits up brightness AND color so no bleeding/color shifting occurs. Only really worth it if you are a stickler for video quality or if you are trying to use progressive scan DVD or have a high resolution set.

 

[FSUpaintball]

Oh thank you. What is a component connection? Is that like the fiber optic stuff? Or firewire?

 

[Joyride]

I got my component cables at Best Buy for about $20-30

Its Audio Research (I believe that's the brand)

I just adore them

 

[fatbaby]

<< Oh thank you. What is a component connection? Is that like the fiber optic stuff? Or firewire? >>



component is on most if not all tvs. composite is usually found on higher end or hdtvs...

I noticed a difference between s-vid and component on my 32 in. toshiba

 

[Sandor]

Good call Fritzo- it was Circuit City that was trying to get me to buy the cables. Even though I didn't know what they went for elsewhere, I had to assume I CC was going to rip me off.

 

[ApacheXMD]

<< component is on most if not all tvs. composite is usually found on higher end or hdtvs... >>



Try the other way around...

-patchy

 

[Viper GTS]

<<

<< component is on most if not all tvs. composite is usually found on higher end or hdtvs... >>



Try the other way around...

-patchy >>



Ditto.

In order from best to worst:

RF
Composite
S-video
Component

I use component on my 27" Wega, but in all honesty the difference between s-video & component is minimal on such a small screen. That having been said, if you've already dropped the money for the TV & you have a DVD player with component outputs, you might as well use them. I got my Monster Cable component cables for $20 off the guy I bought my TV from. He paid $60.



Viper GTS

 

[Mday]

composite < svideo < component < antennae up your ass..

yeah the last thing is a joke ;-)

here is a breakdown:

composite = 1 wire for the video signal (everything is squished together)
svideo = 2 wires for video signal (more separation of colors)
component = 3 wires, one for each rgb
(if you want to consider the shielding as a wire, add it, but the shielding is not carrying a signal unless something is very wrong)


each of these uses shielded cabling coaxial pretty much... svideo uses a minidin which looks like (but is NOT) a ps2 plug\jack on your mouse or keyboard. composite and component both use RCA jacks.

You can make your own cabling, svideo is the hardest to make, i hate working with minidins.

i would say if you use medium grade cabling, component still beats out svideo due to the separation of signals.

You can make your own component video cables the same way you can make your own composite videos, use shielded coax (rg59\6 with rca ends).

 

[QTPie]

personally, I don't see any diff
Save that $$$ for some DVDs.

 

[Koing]

I see a lot of difference between composite and Svideo on my ps2 alone. You get MUCH more clarity and the colours don't bleed and are sharp and not fuzzy.

I'll only pay for quality that I notice personally.........

 

[kami]

<< RCA - Single cable
S-Video - Single cable but splits up signal into different brightness levels, "cleaning up" the picture compared to RCA
Component - Splits up brightness AND color so no bleeding/color shifting occurs. Only really worth it if you are a stickler for video quality or if you are trying to use progressive scan DVD or have a high resolution set.
>>


Actually it's..

S-Video: Splits up luminance and chroma information (Y+C Composite)
Component: Splits up signal into red, green, blue (RGB Component)

For a 27", you are deluding yourself if you think you see a difference between a decent s-video cable and some component cables. 40" and up i'd start using component. IMO...

 

[Slacker]

I noticed an extreme difference when I used component video cables to hook up my DVD player, I also have my Playstation2 hooked up using component video cables but I never had it hooked up the regular way so I cant say what difference there would be there.

 

[elanarchist]

Perhaps I'm a fool, but I've been using regular RCA cables (you know, the red, white, and yellow ones) to connect the component output of my DVD player to my TV. I have noticed no problems with the quality, and regular RCA cables are much cheaper (like 3$) when compared to "proper" component video cables. Anyone else try this, or am I the only cheap bastard here ?

 

[Nefrodite]

yes, go for it. and just get a cheapo 10-20 dollar cable. unless its frayinig or something i don't think there is a real difference between cheapie cables of reasonable quality and monster cables

 

[iamwiz82]

i think i must have like 18 svideo cables. It seems like everything i buy now comes with them, even my cereal

 

[Nefrodite]

Perhaps I'm a fool, but I've been using regular RCA cables (you know, the red, white, and yellow ones) to connect the component output of my DVD player to my TV. I have noticed no problems with the quality, and regular RCA cables are much cheaper (like 3$) when compared to "proper" component video cables. Anyone else try this, or am I the only cheap bastard here ?


oh yes, RCA blows, even on a 27" or whatever unless you have some 1980's tv that somehow survived svideo is WAY better believe me.