Comparing S-Video and Component (1 Viewer)

[Carlo S]

Can anyone tell me is their really that much difference between using either S-video or Component

 

[Massimo N]

You will definitely see a difference!
I hooked up my DVD player using all 3 video connection to see the difference ... very noticable.
composite=decent
s-vid=good
component=very good
You will probably need to run through AVIA to adjust saturation and maybe brightness.
Better cables ... depending on you equipment & cable lenght from big improvement to no 'perceived' improvement. BTW, you'll see an improvement with anything other than those 'included' cables (IMHO)..
[Edited last by Massimo N on July 15, 2001 at 07:12 AM]

 

[ReggieW]

Sorry,
but as the owner of a good 4x3 set (JVC cinema series), I shelled out $70.00 for good monster component cables and calibrated my system with video essentials, and still see VERY LITTLE difference than when I had the Monster S-Video cord connected. I believe that if my television set was 16x9 and over 45 inches, the difference might've been more noticeable. I currently have a JVC 721BK progressive scan player atatched to a 32 inch set. However, I cannot believe that anyone would say its apples and oranges with a 36 inch and smaller set-up. Just my opinion.
Reg

 

[DaleB]

I have a 36" Wega and do see a difference. Granted, it's not a huge difference. More noticeable though since I went with the Bettercables Silver Serpent.
If I was to walk out of the room, and someone switched it to S-Video, would I see a difference when I walked back in?
No, not right away, and maybe not for the length of a movie. (A movie I had not seen).
But if they switched the cables back while I was looking, most definitely.

 

[Dustin B]

Using a Sony KP43T70 and a Panasonic A120 I can't tell the difference between Svideo and Component. The difference between either and composite on the other hand is very noticeable.
I have a feeling it would be noticeable using a HD read set and a good progessive scan DVD player though. Although this is me really talking out of my ass now with a complete guess.

 

[Carlo S]

WOuldn't also the quality of the TV player (and DVD Player)have to be taken into account?
FOr my bedroom the most I will go for is a 59cm and I was thinking of getting either a Toshiba or a Loewe TV but I think usually those size TV would only have S-Video

 

[Steve Schaffer]

The difference is not as apparent on some sets as on others. I see a noticeable difference on my 53" ntsc rptv, but did not on my 35" Sony KV35XBR-48.
I think 39cm works out to maybe 20" or 27"? On that size set I would not expect to see a significant difference between component and S-video.
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Steve S.
I prefer not to push the subwoofers until they're properly run in.

 

[RoyGBiv]

I agree completely that how much difference you will see depends on the quality of the TV and its size. On my 32" Sony, I barely noticed a difference with my Sony 550 DVD player. When I bought my 46" Mitusbishi I couldn't believe how much a difference it made. And, I don't think the difference was all related to the line doubler. The colors were richer, and the picture definitely had more definition.
SMK

 

[Bill_M]

There is a big difference between DVD component and HD component in the color quality on my set. It probably has a lot to do with the DVD player also. Color when watching DVDs on my computer is HD like.
[Edited last by Bill_M on July 16, 2001 at 03:36 AM]

 

[Jason Mathews]

I was going to start a new thread to ask this question, but this thread seemed an appropriate place to put it.
I recently purchased a 36" Toshiba TV and I had the opportunity for the first time to hook up my DVD using the Component outputs. My question is: Does it matter what kind of RCA cables you use when hooking up through the Component connections?
I purchased a 6' "Component Cable" from Radio Shack for $40 and hooked everything up that way and then I thought I'd test out a regular Audio/Video RCA 6' cable from Radio Shack, which cost $10, to see if there was a difference. I didn't notice any difference at all. Should I be using the Component Cables? Is there a difference at all between the two, or is it the same type of cable just labeled "Component"? I don't want to use the wrong cable and mess up my TV. Please help.
Jason Mathews
PS: This is my first ever post to this forum so be gentle

 

[Len Cheong]

The colors should be more distinct when using a component hookup. One thing very apparent to me are the fleshtones on faces that really reveal themselves when using component. I have both a 65 inch (widescreen) and a 36 inch (4:3) HDTV. I do find however that the dvds I watch via component need more tweaking that the dvds I watch via S video. For instance I may have to tone the color down a bit since it gets to bee too vibrant for me. When watching via Svideo 100% of the time I just fiddle with the black levels depending on the time of day I'm watching.

 

[BrianW]

High, Jason, and welcome to the forum.
Although I believe that an interconnect can be “good enough,” I don’t think I’d use A/V cables as my component connection to my TV set. The problem is that the audio cables may be shielded differently (as in, not as well) as the video cable in many of these interconnects. (And, yes, there are many cables that have the same shielding on all three cables – some with the audio cable shielding beefed up to match the video cable shielding, and some with the video cable shielding “beefed down” to match the audio cable shielding.)
Of course, the proof is in what you see. If you try the A/V cables, and they don’t produce a noticeable difference from the component cables, then they’re probably “good enough.”
Also, I can’t think of a way that inferior, or even inappropriate, cables could harm your TV set. And the only way they could harm your DVD player would be if they were shorted out, or something horribly wrong like that.
Have fun here! I look forward to your participation.

 

[henning hoffmann]

Funny you asked. I just did this comparison on Friday with three friends. I used different inputs on my Sony 36XBR48, switching instantly between composite and S-Video.
None of us saw any difference. No... wait... Christine thinks she sees a difference... just a sec ... do it again... uh... nope, no difference.
Why? The Sony has a very good comb filter that can separate the signals very cleanly.
henning

 

[Bob McElfresh]

From 1998 Home Theater Magazine:
Composite Video - baseline
SVideo - 20% "improvement" over baseline
Component - 25% "improvement" over baseline
Improvement was based on a reference 50" RPTV. More improvement is seen on larger screens. Less improvement for smaller screens.
When I did the same comparison (Composite & SVideo) with my DSS system, I saw little difference??? This was because the source material (a local network channel) was not very high quality to start.
There is a clear difference between Composite & SVideo with my DVD player and a modern movie.
So for SVideo and Component, the difference IS subtile, but should be visible.
Henning: I do believe that SVideo and Component inputs by-pass the internal comb filter in both cases. So I am not suprised they looked nearly the same.
Try using a modern, animated DVD like Toy Story 2 or A Bugs Life. These shows have large areas of bright colors that intersect. Try toggling between SVideo and Component cables and look at the large-areas of colors. The Component video should look a bit more solid.
Hope this helps.

 

[John Garcia]

I certainly noticed a difference in color depth and strength. Clarity is not that much different, but as mentioned a number of times, it is a very subtle difference that may or may not justify the cost of good calbes for your particular tastes. S-Vid looks pretty darn nice, so it is more of a personal preference thing.
You can't just run both cables, and switch between them, you really should recalibrate after switching. I configured my set for the s-vid, and then installed the component cable. Whit the component cable, I re-checked the video settings and they indeed needed to be adjusted.
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All progress is based upon a universal, inate desire on the part of every organism, to live beyond it's income.
ITRCA ** Honda/Acura Club ** Link Removed (sorry, car guy)
[Edited last by John Garcia on July 16, 2001 at 02:06 PM]

 

[Neil Joseph]

In response to original post.........That depends on the size of your display. If you are into front projection for instance, you will notice the difference between component and s-video. When I first compared, I noticed that if you look carfuly, the s-video had slight bleeding around images which disappeared with component. Before you talk cables, both my s-video ($150) and component cables ($100) are from Ultralink. You may also notice a very slight improvement in resolution with component and slight colour differences.
orangeman
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Neil's H.T. Site
(plus large selection of H.T.Links and movie images)

 

[Carlo S]

As long as I get a new TV with at least S-Video, then that will be enough. I don't think TV's bigger than 59cm come with component input anyway

 

[henning hoffmann]

Bob,
I was doing an S-Video vs composite comparison, not an S-Video vs component comparison.
henning

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Henning: You SHOULD see a difference between SVideo and Composite. I am suprised that you did not.
But this makes sense if you did not use a source that stored its video already seperated.
Using my DSS receiver - little/no difference
Using my DVD player - Visible difference
So Henning, what SOURCE did you use for your comparison?

 

[henning hoffmann]

Bob:
We were watching DVD. We were watching Unbreakable and one of the guys there had just bought a DVD player. He wanted to know if he'd notice a difference if he used the S-Video connection (over composite). I told him that most people do notice a difference, but that on my TV I never did.
So I hooked up the composite out on my DVD player to another input on my TV, and switched between them. There were four of us sitting there in a darkened room with a mostly calibrated TV (the brightness was up a little). All four of us were staring, trying to see a difference. Christine said she thought she saw one, but then changed her mind. None of the rest of us saw any difference. I was TRYING to see a difference. The S-Video connection SHOULD look better. I'm using a good S-Video cable and a crappy composite cable. But no, we saw no difference.
The only explanation I've heard on these forums has to do with the quality of the comb filter in the TV. I've heard that the Sony XBR TVs have exceptional comb filters, and this is probably the reason why composite looks so good.
henning