Does "component video upconversion" improve S-Video sources? (1 Viewer)

[SteveCoug]

I'm confused about the importance or usefulness of ..."component video upconversion"

If the video source is an S-VHS VCR or a Satelite TV receiver with S-Video output, will the component video upconversion actually IMPROVE the signal by converting it from the 2-channel S-Video signal to a 3-channel Component Video signal? Or does it merely act as an "adapter" that allows you to connect your S-Video equipment to a component video input device such as a video projector?

I'm confused.

Please help!!!

 

[ScottCHI]

absolutely not.

it's a misnomer.

 

[SteveCoug]

Scott,

So are you saying that it's really just an "adapter" as described above?

In other words, the "component video upconversion" allows you to connect an S-Video source to a component video input but does NOT look any better than if you used an S-Video input?

 

[Leo Kerr]

One way to look at it is,

To display a picture, a television needs an RGB signal.

Conventionally, the TV receives the RF composite signal, or a composite signal from an external box (VCR, DVD, whatever.)

This is then seperated into 'y/C' or s-video as an intermediate step.

The next intermediate step is to convert it into component, or Yuv, or Y-Pr-Pb (they're all essentially the same) signal.

Then the component signal is converted into the RGB that actually drives the electron gun that illuminates the phosphores.

So who does the better job of conversion? In an ideal world, you start with component video from, say, DVD, and run it as component to the set. (There are reasons why the TV world stayed away from RGB. They aren't really good ones, but at the time they made more sense.)

In general, there isn't a huge amount of difference between y/C -> Yuv converters. Oh, I'm sure that there are some, but they are nothing like the composite to y/C conversion. That is one where there is a tremendous range of differences in the signal conversion.

So in answer to the later query, will using the external 'component video upconversion' look any better or worse? There will probably be some differences. If you can see them or not is another question. The general rule of thumb is that more external connections and boxes are more likely to cause harm.

Leo Kerr

 

[ScottCHI]

yes, it only converts.

it certainly can't make the signal "better"; if anything, only worse.

like leo said, the usual advice is to not use your receiver's "upconverting" capability, if possible, and connect your source equipment directly to the television, whenever possible.

of course, there are instances where receiver switching/upconverting can be very useful, if not an absolute necessity, depending upon your particular consolidation/unification needs.

 

[ChrisWiggles]

As noted, "component video 'upconversion'" is not the same as video processing/scaling. There won't be any improvement, and there may well be a slight degradation, but the benefit is convenience in connections.

Actual processing/scaling to higher resolutions takes a lot of processing juice, thought it does provide significant picture quality improvements if done well.