VGA or RGB? (1 Viewer)

[Tamar Halperin]

I have a prog. scan DVD with RGB and VGA outputs. I also have a plasma screen with VGA and RGB inputs. Which is the best way to connect my DVD? (and use the Prog. scan of course).

Thx,

Tamar.

 

[Allan Jayne]

VGA is RGB. Regular VGA is the same as 480p. Super VGA (800 x 600) does not correspond with any of the standard consumer video formats in terms of scan rate, or scan lines per second but it is conceptually the same.
Using 3 RCA or 3 BNC jacks with three cables, the picture quality is likely to be a wee bit better than using a VGA cable connected to the 15 pin jacks. This has to do with the quality of the cable.
If you had a choice between RGB and component video, for DVD it probably won't make any difference except for what I mentioned about the cable. The Pb and Pr of component video are stored on the DVD with somewhat less resolution than the Y. The DVD player cannot reclaim that lost resolution simply by converting to RGB. If the DVD player did not do the conversion to RGB, the TV will (and must) do it. The reason why DVDs use component video instead of RGB is that RGB needs full resolution for all three colors and storing all of it on the 5 inch disk won't allow as much playing time.
Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Tamar Halperin]

I think I understand... So I should use the component input basically...
But one more question though, isn't component connection a RGB connection? is there a difference? is RGB something else? 'cause I've never seen a different connection than component, svideo and composite...
This is my DVD's backpanel, I have a component output right?
Link Removed
Thx a lot,
Tamar.

 

[Allan Jayne]

According to the labels on the backplate shown, the "component" jacks can deliver either "component video" or RGB, and there must be a manual selection somewhere, probably in an on-screen menu. If the selection is wrong, the picture will be highly discolored but still readable enough for you to make the right selection.

Also, both component video and RGB can be either interlaced or as progressive. If the DVD player gives a choice of interlaced or progressive, then there should be a switch for this because the wrong selection here will make an on-screen menu unreadable unless the TV can sense both and autoselect.

Hint: What we all call component video is approximately red, white, and blue.