question about s-video

[mat8888]

I have a big 82-inch DLP 1080p tv, and it does not have s-video inputs. It has component, and composite [kinda weird, you just plug the yellow into 1 of the red/green/blue plug, I forget which one], and of course HDMI.

So anyway, I have not tried 576i [PAL] yet, because I have not yet received my modchip and blank DVDs to boot swiss. But I was reading and people say S-Video is better than composite. But aren't they the same resolution? Will it really look any better on my big tv? I mean, the composite isn't absolutely terrible. But if I can get it any better with a cheap cable [$5-10 on ebay compared to ~$150 for component cable--my gamecube has digital outs ], it would be worth it to me.

Secondly, since my tv does not have s-video, is there a cheap passive cable from s-video to component, or is component not backwards compatible with s-video signals?

edit: here is an example of the cable I had in mind: http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Pin-S-Video-t ... 5637562340

Would I see any better picture using that cable and a S-video GC av-out cable, vs the composite I'm using now?

[wii_HD]

Without spending sums of money looks like your stuck with the bottom of the pile composite.

Or get a GC capable wii and a $3 component cable as someone suggested before.

[HomelandReloaded]

S-video is definitely better than composite, and can look very good on a big TV, but I think it depends on whether this cable is using the S-video pins and whether the TV is expecting to receive an S-video signal on the blue and green component video inputs.

[mat8888]

Edit: oops.. well I guess that adapter is only for 7 pin s video? GameCube s video only has 4 pin, right?

Ok, what about this, I bought a easyCap device to input composite or s video to a computer thorough usb.

If I get the GameCube s video, plug it into my usb device, then from there plug into hdmi to my big tv, will that give a better picture than regular composite?

[HomelandReloaded]

Yeah I looked at the link in your post. I know that the green (colored) input of component video may accept the video part of an S-video signal while the blue input accepts the brightness part. (It works on the component video input on my PC video card.) I just don't know if that is going to work with the cable advertized, and with your TV, though if it takes composite on the green input then there's a chance it may work with S-video too.

EDIT: Don't worry about the extra pins on the S-video connector (they are just for the component video signals).

EDIT2: Can't answer your second question; you'd have to try it, but a GameCube S-video cable is always worth having.

[mat8888]

Without spending sums of money looks like your stuck with the bottom of the pile composite.

Or get a GC capable wii and a $3 component cable as someone suggested before.

If i took this route, later down the road, how hard is it to mod a gc compatible Wii for booting iso/gcm from sd gecko? And how much would it cost?

[megalomaniac]

10$ wii
25$ WKF
3$ cable


Do your research, you will see this should be about the correct prices to expect

[mat8888]

10$ wii
25$ WKF
3$ cable


Do your research, you will see this should be about the correct prices to expect

A Wii for $10? I must be misunderstanding that line.

But what could I sell a modded (xenoGC) for? And I'd have to sell it on a forum (here perhaps) most likely?

[wii_HD]

10$ wii
25$ WKF
3$ cable


Do your research, you will see this should be about the correct prices to expect

A Wii for $10? I must be misunderstanding that line.

But what could I sell a modded (xenoGC) for? And I'd have to sell it on a forum (here perhaps) most likely?

Well I got a couple of wii units - no psu for £6.50 each ($10) so that pans out.

And the cost for soft modding a wii should be zero give or take $1

@mat8888 I think you stick with the route your on right now - and then - who knows.

Read up on wii related things - I guess GBATemp are good for that kinda stuff.

GC-Forever.

[mat8888]

10$ wii
25$ WKF
3$ cable


Do your research, you will see this should be about the correct prices to expect

A Wii for $10? I must be misunderstanding that line.

But what could I sell a modded (xenoGC) for? And I'd have to sell it on a forum (here perhaps) most likely?

Well I got a couple of wii units - no psu for £6.50 each ($10) so that pans out.

And the cost for soft modding a wii should be zero give or take $1

@mat8888 I think you stick with the route your on right now - and then - who knows.

Read up on wii related things - I guess GBATemp are good for that kinda stuff.

GC-Forever.

Wow, if I found one for ten bucks I'd grab it in a hurry.
So I looked up softmod for wii and it looks pretty good. I'll keep an eye out for a cheap wii with gc ports.

[BenoitRen]

S-video might be better than composite, but still not that good. It was designed for movies and as a result doesn't make games look good.

[HomelandReloaded]

S-video might be better than composite, but still not that good. It was designed for movies and as a result doesn't make games look good.

It depends on the TV and the console. A big LCD TV and a Dreamcast can do wonders compared to an old CRT TV and video recorder. There may be some clever electronics cleaning up the image on the fly.

[BenoitRen]

As I explained before, LCD TVs are fixed-pixel displays and will look worse than CRT TVs. Worse video signals will look significantly worse on an LCD screen.

[HomelandReloaded]

Seeing is believing.

[diosoth]

I got a Vizio 22" TV recently and the s-video Gamecube picture doesn't look all that great, to be honest. My Gamecube lacks the digital out and I'd have to sell all my blood 5 times over to afford a component cable for it anyway. It'd be cheaper to get a Wii than that cable.

[ActionPeanut]

Thought I'd chime in as well as ask a question:

I have a generic multi-console AV cable that I currently use for my GC. It has both composite and S-Video and I tried both on a 42" Panasonic. I spent an hour or two comparing colors and sharpness. The television was in my bedroom and only about 8 feet away, but there is a definite improvement using S-Video. I was sold, won't go back to composite ever.

The problem is, I moved the GC to my living room where neither the 58" (a monitor) nor the A/V receiver have an S-Video input. Between them they've got every other format. As I see it these are my options:

1. Buy an S-Video expansion board for the monitor ($$$)
2. Buy a GC digital out component cable ($$$)
3. Buy an analog universal cable with component plugs
4. Buy an S-video to component cable (probably needing a female to female S-video coupler or male to male RCA couplers)

Ultimately what I need to know is will 3 or 4 look as good as the universal S-Video cable going into an actual S-Video input? Or, to phrase it another way, will analog component or S-Video adapted to component look worse?

I hope my descriptions are clear and thanks for your time.

[theclaw]

3 won't work. There's no signal to use, Gamecube doesn't output analog component.

4 is unlikely. You'd need a TV who accepts s-video in its component input.

[ActionPeanut]

Bummer! Well, there's a GC component cable on ebay for $100 shipped which is $50 less than an s-video expansion board for my monitor. Guess I'll go with that.

I am guessing that this question has been answered elsewhere, but the search function on this board won't accept any of my search terms so I'll ask here: I know that the GC component cable has some special electronics in it that make it work. But what is it that makes it impossible for a third party to produce a knock-off? I imagine if it was remotely doable somebody would already be making them and raking in all kinds of cash. Not that I'm holding out for a 3rd party to make one (I'm jumping on the ebay listing), just curious as to the specifics.

EDIT: Just found the "Component Cable Discussion" thread

[Apache Thunder]

Yeah from reading that thread, the output of the GameCube is digital (hence why it's called "Digital A/V" ). But component cables are designed to carry an analog signal. The GameCube does not have the electronics on board to do that it self (which was a very odd choice by Nintendo). Thus the official component cables Nintendo made for it have a chip that decodes the signal to analog Component. Because of the chip, there were no third party cables for the Digtal AV port. Thus the rarity and high prices they fetch on eBay and other auction sites.

The Wii fixed this by doing the conversion internally. Hence component cables for the Wii are much cheaper. (and also not compatible with the GameCube. )

[shambles1980]

i think (interms of quality) it goes..

RF - Composit - svideo - scart - True rgb scart - component - hdmi

in my oppinion Rf is really pretty bad, then composit and S-video honestly i cant really see much of a diference s-vid and composit max out at 480i,
scart however has a max res of 576i and then there is True RGB scart.. true rgb is superiour to normal scart, But honestly i dont like it its too vibrant. makes everything more colourful.
But all of that stuff is standard definition. (we are talking 720x480 for the most part or 720x576 or rough equivalent for the scart)

im one of these people who believe that anything less than 720p/720i is not hd maybe others will dissagre..

if you need high def you have to go component. or these days hdmi.

any way thats exhausted my knowlage about that sort of stuff.