SVideo Cables

[Lendorien]

So, here's a question for the US users (since we don't have RGB over in the States). For our vintage game systems, Svideo is the best resolution signal available.  What brand of multisystem (N64/PS2/xbox) Svideo cables are the best you've found?

From my experience, the best one I've found is actually one sold at Radio Shack back in the day. It's a heavy duty six foot cable with gold connectors. Compared even to the equivalent Monster brand Svideo cable, the Radio Shack cable had the least incidence of moire pattern.  I've also used the madcatz cables, which pretty much are no good.

Anyone else have any opinions?

[Duke.Togo]

What do you consider to be vintage? For PS2 and Xbox I use component. I use S-Video for those that support them, and try to go with first party cables whenever possible.

[Hungrymoose]

What do you consider to be vintage? For PS2 and Xbox I use component. I use S-Video for those that support them, and try to go with first party cables whenever possible.

I love going in to game stores and asking for Original XBox Component cables and watching them grab composite cables.  After explaining what I asked for most are like "I don't think they make those."

[Sirgin]

I picked up third party component cables for the (original) Xbox on eBay a couple of months ago and they work great. I also picked up a component switch box, that allows me to hook up three component sources at the same time. It does use a little switch though (no auto-detect). I currently have my PS2, Xbox and component cable for PSP hooked up to it. For the price, it's fantastic.

Component cables really are the way to go (if you can) for PS2/Xbox/GameCube/Wii systems. But S-video and RGB are still a definite improvement over composite, with RGB being better than S-video but worse than component.

In terms of image quality of connectors (depending on the source of course), from best to worst:

HDMI (and DVI) > VGA > component > RGB > S-video > composite > RF

Hope this helps.

[Hungrymoose]

What's RGB?

[Sirgin]

What's RGB?

SCART RGB, doesn't exist in the US. No US console supports it.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scart

[Izret101]

In terms of image quality of connectors (depending on the source of course), from best to worst:

HDMI (and DVI) > VGA > component > RGB > S-video > composite > RF

> UHF/VHF
I hooked my coleco up with that.

[ApolloBoy]

SCART RGB, doesn't exist in the US. No US console supports it.

Actually, quite a few consoles released in the US support RGB right out of the box, like the Genesis, SNES, PSX, etc. SCART (which is a connector standard, not a video standard) actually does exist in the US, but it's extremely rare to find a TV with it. However, many professional video monitors and some Commodore monitors support RGB and you can use special cables or SCART cable converters to take advantage of the RGB inputs on those monitors. I use a Sony PVM monitor with RGB, and I play a good chunk of my systems through RGB with the rest using S-video and composite.

HDMI (and DVI) > VGA > component > RGB > S-video > composite > RF

Actually it's more like this:
HDMI > DVI > VGA = RGB >component >S-video > composite > RF

[Shadow Kisuragi]

As usual, Apollo is completely correct.

I was going to post to respond back, but he beat me to it.

[Duke.Togo]

Actually it's more like this:
HDMI > DVI > VGA = RGB >component >S-video > composite > RF

Isn't the video portion of HDMI equal to DVI? I thought the only main difference is that HDMI does sound transport.

[blcklblskt]

I use an official Nintendo s-video cable for my N64, but I have an ebay s-video cable for my SNES that works fine.  I generally try to go with the highest quality cable available for a console, even if it means dropping $40 on component cables for the GameCube (although they are worth a bit more than that now).

[Sirgin]

Actually it's more like this:
HDMI > DVI > VGA = RGB >component >S-video > composite > RF

I'll clarify my list a bit then:

HDMI/DVI > VGA > component > SCART > S-video > composite > RF

SCART connectors can't do 720p, like component can, which is why I rate it lower. VGA can do much higher resolutions than something hooked up with SCART.

Isn't the video portion of HDMI equal to DVI? I thought the only main difference is that HDMI does sound transport.

I think it is. HDMI (or atleast its latest revision) can do 3D though, and I'm not 100% sure if that is supported by DVI or whether you only need a 3D source and 3D monitor and the connector doesn't matter.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

3D is supported by HDMI 1.4, so it would just need an HDMI cable at that point.
Not sure about DVI.

[Duke.Togo]

After doing a little reading it appears that HDMI and DVI video quality is exactly the same for the time being. HDMI supports resolutions past DVI up to the 4K display range, but who knows when that will matter to consoles.

[Lendorien]

Well, let me start over here. I was talking about the universal svideo cables they used to sell back int he day of Xbox, Gamecube and PS2. Those cables were compatible with Ps1, Ps2, SNES, N64, GC and Xbox. Some even had a Dreamcast end.

N64, PS1, SNES and such do not use component video.  For the Gamecube, component cables are pricy (not to mention that you have to have an earlier version gamecube to use them at all) so svideo is the best most people will have. The Dreamcast can do VGA, but the cables are 20 bucks a pop and Svideo is the next best option.

Svideo is the best format available (short of RGB for those who have a tv available for it) for the SNES, PS1 and n64.

So, I was fishing for brands of cable you use and whether or not you get the dreaded moire pattern. This assuming your using a modern flat panel tv that can even do svideo.  Mine can.

This thread got just a bit derailed, though if it helps inform a few folks, good!