05-15-2004, 08:44 AM
Erm, some of the stuff that the others are saying is well...false. This is the difference between S-Video and composite:
Have you ever noticed the edges of objects and lines "moving" in the picture? This is known as dot crawl. It is a result of interference between the chrominance and luminace in the picture signal, because composite video combines the two. Also, the brightness and color are distorted, usually resulting in a picture that is oversaturated or bland. S-Video separates the picture signal into two separate signals: chrominance and luminance.
This effectively separates the light and color of the picture, significantly reducing distortion in the color and brightness, eliminating dot crawl, and producing an image much closer to the original source. Contrary to what kakomu said, S-VIDEO IS NOT DIGITAL (and neither is component video). It is a very old analog connection method, but it became more popular with the invention of the DVD player and as S-VHS players became more popular.
The difference between composite video and S-Video is HUGE. You should replace your cables and upgrade to S-Video as soon as you can. You'll see an obvious change in picture quality. Radioshack gold-plated S-Video cables are a good choice for the money.
NEVER BUY CHEAP CABLES. EVER. Buying cheap cables will give you crappy picture and audio quality, and it will prevent your system from producing sound and image at its full potential, which is actually a waste of money.
Have you ever noticed the edges of objects and lines "moving" in the picture? This is known as dot crawl. It is a result of interference between the chrominance and luminace in the picture signal, because composite video combines the two. Also, the brightness and color are distorted, usually resulting in a picture that is oversaturated or bland. S-Video separates the picture signal into two separate signals: chrominance and luminance.
This effectively separates the light and color of the picture, significantly reducing distortion in the color and brightness, eliminating dot crawl, and producing an image much closer to the original source. Contrary to what kakomu said, S-VIDEO IS NOT DIGITAL (and neither is component video). It is a very old analog connection method, but it became more popular with the invention of the DVD player and as S-VHS players became more popular.
The difference between composite video and S-Video is HUGE. You should replace your cables and upgrade to S-Video as soon as you can. You'll see an obvious change in picture quality. Radioshack gold-plated S-Video cables are a good choice for the money.
NEVER BUY CHEAP CABLES. EVER. Buying cheap cables will give you crappy picture and audio quality, and it will prevent your system from producing sound and image at its full potential, which is actually a waste of money.