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View Full Version : S-video vs coax and composite


Emello
02-18-2006, 06:16 PM
Hi, I want to convert some of my vhs movies to dvd. I know that an s-video connection from the vcr offers the best bandwidth, but my new Sony slv-n750 has only coax and composite, RCA jacks. How much better is the image quality of an S-video connection? I realize that the answer is kinda subjective, but any information is welcome. Thanks

Kov-Ice
02-18-2006, 11:31 PM
Welcome to PCMech. I don't know that with VHS there's enough image quality to begin with to make a great difference in the cables. They make RCA to S-Video converter cables, but they're anywhere from $20 to $100 (yikes). I don't know if converting with a cable would preserve the signal integrity anyway, since it would be going through RCA to begin with. Are you considering buying a new VCR or S-VHS VCR with S-Video?

Hi Ho
02-19-2006, 01:39 AM
Kov-Ice is right. VHS is natively composite quality. There would be no point in using an S-Video connection. S-VHS is S-Video quality but much less common.

Emello
02-20-2006, 04:32 PM
Thanks to you both. We just bought the sony, which lacks S-video connections. Seems you both agree that VHS is of such image quality S-video cables would result in no practical improvement. So, I don't see any point to purchasing a new with vcr with S-video to archive vhs quality video. I have one more question, which set up would result in the best quality av, a) RCA composite cables, sound and video in different cables, b) coax carrying both, unless leaving the stereo RCA cables connected would result in just video being carried by the coax cable? I imagine that the coax has better shielding. Thanks.