S-Video vs Composite - Best image quality?

[duartix]

I've searched and browsed the forum pretty much but coudn't find a confirmation to what I think is is probably a no brainer.
What I've got:
My htpc, the Chiang Fun Industries CF969 with:
S-Video on board and
Composite (that yellow single cable same as I use to connect the digital camera to the TV) also on board.

My TV Set:
Grundig Xentia 72'' (PAL) with
S-Video IN and
Composite video IN

My guess from what I've read is that S-Video is better since the signals are separated while in Composite they travel all together in the same cable.
But a friend of mine has told me that Composite is better than S-Video. Could he be confusing Composite with Component?
His this order correct?
worst -> best
Composite -> S-Video -> Component

[jggimi]

That's correct. For analog video, the consensus is: RF is worst, composite better, S-video much better, and component the best.

[mpucoder]

And - if you have a digital camera, as was mentioned, use USB or IEEE1394 (firewire).

[duartix]

And - if you have a digital camera, as was mentioned, use USB or IEEE1394 (firewire). I was talking about PC--->TV. your post is a bit strange unless you are talking about DC--->PC.

[markrb]

I have a friend who is a TV expert. In his opinion you should use the video connections in the following order unless the caveat at the end applies. 1 is best.

1. Component
2. S-Video
3. Composite

The only time to use 3 over 2 is if the comb filter is better in the source equipment then in the TV. So if you have a very high end DVD player, but a lower end TV.

Mark

[OvERaCiD23]

Isn't DVI the highest quality though (even though not common on most devices)?:confused:

[jggimi]

Component, S-Video, and Composite are for analog video signals.

[temporance]

Originally posted by markrb
I have a friend who is a TV expert. In his opinion you should use the video connections in the following order unless the caveat at the end applies. 1 is best.

1. Component
2. S-Video
3. Composite

The only time to use 3 over 2 is if the comb filter is better in the source equipment then in the TV. So if you have a very high end DVD player, but a lower end TV.

Mark
DVD players don't have a comb filter. I disagree with your friend - S-Video keeps luma and chroma separate all the time and, for this reason, is always better than composite.

[trbarry]

S-video is supposed to be better than composite but sometimes I wonder if it is not screwed up more by over zealous macro vision.

- Tom

[markrb]

DVD players don't have a comb filter. I disagree with your friend - S-Video keeps luma and chroma separate all the time and, for this reason, is always better than composite.
I did not actually mean DVD players I meant devices(my mistake). My laserdisc player has an excellent comb filter in it.

Actually no Composite is not always better. Nothing is always better. Now I will agree with a statement like most times S-Video is better then composite, but not always. There are real reasons to use one over the other in both cases.
For instance S-Video signals degrade over distance much faster then composite signals.

Mark

[mectron]

Sure S-Video/Compoment is way better then Composite. But when dealing with low quality compressed source, sometime you need a lower quality connection!

Let me explain:

If i take for exemple a Simpson cartoon episode encode in SVCD (2550 kbs with 192 Audio).

Let's look at the output:

1. PC monitor: Picture is full of mosquito noises, Edge a blury, lot of bloquiness.
2. DVD player on Compoment Video: Still lot of mosquito noises, some bloquiness.
3. DVD player on Svideo out: almost no mosquito noise, Edge still blurry, very little bliquiness.
4. DVD player on Composite out: No mosquito noise visible, Edge are razor sharp and the only whay to see bloquiness is on PAUSE.

Why? Because the lower is connection quality (and the cheaper your TV is) the mose details your loose. Fortunatly the 1st details to vanish are the compression artifacts.

Juste my 2 cents.

[mpucoder]

And if that doesn't work, get a smaller TV, or watch it from the next room.:)

[baker]

actually hes got a point, digital sat is extremely bad here in ireland. When I turn to the uhf outout (thats the aerial for some of you) insted of the fantastic rgb output the blockiness and lack of detail dissapear!!! This could be a good filter idea....

Baker