Is there really that big of a difference between S-Video and RGB on SNES?

[Informationator]

I'm an admin on /r/gamecollecting (http://gamecollecting.reddit.com) on Reddit and we recently made a group purchase of some Monster S-Video cables for SNES/N64/GCN. I wrote a review HERE (http://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/mcmsz/my_snesn64gcn_monster_svideo_cables_are_in_review/) if you're interested with screenshots comparing composite and S-Video.

Whereas a couple of those cables cost me around 15 bucks, the jump to a top-notch RGB setup (XRGB-3, GCN SCART cable, and euro-to-JAP conversion...) would be 40-50x more expensive. I'm a big enough of a nut that I'm actually open to considering the possibility, but frankly I don't see how the video quality can get much better than what I'm seeing in the screenshots I posted within the review.

Anyone care to chime in? :P

[Emuaust]

I don't think so really, there is a noticeable improvement when you go to RGB for the SNES but the consoles s-video and hell, even composite capabilities are superior to the MD/GEN and while there is an increase in clarity with each step up you take its not the "OMG WOW" factor you get from some of the other consoles of the era.

[Informationator]

Yeah man. There was a fairly "wow" transition from Composite (http://i.imgur.com/50qiph.jpg)to S-Video (http://i.imgur.com/DperHh.jpg), but I don't know how much of a difference RGB would make...

The bigger issue is that if I upgraded to RGB it'd be because I were streaming my SNES games for a show or reviews etc. With everything I listed about PLUS a DVI or VGA capture (for which the capture cards are like $2000 a piece... crazy...), I'm looking at about $2500 just to get a bump in streamable video quality, vs. now, where I can already capture S-Video with my Dazzle DVC100.

It's a shame that SCART was never implemented in the US and that it's such a pain to get usable RGB out of NTSC SNESs, even if it is a model 1.

[j_factor]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but why do you need an XRGB-3?

[c0ldb33r]

I'd get in some svideo cables for snes. If you do another group purchase let us know :)

[Greg2600]

I've never seen a noticeable difference on ANYTHING between S-Video and Composite. Perhaps if you stare at a still shot, but not for anything moving.

[Drixxel]

An XRGB-3 does seem like a classy and robust piece of hardware, but there are definitely other ways to make this work. A more affordable solution for getting RGB going from a SNES (on a TV without a SCART input) would be to pair a cheap third party RGB cable like this (http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-24-49-en-70-64.html) with a SCART-to-??? video converter like this (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SEGA-SCART-RGB-YPbPr-YUV-Component-Video-Converter-/220698773448?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3362ac07c8). In the case of that particular SCART-to-component video converter, an audio breakout adapter like so (http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Philips-HQ-Scart-Audio-Break-Out-Adaptor-Phono-Jack-/380320739695?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item588ce1f16f) would be a sound idea, unless silence is preferred. Altogether, this is a ~$70 ordeal but way below the cost of an XRGB-3 alone.

[substantial_snake]

Not really.

I went the Scart-to-RGB route with my genesis because its stock composite picture is pretty lousy. It ended up costing about 60-70 bucks for the converter and a RGB cable with built in Audio splitter. It was an upgrade well worth it and the picture looks fantastic on a CRT screen.

My SNES was an earlier model so S-video was an option. I picked up the cable and again massive improvement over composite as expected. I picked up an SCART-RGB cable for my SNES and tried it out with little improvement. So little in fact that I don't want to go through the trouble of plugging and unplugging the rather snug SCART cable every time I switch consoles. I really didn't see enough of an improvement to justify the 10 dollar cable over S-video, you might but it really wasn't that dramatic.

[Trebuken]

On an RGB monitor (I have a Sony PVM-2530) you will see an improvement in RGB versus S-video. It is most evident with a Sega Genesis, but also with a model 1 SNES.

The XRGB-3's claim to fame is that it allows you to use a modern HDTV while maintaining an image resembling what we rmember from playing on a CRT.

[Informationator]

Great points. Thanks everyone :P. Someday if/when I'm loaded and if TV technology has never caught up to the majesty that is CRT technology, I will perhaps buy the XRGB equivalent of the day, if one exists O..o

[theclaw]

RGB under ideal circumstances wildly beats anything else. That is no myth or hyberbole. However it takes extra TLC to gain its full benefit. RGB is the purest sharpest option in existence, raw video format many consoles render in. Any minute artifact WILL be visible. Especially on HD sets. Has none of the "smoothing" effect, that CRTs and/or composite provide.

[RARusk]

In my RGB modding experience I found that the SNES' RGB was the best out of the older consoles I own. Quite stunning.

However, S-Video Monster Cables (SNES/N64/NGC) will work pretty well for screen capturing because their superior build quality, as compared to other S-Video cables, allows for a much better picture on that format.

[hamburglar]

I've gone through about all the internal hardware revisions on the original SNES and they all have poor RGB picture quality, some are better than others, RGB on the original model SNES is very blurry for some reason. Every Super Famicom I've come across has the same problem.

The SNES 2 or Super Famicom JR. on the other hand, when properly modded offers the best RGB picture (it does not output RGB out of the box). A huge improvement. I prefer the look of the original SNES/Super Famicom, but use a Super Famicom JR. because of the much better RGB picture quality.

I use a Sony standard res. RGB monitor, but the difference in picture quality can be seen on everything from RGB/Component converters to the XRGB units.

[theclaw]

As for Genesis, it's been proposed (if largely rumor) jail bars might be a VDP problem (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32194&page=11). Curing that entirely will take re-implementing an improved graphics chip to fix the bug. Good luck finding someone with transistor skills or a semiconductor plant...

[ccovell]

In my RGB modding experience I found that the SNES' RGB was the best out of the older consoles I own. Quite stunning.

I concur with Hamburglar in that the SNES' RGB isn't as sharp as other systems like Genesis, SMS, PC-Engine, Saturn, etc. The SNES has a bit of blurring/trailing capacitance on the right side of high-contrast objects that the other systems don't have. (I can't speak for the SNES Jr.)

The S-Video on SNES is clear enough that RGB isn't absolutely justified. I don't have S-V shots but my page here does have some composite-RGB comparison shots: http://www.chrismcovell.com/gotRGB/rgb_compare.html

[hamburglar]

As for Genesis, it's been proposed (if largely rumor) jail bars might be a VDP problem (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32194&page=11). Curing that entirely will take re-implementing an improved graphics chip to fix the bug. Good luck finding someone with transistor skills or a semiconductor plant...

I don't get Jailbars with my own RGB cables, only had problems with cheap cables that are missing the components that are necessary...

[chrisbid]

the jump isnt huge, but it is with the genesis. i purchased a scart -> component adapter for around 50 bucks. with that adapter and a scart switchbox, i had space for 4 different scart connections. the scart cables themselves werent that expensive so i bought cables for the genesis, snes, saturn, and neo geo. the entire setup was around 120 dollars. the jump in quality for the saturn and snes (s-video) wasnt huge, but it certainly was for the genesis and neo geo.

[Informationator]

I concur with Hamburglar in that the SNES' RGB isn't as sharp as other systems like Genesis, SMS, PC-Engine, Saturn, etc. The SNES has a bit of blurring/trailing capacitance on the right side of high-contrast objects that the other systems don't have. (I can't speak for the SNES Jr.)

The S-Video on SNES is clear enough that RGB isn't absolutely justified. I don't have S-V shots but my page here does have some composite-RGB comparison shots: http://www.chrismcovell.com/gotRGB/rgb_compare.html
Yeah, with the monster S-Video cables my video quality is every bit as sharp or sharper than the RGB screenshots that guy is showing. I've used crappy S-Video cables before and their quality wasn't half as good as the monster cables.

[substantial_snake]

the jump isnt huge, but it is with the genesis. i purchased a scart -> component adapter for around 50 bucks. with that adapter and a scart switchbox, i had space for 4 different scart connections. the scart cables themselves werent that expensive so i bought cables for the genesis, snes, saturn, and neo geo. the entire setup was around 120 dollars. the jump in quality for the saturn and snes (s-video) wasnt huge, but it certainly was for the genesis and neo geo.

I have a question, are you saying your setup went like this?

X Game Console - Scart - Scart Switchbox - Scart Output -Scart Converter - Component - TV

I honestly didn't know they made just switchboxes for Scart and if its cheap and works I would like to do something similar with my settup. It would largely eliminate the back and forth between different cable settups for different games.

[Sneak613]

I myself was looking for an S-video cable for connecting my SNES just last week.

I've heard that a lot of the 'no name' generic brand ones are garbage, so I wanted to try finding a nintendo brand (1st party) one. I found out after searching, it's no easy feat!

I saw on eBay (link here) (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=1&campid=5335818526&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FNintendo-AV-Cable-S-Video-Cable-Super-Famicom-etc-%2F360374070511%3Fpt%3DLH_DefaultDomain_0%26hash%3 Ditem53e7f7ecef) , that there was a japanese seller selling Super Famicon ones (1st party), and am told they work with the North American consoles.

Figured I'd share.

[Informationator]

I have one of the purple monster cable S-Video connectors. As much as people hate Monster (and they're not entirely unjustified), I believe their S-Video connector is the best. The S-video screenshots in my above post were taken while I was using that cable.

[jwmollman]

I've heard that a lot of the 'no name' generic brand ones are garbage, so I wanted to try finding a nintendo brand (1st party) one.

I bit the bullet and tried a third-party S-Video cable from Amazon, and it actually works great. The colors are very vibrant and I notice a big difference. I mentioned it here (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1863627#post1863627).

[chrisbid]

I have a question, are you saying your setup went like this?

X Game Console - Scart - Scart Switchbox - Scart Output -Scart Converter - Component - TV

I honestly didn't know they made just switchboxes for Scart and if its cheap and works I would like to do something similar with my settup. It would largely eliminate the back and forth between different cable settups for different games.


yes, that is the setup. the one issue is the scart > component adapter does not have audio, so i found a switchbox with an additional av port to use for audio. the switch box isnt too expensive, i believe it was around 12 dollars.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/scart-multiway-box-with-switch-43158

i have the 5-way (one port is an AV in) version with the additional a/v output

[substantial_snake]

yes, that is the setup. the one issue is the scart > component adapter does not have audio, so i found a switchbox with an additional av port to use for audio. the switch box isnt too expensive, i believe it was around 12 dollars.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/scart-multiway-box-with-switch-43158

i have the 5-way (one port is an AV in) version with the additional a/v output

Ok, I think I see what you did here.

Then all you used was a set of audio cables for the A/V output and it would switch the sound to whatever selected Scart input you were using at the time? This seems deceptively simple and easy...like I am somehow missing something. lol

[chrisbid]

the concept/flow chart is simple, but the mess of cables certainly isnt

[Drixxel]

yes, that is the setup. the one issue is the scart > component adapter does not have audio, so i found a switchbox with an additional av port to use for audio. the switch box isnt too expensive, i believe it was around 12 dollars.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/scart-multiway-box-with-switch-43158

i have the 5-way (one port is an AV in) version with the additional a/v output

chrisbid, do you notice any loss of picture quality by using that switch box versus connecting a console directly to your component video converter? I encountered a discussion of SCART switch boxes on Segasaturn.co.uk (http://segasaturngroup.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=hardware&action=display&thread=4416) and there was some concern that push button switchers don't do as good a job at isolating the individual SCART sockets, potentially resulting in noise when multiple devices are connected. The audio out jacks on the switcher you linked to make it pretty appealing, hopefully there's no such signal muckery going on with it.

[chrisbid]

i havent noticed, but i havent extensively tested it either

i would imagine the degradation would be the same as using a component, s-video, or composite switchbox. ive noticed a far bigger degradation by using crappy cables, than i have with a switchbox. im sure there are videophiles out there that can scientifically measure how good a signal is and show how much degradation a switchbox produces. but the leap in quality especially for the genesis and neo geo far outpaces any loss a switchbox is responsible for.

funny story on auto switches, my friend had an automatic scart convertor, and it would strangely power up other consoles attached to it, and then it would get a weird mixed signal. it couldve been a faulty box, but "signal muckery" (awesome term, btw) was the norm with the auto switchbox.

[Drixxel]

but the leap in quality especially for the genesis and neo geo far outpaces any loss a switchbox is responsible for.

That's an excellent point - it's fairly pointless sweating over a loss of picture quality that would be largely imperceptible when you're experiencing that jump from composite to converted RGB, but at the same time, it's nice to know that the switcher itself is doing a good job. When I decide to take the RGB plunge, I'll keep those switch boxes from Maplin in mind, they do seem pretty classy.

There was unanimous support for a MadCatz SCART switch box in that thread I linked to in my last post. The main distinction with the MadCatz swticher is that, rather than push button selectors, it features a sliding switch which is, apparently, the superior mechanism for the noble act of signal preservation.

http://www.consolesandgadgets.com/catalog/madcatz-universal-scart-selector-p-1954.html

No convenient audio out on that one, though.

[Pedro Lambrini]

This may sound obvious but the biggest boost to old console pictures won't be seen without a good CRT. I have most of my consoles running on RGB and the difference isn't that great on a cheap Mitsubishi TV I have in the bedroom and the picture looks terrible on my LCD telly.

On the other hand, when I run any of my consoles in RGB on my Panasonic CRT the improvement is astounding. Sharp, crisp and vibrant, all my consoles look much, much nicer.

I can't stress enough the importance of CRT for old consoles. Afterall, they were designed around this technology and some systems/games even rely on things like raster scanning etc for smoothing, extra colours and special effects.

In short, buy a good quality RGB telly or monitor (I recommend Panasonic or Sony) and decent RGB cables. :)

[chrisbid]

This may sound obvious but the biggest boost to old console pictures won't be seen without a good CRT. I have most of my consoles running on RGB and the difference isn't that great on a cheap Mitsubishi TV I have in the bedroom and the picture looks terrible on my LCD telly.

On the other hand, when I run any of my consoles in RGB on my Panasonic CRT the improvement is astounding. Sharp, crisp and vibrant, all my consoles look much, much nicer.

I can't stress enough the importance of CRT for old consoles. Afterall, they were designed around this technology and some systems/games even rely on things like raster scanning etc for smoothing, extra colours and special effects.

In short, buy a good quality RGB telly or monitor (I recommend Panasonic or Sony) and decent RGB cables. :)


excellent point. NOW is the time to be on the lookout for a good quality CRT monitor/tv. thrift stores have plenty of them and they are as cheap as they ever will be. in a few years, they will be much harder to come by.

[chrisbid]

That's an excellent point - it's fairly pointless sweating over a loss of picture quality that would be largely imperceptible when you're experiencing that jump from composite to converted RGB, but at the same time, it's nice to know that the switcher itself is doing a good job. When I decide to take the RGB plunge, I'll keep those switch boxes from Maplin in mind, they do seem pretty classy.

There was unanimous support for a MadCatz SCART switch box in that thread I linked to in my last post. The main distinction with the MadCatz swticher is that, rather than push button selectors, it features a sliding switch which is, apparently, the superior mechanism for the noble act of signal preservation.

http://www.consolesandgadgets.com/catalog/madcatz-universal-scart-selector-p-1954.html

No convenient audio out on that one, though.


besides audio out, another feature of the switch is each of the switch buttons is independent of one another. its not a device where you push one button in, and the other button pops back out. that may help avoid "signal leakage" between the various connections.

[joshnickerson]

I'd get in some svideo cables for snes. If you do another group purchase let us know :)

I'd totally be on board too :D

[slip81]

warm chocolate puddin' is GOD

[danny_galaga]

Whereas a couple of those cables cost me around 15 bucks, the jump to a top-notch RGB setup (XRGB-3, GCN SCART cable, and euro-to-JAP conversion...) would be 40-50x more expensive.

Anyone care to chime in? :P

15 x 40 = 600...

[substantial_snake]

15 x 40 = 600...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/F-S-NEW-Micomsoft-UP-SCAN-CONVERTER-UNIT-XRGB-3-Japan-Free-Shipping-EMS-PC-/160672994185?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2568db5389#ht_3974wt_944

The baseline price on ebay for an X-RGB3 alone is 534 bucks and just goes up from there so yeah he was actually pretty spot on with that. lol However unless your converting a ton of equipment from one signal type to another or just want teh very very best you can get for you Console-LCD transfers it seems excessive. For the of what he posted (unless he was planing on using it for the other stuff) its easy to get the Console-Scart-Converter-To settup for less then 70 bucks.

Speaking of which I've been reading about the X-RBG3 and I am really wondering about its basic function. Is it so desired just for its ability to add scanlines to old consoles or am I missing a huge chunk of the picture here?

[ApolloBoy]

I've gone through about all the internal hardware revisions on the original SNES and they all have poor RGB picture quality, some are better than others, RGB on the original model SNES is very blurry for some reason. Every Super Famicom I've come across has the same problem.
Hate to bump an old thread, but I've been thinking about this recently and I'm trying to figure out why this is. Perhaps the SFC and SNES use composite video for sync instead of a proper sync signal?

[hamburglar]

Hate to bump an old thread, but I've been thinking about this recently and I'm trying to figure out why this is. Perhaps the SFC and SNES use composite video for sync instead of a proper sync signal?

I doubt it has anything to do with that, on the model 2 I have my monitor is taking sync off of the composite video line, looks great.

In fact a while back I bypassed the RGB/Video encoder on a model 1 PCB I had laying around, and installed an RGB amplifier, the picture looked a bit better but was still soft. Looks like the PPU is outputting the video that way... didn't look at it with a scope.

[theclaw]

I doubt it has anything to do with that, on the model 2 I have my monitor is taking sync off of the composite video line, looks great.

In fact a while back I bypassed the RGB/Video encoder on a model 1 PCB I had laying around, and installed an RGB amplifier, the picture looked a bit better but was still soft. Looks like the PPU is outputting the video that way... didn't look at it with a scope.

It might be. I'd suggested earler in this topic RGB quality issues could be part of the hardware for Genesis.

I hadn't even considered SNES... But don't see a particular reason to rule out the idea, now that it's on the table.

[Zing]

I just got around to looking at the comparison images in the OP. The composite shots seem far worse than what I see on my Sony CRT using composite from a Super NES. Yes, I can see very slight rainbowing on thin white lines, but no where near as bad as in the comparison shots. The Earthbound scene in particular is much worse than what I see here.

I suspect the comb filter in the video capture card is rather poor. I am not discounting the benefit of s-video, but the comparison shots in the OP are much worse than what a regular person will see with a Sony Wega CRT.

I still use composite for my Super NES. I'd use s-video, but my TV only has a single s-video input, and it is in use by my PSone. I'd get a switch box, but they all seem to have flaws due to cheap build quality (crosstalk, etc). I want a switch box that is literally a switch box, as in an A/B switch with physical connections changing inside the box. Not just a passive electronic box that changes the signal path in the circuitry. I see some mentions in this thread of a "slider" switch and that sounds in line with what I want.

Any suggestions for a true A/B switch box with s-video support?

[theclaw]

s-video is just overrated. There isn't a particular flaw of note.

I don't blame people for not wanting to invest in better. RGB can be frustrating and expensive to handle. Despite its rarely achieved BAR NONE quality that when done right stands up proud next to component.

[sheath]

On my CRT sets S-Video makes a huge difference in colors and image clarity. On some sets with really advanced comb filters the difference between Composite and S-Video can be muted, but the actual image quality between the two is actually as big as Composite to Component or RGB. I actually consider S-Video equal to RGB, and Component equal to HDMI, so long as the resolutions are the same in the comparison.

To the OP, for years I have preferred playing SNES over Composite rather than S-Video because of all of the low resolution aliasing that S-Video exposes. Now that I have an RGB to HDMI adapter for my Genesis and Master System though, I am starting to enjoy the higher quality colors and find myself more able to overlook aliasing and dithering that is exposed by the better quality video.

Sticking strictly to native hardware support, I tend to prefer having the following cables for these systems:

NES: Composite
Master System: Composite/RGB
Genesis-Sega CD-32X: Composite/RGB (32X has very good Composite)
TG16/DUO: Composite (requires a mod for RGB, but DUO/R has great Composite
SNES: Composite/S-Video
3DO: S-Video
Jaguar: S-Video
Saturn: S-Video
N64: S-Video
PS1/PS2: Component
Dreamcast: VGA to Component
Xbox: Component
Gamecube: Component
etc.

[BlastProcessing402]

s-video is just overrated. There isn't a particular flaw of note.

I don't blame people for not wanting to invest in better. RGB can be frustrating and expensive to handle. Despite its rarely achieved BAR NONE quality that when done right stands up proud next to component.

S-video isn't overrated at all if you have a good TV that supports it. The leap from composite to s-video on any system I've used it with have been well worth the cost of the cables. Even made the text that was unreadable over composite in a few PS3 games readable before I got my HDTV.

And I'm sure RGB is better than s-video, but sets supporting RGB just haven't been common in the US, so for most of us that's why s-video was the way to go before systems started using component and HDMI.

[Greg2600]

I think it's overrated. I'm also not interested in comparing still pictures. Video games are moving images, that's what has to be compared. Watching this one I still can't notice a big difference.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd_2pep5q6Y

[Zing]

Wow, the dot crawl in that video with composite is far worse than what I see on my TV. It must be the capture cards these people are using. There are visible diagonal lines! S-video is vastly sharper than composite, but composite with a digital comb filter looks much better than what these examples are showing.

There was a time that I preferred the composite look, but I switched to s-video for my PSone and I quickly became used to it. Dithering and fake-transparency have a more pronounced checkerboard pattern, but after seeing the checkerboard, I couldn't un-see it even with composite. The increase in color clarity and sharpness are worth the effort. I just had to turn down the sharpness setting of my TV. Sharpness is just there to artificially boost edge clarity with composite sources, anyway.

[Polygon]

I can see the difference between the S-video composite. I'm actually in the process of finding S-video cables for my N64, SNES, Jaguar, Dreamcast, Saturn, and PlayStation 1. I still need to get component cables for my PlayStation 2 and X-Box.

I'm trying to decide if $75 is worth it for a Genesis with S-video, stereo, and a region free switch.

[Zing]

I have official Sony PS2 component cables in their retail package that I would sell for $10 plus shipping if you, or anyone, is interested. I don't anticipate owning another PS2 in my lifetime.

I can't seem to find a decent a/b s-video switch box. I can find plenty of s-video only switches, but none with s-video and audio. If I have to have a separate switch for video and audio, I may as well just physically swap cables every time.

*edit* Actually, I managed to find one. http://studio1productions.com/switch-boxes.htm

[tomaitheous]

I think it's overrated.

In what context? Svideo is overrated in general, or in this specific case on the SNES?

[Polygon]

I have official Sony PS2 component cables in their retail package that I would sell for $10 plus shipping if you, or anyone, is interested. I don't anticipate owning another PS2 in my lifetime.

I can't seem to find a decent a/b s-video switch box. I can find plenty of s-video only switches, but none with s-video and audio. If I have to have a separate switch for video and audio, I may as well just physically swap cables every time.

*edit* Actually, I managed to find one. http://studio1productions.com/switch-boxes.htm

This is what I've been using as a video switcher for my systems on composite. It does composite as well as S-video. I haven't tried out the S-video to see how well it works. I was going to pick up another one of these since I've had to double up my systems on the one I have.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pelican-Video-Game-Av-S-video-Switch-your-game-systems-/300662776716?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item4600e5e38c

As for those component cables, you have a PM.

[Drixxel]

This is what I've been using as a video switcher for my systems on composite. It does composite as well as S-video. I haven't tried out the S-video to see how well it works. I was going to pick up another one of these since I've had to double up my systems on the one I have.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pelican-Video-Game-Av-S-video-Switch-your-game-systems-/300662776716?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item4600e5e38c

I have a Hip Gear branded "System Selector" which looks remarkably similar only it has space for 5 inputs, composite & s-video. It's worked like a charm for years on an old Samsung CRT and, at least on the composite side, I've never noticed any negative effect on signal quality although, like Polygon, I haven't ran s-video through it. It was something like $10 from a local Blockbuster, found in one of those bins of random accessories.

Here's the one: http://www.estarland.com/DefaultPage.product.30696.html

[theclaw]

On my CRT sets S-Video makes a huge difference in colors and image clarity. On some sets with really advanced comb filters the difference between Composite and S-Video can be muted, but the actual image quality between the two is actually as big as Composite to Component or RGB. I actually consider S-Video equal to RGB, and Component equal to HDMI, so long as the resolutions are the same in the comparison.

To the OP, for years I have preferred playing SNES over Composite rather than S-Video because of all of the low resolution aliasing that S-Video exposes. Now that I have an RGB to HDMI adapter for my Genesis and Master System though, I am starting to enjoy the higher quality colors and find myself more able to overlook aliasing and dithering that is exposed by the better quality video.

Sticking strictly to native hardware support, I tend to prefer having the following cables for these systems:

NES: Composite
Master System: Composite/RGB
Genesis-Sega CD-32X: Composite/RGB (32X has very good Composite)
TG16/DUO: Composite (requires a mod for RGB, but DUO/R has great Composite
SNES: Composite/S-Video
3DO: S-Video
Jaguar: S-Video
Saturn: S-Video
N64: S-Video
PS1/PS2: Component
Dreamcast: VGA to Component
Xbox: Component
Gamecube: Component
etc.

That's just a sampling of the best consoles have to offer. Wait until you see TG16/DUO in RGB. An amazing sight! From what I understand, it factually has superior image clarity than SNES and Genesis. Not a question of setup or opinion differences.

[Polygon]

I have a Hip Gear branded "System Selector" which looks remarkably similar only it has space for 5 inputs, composite & s-video. It's worked like a charm for years on an old Samsung CRT and, at least on the composite side, I've never noticed any negative effect on signal quality although, like Polygon, I haven't ran s-video through it. It was something like $10 from a local Blockbuster, found in one of those bins of random accessories.

Here's the one: http://www.estarland.com/DefaultPage.product.30696.html

I think one company made those and sold them to different brands. I also recall seeing the exact same one branded for Game Spot as well.

[Zing]

I finally decided to snag an s-video cable for my Super NES. I checked all the used game stores around me, assuming they would have something intended for the Gamecube, but no luck. I ordered an official Nintendo one from Ebay. There are approximately one billion of the crappy composite/s-video combination cables listed, so it wasn't easy to find.

[BlastProcessing402]

I think one company made those and sold them to different brands. I also recall seeing the exact same one branded for Game Spot as well.

Yeah, mine is Pelican brand (bought from a Walmart, IIRC) but looks like that and has the 5 inputs, not 4 like the other one posted.

I have used mine with S-Video, and the only issue is the connectors on some cords with thicker jackets on the a/v connectors don't fit into it very well, it's a tight squeeze for my Xbox, for instance. But as far as actual quality, it's been just fine for me over the years.

Mine also has an RF modulator built in, but I have never had a reason to even try that function out. For that function it requires an AC adapter (included) but nothing else requires power.

[Zing]

I just got an official Nintendo s-video cable. For some reason, the red and white cables are reversed. On every other cable I own, along with the inputs on the TV, the order of connections is yellow/white/red. This cable is s-video/red/white. I guess I need to find a game that has distinct left/right sounds so I can test that the cables are wired correctly.

*edit*
I tested the sound and it is wired correctly. I got this cable from Japan, but I can't imagine that Japanese audio inputs are reversed. I guess the s-video cable is just like that.

[Zing]

So I did a few comparisons with various games like Castlevania IV, Super Mario World, and Mega Man X. At first I didn't notice much difference. But when switching between the two, the difference is clear in the details and colors seem much more accurate. However, the difference isn't huge as with the PSone composite to s-video upgrade.

[Oldskool]

I've never seen a noticeable difference on ANYTHING between S-Video and Composite. Perhaps if you stare at a still shot, but not for anything moving.

I noticed quite a difference between Composite and S-Video on my SNES. (hooked up to 54 inch toshiba projection tv).