S-video or component?

[teh_L0ki]

For consoles that support both do you have a general preference or think one is better than the other for outputting at standard def?

[sheath]

I prefer S-Video for any 90s consoles that factory support it except the SNES. I can't think of any that support Component. From the Dreamcast on, if Component allows for progressive scan or higher resolutions I like the option. Sometimes 480p bring out the aliasing more than S-Video does.

To me they're the same thing in different packaging unless the resolution increases, kind of like Component versus HDMI. I do notice a difference in white and black levels between the three, but even on the same settings I can't say one clearly beats out the others.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

What kind of question is this? Component is cleaner and better than S-video. No classic gaming console supports component anyway, unless the kids these days consider the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox 1 to be classic gaming consoles. They're not.

[teh_L0ki]

What kind of question is this? Component is cleaner and better than S-video. No classic gaming console supports component anyway, unless the kids these days consider the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox 1 to be classic gaming consoles. They're not.

It's a question I ask out of curiosity. I googled before asking of course but I couldn't find an answer one way or the other, just the statement that component supports higher res. Both seperate chroma, and luma anyway.

Also, this is just a theoretical question but how long do you think it will be before the gamecube is considered retro? It came out 10 years ago and once the next gen hits would you consider it a retro console then?

[sheath]

I think we're going to have to accept the historical model eventually. Anything older than 10 years (which the Xbox and Gamecube will be this Christmas) is history.

The car model of anything over 20 years old is a classic seems to only be extended to muscle cars or popular cars. Obscure game consoles seem to get extended that courtesy much more quickly.

Anyway, I agree with your findings on the S-Video versus Component differences. At the same resolutions, they aren't that different.

[Greg2600]

I think the OP was mistaken. He probably meant to say composite, not component. Component is HD quality, composite is the lowest you go before RF. If we are to compare composite and S-Video, my personal take is that the difference is simply insignificant. Others swear there is, but comparing pictures or something, but with the game running, on an old CRT or even new LCD, I never saw much difference. Most newer TV's no longer have S-Video ports.

[retroman]

If it's composite vs svideo, then s vid all the way

[allyourblood]

Using my SNES with my LCD TV, I notice a significantly sharper and truer picture using s-video, vs. composite. Text is much easier to read and colors are obviously more accurate.

For my genesis, I can only choose between RGB or composite (not counting RF), and I think you can guess which looks better. The difference is like night and day -- RGB really is a huge leap forward in clarity and color, there.

[kedawa]

I'm pretty picky about video quality, but I don't find component to be significantly better than s-video at the same resolution.
It's certainly not as much of an improvement as s-video is over composite.

[stalepie]

I like to play old consoles in what they regularly supported for the time (non-modified), like composite for NES/Genesis/SNES and S-Video for Saturn. I think I use component for PS2, although I'm not sure I don't like composite better if it's for certain games (like 2D stuff). To me it looks better for it to be normal, like how both the designers and players saw it at the time. I don't really like it ultra clear or sharp.

I use HDMI for PS3... it may be that modifying old consoles for better cables is the way to go with LCD. Haven't really tried. I'm using a SONY CRT for the old stuff.

[kedawa]

I like to play old consoles in what they regularly supported for the time (non-modified), like composite for NES/Genesis/SNES and S-Video for Saturn. I think I use component for PS2, although I'm not sure I don't like composite better if it's for certain games (like 2D stuff). To me it looks better for it to be normal, like how both the designers and players saw it at the time. I don't really like it ultra clear or sharp.

I use HDMI for PS3... it may be that modifying old consoles for better cables is the way to go with LCD. Haven't really tried. I'm using a SONY CRT for the old stuff.

The designers used RGB monitors in most cases.
For stuff like Atari VCS, where the blurring of pixels is actually used for shading, it makes sense to go for the low fidelity image, but for most anything else, the clearer the signal the better.
If you want to soften the image to give it a more authentic 'retro' look, just turn down the sharpness on your tv/monitor. That way you can still have the benefit of better colour separation and less interference, and still avoid overly sharp pixels.