Re: Newbie: composite, hdmi, s-video, rca

godzilla: wrote: >

> I understand that hdmi > composite > s-video > rca. But why?
> At some level, there most be some reason why one is preferred
> over the other.

If your signal source is originally digital and/or component
in nature (separate RGB or YCC data structures), then you want
to keep it that way to minimize noise and artifacts.

Top down ...

DVI-D/HDMI - is pure digital, and depending on the equipment,
can support 1920x1080@60Hz (or higher with dual-link DVI or
HDMI-B). HDMI adds audio and device control lacking in DVI.

Component - YPbPr usually - is analog, but retains separate
channels for the color info. It appears that port capabilities
may run up to 1080i, but they could also be only 480p.

S-video, aka Y/C keeps the luminance separate from the
UV color info, but is a bit inferior to YPbPr. S-video is also
480i only, so on the whole it's a big step down from component.
Interlace twitter, anyone?

Composite/RCA - subsamples the color and merges it to the
luminance data in way that often is ambiguous to decode.
Fine B&W detail is seen as color, and vice versa. So you
have lower color res than S-video, and decoding artifacts
to boot.

F-connector - this might be bringing an ASTC digital signal
to your tuner, but is more likely emulating NTSC channel 3
or 4. We've now taken the crappy composite signal and
used it to modulate a TV station broadcast carrier. More
noise, mostly.

> Is hdmi the only digital signal in the bunch?

DVI-D and HDMI are definitely digital. F might be.
The others are not.

FAQs on all this abound. I'm not posting any links, because
I haven't found any I consider sufficiently comprehensive,
up to date, and accessible to curious consumers.

--
Regards, Bob Niland mailto:name@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.access-one.com/rjn email4rjn AT yahoo DOT com
NOT speaking for any employer, client or Internet Service Provider.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Need help in watching Blu-Ray movies from computer to TV
    ... Found out my card does indeed have capability of HDMI output ... Now the only problem is running it permantely to the tv (SONY 55" whih does have HDMI input) ... You will NEVER find ANY video card that will put out what you want over ... Even a PS/3 when hooked up via the S-video connector drops to a low ...
    (alt.video.dvd)
  • Re: Need help in watching Blu-Ray movies from computer to TV
    ... Try core media player ... Now the only problem is running it permantely to the tv (SONY 55" whih does have HDMI input) ... You will NEVER find ANY video card that will put out what you want over ... Even a PS/3 when hooked up via the S-video connector drops to a low ...
    (alt.video.dvd)
  • Re: Help: display plus projector with 9600GS card?
    ... which has DVI, S-Video and hdmi outputs. ... Requirement is to connect an LCD monitor for Windows and at the same time an LCD projector to project digital photographs 1024 x 768 or project DVD video. ... The projector has VGA and S-video inputs but as I feel that S-video is not good enough for a high quality 1024 x 768 image I have connected it to the 9500GS DVI output using a DVI/VGA adaptor effectively making output VGA. ...
    (alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt)
  • Re: Empfehlungen fuer Notebook gesucht
    ... - Ganz alte TVs haben ein Problem mit S-Video und natuerlich auch kein HMDI. ... auch ueber Scart (mit entspr. ... HDMI ist eigentlich nur eine "erweiterter" DVI-Schnittstelle. ... Sowas auf HDMI habe ich noch nicht gesehen, da einerseits HDMI fuer HD-Inhalte ist und andererseits auch TVs mit HDMI oft noch Scart, S-Video usw. haben, sich also in der Beziehung auch als SD-TV verhalten koennen. ...
    (de.comp.sys.notebooks)
  • Re: [alsa-devel] No mixers on ATI RS780 Azalia
    ... Hmm, that computer is separate from the actual LCD, which has an HDMI ...
    (Linux-Kernel)