Wanted to know if S- Video cables r better quality than RCA cables?

Question

The RCA Cables are the ones with yellow for video and red, white for audio. I use the the RCA cables for audio but the S- video for picture and just wanted to know if the yellow RCA cable was better that way I'll start using it.

Answer 1

Component > S-Cable > RCA for picture

Answer 2

Theoretically the s-video is better, but it probably depends on your television. If you have a really good tv, use the s-video definitely. My advice would be try both and see which you think is better.

Answer 3

if you want better sound go with RCA

if you want better picture go with S- video

Answer 4

S video processes color (chromanance) and brightness (luminance) seperately whereas composite (yellow cable) only handles them mixed together.

In tests I did with a friend several years ago, we found the S picture to be richer--better color and contrast, than composite. I don't think it matters what kind of TV you have. We tried it on several at the time.

If I could presume to expand Bianchi's list best to worst:

HDMI (typically)

Component

S video

Composite

RF coax

Answer 5

This depends on your source.

If it's LaserDisc, then this depends on the television and the player since LaserVision is natively composite.  If the player has a better comb filter, then s-video is best.  If the TV has a better comb filter, then the "RCA" cable is best.

If it's DVD, then any connection method that keeps the chroma and luma elements of the video signal separate is the way to go: s-video or component video.

If it's a cable box, then this depends on the box and the channel.  If it's an analogue channel and the cable box doesn't have that great of a comb filter, then it will look worse than using the "RCA" cable.  But, if it's a digital channel, then the s-video will likely be superior.

If it's a digital satellite receiver then, just like DVD, any connection method that keeps the luma and chroma elements separated is the way to go; unlike cable delivery, digital satellite delivery has all channels delivered digitally.  However, just because it's digital does not necessarily mean that it's better; it depends on the source.

"RCA/Cinch/Phono" cables hold color video in a composite form.  Composite video are the chroma and luma elements composited into one signal and, thus, require a comb filter to separate those elements.  

S-Video (separated video), on the other hand, delivers the video in two signals, one chroma and the other luma), so problems in the video caused by compositing the two signals together are eliminated as well as the need for a comb filter.

Component video takes it a step further with two separate color signals along with one luma signal.

HDMI delivers video and audio synchronously on one cable and does this entirely in the digital domain.