# What does a"S" video cable carry? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416 "2003-10-24T22:44:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/21 "2003-10-25T19:15:51Z")
Thanks, **adam**. The picture doesn’t show much, but it _looks_ like a DB15 connector. OTOH, it looks as though it could be an edge-type connector, too. If it’s a DB15 or similar it’s a snap, but it if something weirder, might be a bit difficult. It’s probably not optical, in any case. I’ll see what I can dig up. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/22 "2003-10-25T19:21:06Z")
[Here](http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1577&p=3) is a photo of the connector. This would be a tough one to get, I think. I hate purpose-engineered connectors. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/23 "2003-10-25T19:24:02Z")
Or not so [tough](http://www.aukconnector.com/dvi_connector_connectors_manufacturer_manufacturers.htm). Cheap DVI cable anyone? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/24 "2003-10-25T22:51:36Z")
At the hospital we use the DVI connectors for the 19" plasma screens that the doctors use for their “Portal” screens. And the ER also has 2 overhead 42" plasma displays which both use the DVI outputs. They are able to take regular VGA cables but the DVI gives a crisper image even if it’s just showing the W2K load screen. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/25 "2003-10-26T00:09:25Z")
[Digikey](http://www.digikey.com) sells 2-meter DVI-digital and DVI-analog cables for US $34.00 and US $33.85 respectively in unit quantities. The part numbers are WM18509-ND and WM18510-ND. That’s considerably cheaper than $100! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/26 "2003-10-26T00:14:54Z")
Yeah, Moster is notorious for selling overpriced, overengineered cables that don’t perform any better than far less expensiive ones. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/27 "2003-10-26T00:20:04Z")
“Agreed that he used the term “S-video” incorrectly to describe the entire set.” I don’t think so. I got it at BB rental stores, ten bucks, it connects a Gamecube, Xbox & PS2 to s-video on the tv. They might not have labeled it correctly, but I can assure you it has 4 plugs. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/28 "2003-10-26T00:25:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*…I can assure you it has 4 plugs. \*\* I never said otherwise. What I’m saying is that the term “S-video cable” refers to a single cable with a four-pin S-video male connector on each end. No red, white and yellow RCA AV plugs. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/29 "2003-10-26T00:54:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Yeah, Moster is notorious for selling overpriced, overengineered cables that don’t perform any better than far less expensiive ones. \*\* I saw a set of 2m component cables from monster that sold for $130. I had to double check that, because that was really insane. Can you not use the RCA red, white and yellow cables (in the component jacks) if you had to? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/30 "2003-10-26T01:04:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adam yax \* > \*\*I saw a set of 2m component cables from monster that sold for $130. I had to double check that, because that was really insane. Can you not use the RCA red, white and yellow cables (in the component jacks) if you had to? \*\* Yes, you can. What burned me up when I worked for Radio Shack was that they repackaged their Gold Series AV cables as component video with only the different color-coded RCA plugs. Remember that the yellow composite video cable is carrying the full bandwidth of the video signal, but in the component cables, each one is carrying, on average, 1/3 of it. The audio cables in these assemblies are made from the same cable as the video. Purpose-built component video cables are therefore a scam. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/31 "2003-10-26T01:09:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adam yax \* > \*\*I saw a set of 2m component cables from monster that sold for $130. I had to double check that, because that was really insane. Bah. I can beat that without looking hard :D. This 2m component cable goes for $300 at audioadvisor: [http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?Variant=1&AttribNum=1&pf\_id=4444&sku=TRIBSCVCOM1&selAttribute\_1=2.0+M](http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?Variant=1&AttribNum=1&pf_id=4444&sku=TRIBSCVCOM1&selAttribute_1=2.0+M) Given a little time I bet I can find one quite a bit more. The cabling world is _insane_. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/32 "2003-10-26T02:08:04Z")
I have a question about S-video. I’ve often seen and heard it referred to as “S-VHS” rather than “S-video”, even in situations where there was no VCR present. For example, the S-video jack on the back of one of my TV’s is labeled “S-VHS”. I had always assumed that the proper term is S-video, but is it possible that S-video came about as a result of S-VHS players being invented, forever associating the two? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/33 "2003-10-26T02:10:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ntucker \* > \*\*… is it possible that S-video came about as a result of S-VHS players being invented, forever associating the two? \*\* Yep, that’s pretty much the size of it. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/34 "2003-10-26T19:34:57Z")
So is it technically correct to refer to it as an “S-VHS cable”? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/35 "2003-10-26T20:57:31Z")
I don’t know about correct, but if someone asks me for an “S-VHS cable”, I know exactly what they mean. These days, the S-video connectors are used on more than just S-VHS VCRs, so the term “S-video cable” is more widespread. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/36 "2003-10-26T23:34:55Z")
So where does my RF connector go?☹ And anybody got some extra needle nose so I can change channels? ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/37 "2003-10-27T11:57:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tamerlane \* > \*\*So in terms of picture quality: > > 1)Composite - worst ( but may still be just fine ) > > 2)S-Video - better > > 3)Component Video - best > > - Tamerlane \*\* Bringing it back closer to the OP, where does the **SCART** connector range in this list? (aka **peritel** ). Is is a European invention? (French?) [here](http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/scart.htm)’s a description. In Europe you get these buggers on TVs, VCR, DVD etc, and it seems like it gives pretty good picture, athough the cables are expensive. It looks like it contains both component (RGB) video and composite, as well as audio. (But according to the link not all are always present…) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/38 "2003-10-27T12:21:23Z")
SCART connectors are _capable_ of carrying composite, S-video or RGB. (RGB is equivalent in quality to the color difference component video **Tamerlane** mentioned). What they actually _do_ carry depends on the equipment connected at both ends. If you’ve got a DVD player at one end and an expensive TV at the other, it can carry RGB. If theres an ordinary VCR at one end, then it could be carrying composite or it could be carrying S-Video. > [@](#): > > [SCART connector](http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci213465,00.html) > The interface is an industry standard originated by the French company, Peritel. Today, most new television sets and VCRs in the European market and other countries that use the PAL video standard come equipped with a SCART connector. SCART stands for Syndicat francais des Constructeurs d’Appareils Radio et Television. The connector is also known as a Euro-connector. I’d dispute the “other countries that use the PAL video standard” bit. It’s only the European stuff sold here that ever comes equipped with SCART connectors. The Asian stuff (which makes up most of the market) doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416/39 "2003-10-27T12:31:48Z")
Thank you **Desmo**. That makes sense. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > \*\*It’s only the European stuff sold here that ever comes equipped with SCART connectors. The Asian stuff (which makes up most of the market) doesn’t. \*\* Over here you get it even on Asian equipment. Clever little buggers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-s-video-cable-carry/209416.md?page=1)