Svideo...

HotDog-Cart · Post by **HotDog-Cart** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:05 am

Hey okay. My 360 cable has Svideo outputs as well as RCA. Whats better quality? RCA or Svideo?

Also: Is there anyway I can plug the Svideo from my 360 into my laptop?

My laptop has a Svideo INPUT jack meant for plugging svideo cords into it so I can use my tv as my pc screen. (When I put the 360 cable in the svideo output on my pc, the screen just flickers black for a second when I press Fn + f3).)

My laptop also has a input for "RF". It looks EXACTLY like the svideo jack on the other end of the laptop, but beside it it has a Gold colored cylinder thing with a needle sticking out of it.

Heres a picture that shows svideo inputs and outputs: http://techpubs.sgi.com/library/dynaweb ... .video.gif
(The output on the cable cable on the 360 looks like the bottom pic there. And the input for Svideo on my laptop looks like the top picture.)

The weird RF thing looks like this: http://img339.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rfxe7.jpg

The weird RF thing, does NOTHING when I plug my 360 svideo into it. Even when I do Fn+f3, it doesnt do anything.

Help? Whats the RF for? Whats better: Svideo or RCA? Is there anyway I could play my 360 using my laptop screen, instead of my bigscreen TV?
(And No, Im not asking taht noob question about "can I use my laptop screen as a portable screen. This is totally different and has to do with svideo.)

Post by **Skyone** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:09 am

What do you mean by RCA? S-video can be worser, better, even the same quality as RCA.

HotDog-Cart · Post by **HotDog-Cart** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:13 am

RCA. Meaning: Red, White, Yellow. Is Svideo better quality?

LOL you said worser. Its just `worse`

Post by **Skyone** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:30 am

No, it's worser. RCA does not mean red, white, yellow; but I'll assume your talking about composite video.

Everything is better than composite video, but S-video isn't much better.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:29 am

I dunno what dialect you speak but Ive never heard anyone say 'worser' in conversation. Although it is in the dictionary.

What kind of laptop is it. You say it has two svideo sockets on it? or one svideo and one 'weird gold one'?

If you have used an Svideo plug with a TV before, thats it, it is an output from the laptop. There never was a plug that did both. If there is a second one, are you sure it Isnt PS/2 for a mouse? Unless your computer has a video capture card, you wont be able to input video signals into it.

As for the weird gold one... does it look like the small end of this?

Is it threaded? It might be a connector for an external wifi antenna.

Post by **bicostp** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:26 am

Here's what I generally hear about video connections, with the best at the top and the worst at the bottom.

Digital connections (HDMI, DVI)
RGB / SCART / VGA
Component video (red, green, blue RCA jacks)
S-Video (4 pin plug)
Composite (yellow RCA)
RF

S-video will give you a mild to moderate improvement over Composite because it separates the color and luminance signals, which interfere and fight with each other when combined through composite. (That's why composite gets dot crawl and color bleeding.)

Are you absolutely sure it's S-video input? If you put a signal into the jack and switching the monitor didn't show it on the laptop screen, it's more than likely S-Video output. Try hooking your laptop to an s-video input and see what happens.

That RF jack looks like an external WiFi antenna jack.

EDIT: Is that better, Harshboy?

HotDog-Cart · Post by **HotDog-Cart** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:27 pm

Okay. You guys are confusing the crap out of me and twisting my questions.

Okay. I have an Svideo cord. It came with the laptop. I can plug my laptop into my tv and use my tv as my laptop screen. BUT then theres still that weird jack on the other side of my computer. It looks like the svideo jack on the other side of my computer BUT beside it it has a gold thing.

I dont understand what the hell you guys are saying. I know my laptop has an svideo output. So now I know I cant plug my 360 into my laptop.

But whats this other connector for? It says "RF" above it. It looks like the svideo connector but has that gold thing beside it.

Also is Component, High def? Like if I bought Component cables for my 360, would it be High Def?

Post by **bicostp** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:35 pm

Could you take a picture so we can actually see what you're talking about?

Valium · Post by **Valium** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:53 pm

HotDog-Cart wrote:Okay. You guys are confusing the crap out of me and twisting my questions.

Okay. I have an Svideo cord. It came with the laptop. I can plug my laptop into my tv and use my tv as my laptop screen. BUT then theres still that weird jack on the other side of my computer. It looks like the svideo jack on the other side of my computer BUT beside it it has a gold thing.

I dont understand what the hell you guys are saying. I know my laptop has an svideo output. So now I know I cant plug my 360 into my laptop.

But whats this other connector for? It says "RF" above it. It looks like the svideo connector but has that gold thing beside it.

Also is Component, High def? Like if I bought Component cables for my 360, would it be High Def?

Okay, simple terms.

What you thought was RCA, was composite.

S-video has better quality, but component has better quality than that. Component is not High Def.

Your laptop does not have any kind of Video-in only Video out, which is S-Video.

That RF connection is for an external antenna.

You cannot use your 360 on your laptop screen, without some kind of add-on. I forget what they're called. Probably a Tv tuner. Its not very fast though, so I wouldn't count on it.

HotDog-Cart · Post by **HotDog-Cart** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:33 pm

How isnt Component, High def?

Like, My TV says UltraScan HD. HD meaning HighDef. Its a Hitachi.

It only has Component inputs on the back I think.

So uh yea... How isnt Component... High def?

Even look at this Xbox 360 HD Component cable: http://www.ciao.co.uk/Microsoft_Officia ... e__6554717

Its made by Microsoft and it says Component High Defination.

It even says this: high-definition gaming. The all-in-one solution for high-definition and standard TVs High-definition gaming output of 720p or 1080i Progressive-scan DVD playback in 480p Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound output Component (Y, Pr, Pb) highdefinition video output 8-foot-long shielded cable

So explain to me, how is component not HD?

Valium · Post by **Valium** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:53 pm

Okay, jeez, get a grip. People can be wrong sometimes.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:54 pm

Component is a kind of video signal, HD describes the content of the signal. You can send HD on a component connection, but it can also be half-HD (720i/p) or SD, depending on the source. I think.

As for your tv... how old is it. CRT LCD or other? HD in the name doesnt really mean much. If it has component (YPrPb) inputs then its at least 720i/p. if its older, rear projection, etc, thats probably all it is.

Although I think you could technically send HD on Svideo, I dont think anyone bothers doing that. Ive never seen it, personally. If Svideo is the maximum connection on your TV then its SD.

HotDog-Cart · Post by **HotDog-Cart** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:41 pm

Hey man. My TV does have: YPrPb (Component). ^^ So does that mean, its HD?

Also, So from what you guys are saying: Svideo is slightly better than Composite?

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:49 pm

HotDog-Cart wrote:Hey man. My TV does have: YPrPb (Component). ^^ So does that mean, its HD?

Also, So from what you guys are saying: Svideo is slightly better than Composite?

Component is only HD if you have an HDTV.

Svideo is better than Composite, but it's hardly noticeable.

Oh and Bic, you forgot VGA you bastard! It's in with HDMI and DVI, slightly worse than DVI and HDMI, but 1080p Hi-Def nonetheless.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:16 pm

Harshboy wrote: Component is only HD if you have an HDTV.

Svideo is better than Composite, but it's hardly noticeable.

Oh and Bic, you forgot VGA you bastard! It's in with HDMI and DVI, slightly worse than DVI and HDMI, but 1080p Hi-Def nonetheless.

My two cents:

- I dont think there is much hardware that bothers sending SD signals down component wires. That is to say, Everything Ive seen that takes YPrPb Is high-def. (or half-high-def, 720p)

- Svideo is a LOT better for things like small text (DVD player menus). Svideo quality is of course dependent on the hardware generating it etc. But in some situations the difference is huge. I cant stand dot crawl.

- I would put VGA below the digital signals, as it is an analogue signal. It probably should get its own category on the second highest level.