Component video cables are AWESOME
 

Componentvideo is supported on many TVs, DVD players, VCRs, DVR devices as well as many other video display devices. Composite video employs 3 cables that look and to degrees are similar to TV antenna cable. The general spec used in component video is called RG-6 and the component cable specification that most recommend comes from a cable type called Belden 1694A. The spec is described here http://www.bluejeanscable.com/pages/technicaldocs/1694tech.htm There are many equivalents and near equivalents to Belden cable out there.

Over the weekend I removed the S video connectors we previously used and retro-fitted component cables in their place. The difference was AMAZING. From our DVD player, the color resolution and depth increased dramatically, the image clarity and brilliance improved with equal impressive gains. There was also a remarkable improvement in many of the color related subtleties. Even the comparatively crappy output from the VCR showed a massive improvementt. My old, dark and often grainy Star Trek recordings looked far better than ever. I highly recommend to anyone that watches videos to make this change. If you are at all skilled with cable, you can buy the Belden 1694A cable for about $.4 per foot, and the connectors are about $4 a piece. Otherwise the pre-made cables are a little pricey, but not too bad, and mostly you won’t regret it for a second. Makes your current video stuff seem better than new!

Yip, you may have had bad S-Video cables. But if it works and your satisfied with it, were glad your happy :)

Hmmmm. Perhaps I'm using the wrong term? In all the manuals we have (Sony, Denon, Yamaha) they claim that 3 cable composite is preferred. The cables are labeled by a number of names, but denote a separate cable for R G and B.

In addition, an earlier thread here http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/off-topic-discussion/44791-s-video-component.html?highlight=video+composite also states that composite is preferred.

And, of course, if you do a search of the web you will find that across the board composite is preferred.

So....am I using the wrong term or ??? The vast consensus and my eyes say that this "do" is a whole lot better than S video.....

The term is component video, and is where you get the ability for Hi-def on the compatible TVs. I'm currently working on getting my TV to synch up with my ATI All in Wonder 9700 Pro card in my multimedia PC. My first attempt resulted in some, shall we say, unexpected results. I finally had to back it off to the S-Video, untill I can figure out why the component video didn't work like it was supposed to. What I did see with the RGB cables looked promising, if I can figure it out.

Thanks for the feedback and elaboration! I changed the first post to component instead of "composite."

Anyway make the change and you will be blown away by the improvement! Since doing the first change i'm moving foreword to change out our other video equipment as well.

Remarkable that the cables, and of course the circuitry they connect can cause such a dramatic improvement. Its like going form a Chev to a Mercedes!

Yes component cables are awesome! I purchased a set not long ago for my HDTV. Now if anyone can tell me a good place to pick-up a resonably priced HD tuner I would love to get the HD package for my cable....

Sorry didn't mean to high-jack the thread.

I don't know what the price ranges for these thingies might be. A quick google showed one for about 200 and a place where i bought some stuff recently has one for about 360.

But you raise an interesting question: what components are involved in bringing hdtv to a hdtv capable TV?

Also are DVD movies capable of displaying HDTV?

And, anyone have a favorite brand of component cables??

Isn't teh all in Wonder capable of recording TV shows as well? How do you like it overall? I mean the output probelms aside? What kind of drive space is used to record a show in high def? Also how much storage for, say an hour of recording?

I didn't know datapro sold this stuff! I used them as a hardware vendor many years ago.

In order to view HD Broadcast you need first a Hi Def TV. Second you will need a Tuner to code the signal to Hi Def and you'll need to by the HD package from your cable supplier.

DVD's are capable of playing in HD.. This is currently the only thing I am able to view in HD at the moment since I have the TV but do not own the tuner.

Does a DVD player need to expressly support HDTV? Or will any recent DVD player do this?

A DVD won't give you HD but it will give you additional resolution when used with component video cables although you may need to configure your DVD for 480 output (480 lines of resolution versus the 340 for normal TV). Also you need the component video in order to take advantage of the progressive scan feature (although I do not know what progressive scan does, but I had to have it). HDTV provides 1080 lines of resolution which is significantly higher.

Thanks, I'll see if the DVD has a switch for the higher scan rate. But more importantly you’re telling me that you can’t get 1080i resolution from a DVD player? Then is HD only available by way of cable or airways with the requisite HDTV converter?

To my knowledge, that is correct. I've been wrong before though.

You are most decidedly not going to get that kind of resolution from a DVD. Not for a while at least. 1080 is only available from a direct HD signal as of this moment in technology.