Is there really that big of a difference between S-Video and RGB on SNES?

[hamburglar]

I've gone through about all the internal hardware revisions on the original SNES and they all have poor RGB picture quality, some are better than others, RGB on the original model SNES is very blurry for some reason. Every Super Famicom I've come across has the same problem.

The SNES 2 or Super Famicom JR. on the other hand, when properly modded offers the best RGB picture (it does not output RGB out of the box). A huge improvement. I prefer the look of the original SNES/Super Famicom, but use a Super Famicom JR. because of the much better RGB picture quality.

I use a Sony standard res. RGB monitor, but the difference in picture quality can be seen on everything from RGB/Component converters to the XRGB units.

[theclaw]

As for Genesis, it's been proposed (if largely rumor) jail bars might be a VDP problem. Curing that entirely will take re-implementing an improved graphics chip to fix the bug. Good luck finding someone with transistor skills or a semiconductor plant...

[hamburglar]

As for Genesis, it's been proposed (if largely rumor) jail bars might be a VDP problem. Curing that entirely will take re-implementing an improved graphics chip to fix the bug. Good luck finding someone with transistor skills or a semiconductor plant...

I don't get Jailbars with my own RGB cables, only had problems with cheap cables that are missing the components that are necessary...

[chrisbid]

the jump isnt huge, but it is with the genesis. i purchased a scart -> component adapter for around 50 bucks. with that adapter and a scart switchbox, i had space for 4 different scart connections. the scart cables themselves werent that expensive so i bought cables for the genesis, snes, saturn, and neo geo. the entire setup was around 120 dollars. the jump in quality for the saturn and snes (s-video) wasnt huge, but it certainly was for the genesis and neo geo.

[substantial_snake]

the jump isnt huge, but it is with the genesis. i purchased a scart -> component adapter for around 50 bucks. with that adapter and a scart switchbox, i had space for 4 different scart connections. the scart cables themselves werent that expensive so i bought cables for the genesis, snes, saturn, and neo geo. the entire setup was around 120 dollars. the jump in quality for the saturn and snes (s-video) wasnt huge, but it certainly was for the genesis and neo geo.

I have a question, are you saying your setup went like this?

X Game Console - Scart - Scart Switchbox - Scart Output -Scart Converter - Component - TV

I honestly didn't know they made just switchboxes for Scart and if its cheap and works I would like to do something similar with my settup. It would largely eliminate the back and forth between different cable settups for different games.

[Sneak613]

I myself was looking for an S-video cable for connecting my SNES just last week.

I've heard that a lot of the 'no name' generic brand ones are garbage, so I wanted to try finding a nintendo brand (1st party) one. I found out after searching, it's no easy feat!

I saw on eBay (link here) , that there was a japanese seller selling Super Famicon ones (1st party), and am told they work with the North American consoles.

Figured I'd share.

[Informationator]

I have one of the purple monster cable S-Video connectors. As much as people hate Monster (and they're not entirely unjustified), I believe their S-Video connector is the best. The S-video screenshots in my above post were taken while I was using that cable.

[jwmollman]

I've heard that a lot of the 'no name' generic brand ones are garbage, so I wanted to try finding a nintendo brand (1st party) one.

I bit the bullet and tried a third-party S-Video cable from Amazon, and it actually works great. The colors are very vibrant and I notice a big difference. I mentioned it here.

[chrisbid]

I have a question, are you saying your setup went like this?

X Game Console - Scart - Scart Switchbox - Scart Output -Scart Converter - Component - TV

I honestly didn't know they made just switchboxes for Scart and if its cheap and works I would like to do something similar with my settup. It would largely eliminate the back and forth between different cable settups for different games.

yes, that is the setup. the one issue is the scart > component adapter does not have audio, so i found a switchbox with an additional av port to use for audio. the switch box isnt too expensive, i believe it was around 12 dollars.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/scart-multiw...h-switch-43158

i have the 5-way (one port is an AV in) version with the additional a/v output

[substantial_snake]

yes, that is the setup. the one issue is the scart > component adapter does not have audio, so i found a switchbox with an additional av port to use for audio. the switch box isnt too expensive, i believe it was around 12 dollars.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/scart-multiw...h-switch-43158

i have the 5-way (one port is an AV in) version with the additional a/v output

Ok, I think I see what you did here.

Then all you used was a set of audio cables for the A/V output and it would switch the sound to whatever selected Scart input you were using at the time? This seems deceptively simple and easy...like I am somehow missing something. lol

[Drixxel]

yes, that is the setup. the one issue is the scart > component adapter does not have audio, so i found a switchbox with an additional av port to use for audio. the switch box isnt too expensive, i believe it was around 12 dollars.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/scart-multiw...h-switch-43158

i have the 5-way (one port is an AV in) version with the additional a/v output

chrisbid, do you notice any loss of picture quality by using that switch box versus connecting a console directly to your component video converter? I encountered a discussion of SCART switch boxes on Segasaturn.co.uk and there was some concern that push button switchers don't do as good a job at isolating the individual SCART sockets, potentially resulting in noise when multiple devices are connected. The audio out jacks on the switcher you linked to make it pretty appealing, hopefully there's no such signal muckery going on with it.

[ApolloBoy]

I've gone through about all the internal hardware revisions on the original SNES and they all have poor RGB picture quality, some are better than others, RGB on the original model SNES is very blurry for some reason. Every Super Famicom I've come across has the same problem.

Hate to bump an old thread, but I've been thinking about this recently and I'm trying to figure out why this is. Perhaps the SFC and SNES use composite video for sync instead of a proper sync signal?

[hamburglar]

Hate to bump an old thread, but I've been thinking about this recently and I'm trying to figure out why this is. Perhaps the SFC and SNES use composite video for sync instead of a proper sync signal?

I doubt it has anything to do with that, on the model 2 I have my monitor is taking sync off of the composite video line, looks great.

In fact a while back I bypassed the RGB/Video encoder on a model 1 PCB I had laying around, and installed an RGB amplifier, the picture looked a bit better but was still soft. Looks like the PPU is outputting the video that way... didn't look at it with a scope.

[theclaw]

I doubt it has anything to do with that, on the model 2 I have my monitor is taking sync off of the composite video line, looks great.

In fact a while back I bypassed the RGB/Video encoder on a model 1 PCB I had laying around, and installed an RGB amplifier, the picture looked a bit better but was still soft. Looks like the PPU is outputting the video that way... didn't look at it with a scope.

It might be. I'd suggested earler in this topic RGB quality issues could be part of the hardware for Genesis.

I hadn't even considered SNES... But don't see a particular reason to rule out the idea, now that it's on the table.

[Zing]

I just got around to looking at the comparison images in the OP. The composite shots seem far worse than what I see on my Sony CRT using composite from a Super NES. Yes, I can see very slight rainbowing on thin white lines, but no where near as bad as in the comparison shots. The Earthbound scene in particular is much worse than what I see here.

I suspect the comb filter in the video capture card is rather poor. I am not discounting the benefit of s-video, but the comparison shots in the OP are much worse than what a regular person will see with a Sony Wega CRT.

I still use composite for my Super NES. I'd use s-video, but my TV only has a single s-video input, and it is in use by my PSone. I'd get a switch box, but they all seem to have flaws due to cheap build quality (crosstalk, etc). I want a switch box that is literally a switch box, as in an A/B switch with physical connections changing inside the box. Not just a passive electronic box that changes the signal path in the circuitry. I see some mentions in this thread of a "slider" switch and that sounds in line with what I want.

Any suggestions for a true A/B switch box with s-video support?

[theclaw]

s-video is just overrated. There isn't a particular flaw of note.

I don't blame people for not wanting to invest in better. RGB can be frustrating and expensive to handle. Despite its rarely achieved BAR NONE quality that when done right stands up proud next to component.

[sheath]

On my CRT sets S-Video makes a huge difference in colors and image clarity. On some sets with really advanced comb filters the difference between Composite and S-Video can be muted, but the actual image quality between the two is actually as big as Composite to Component or RGB. I actually consider S-Video equal to RGB, and Component equal to HDMI, so long as the resolutions are the same in the comparison.

To the OP, for years I have preferred playing SNES over Composite rather than S-Video because of all of the low resolution aliasing that S-Video exposes. Now that I have an RGB to HDMI adapter for my Genesis and Master System though, I am starting to enjoy the higher quality colors and find myself more able to overlook aliasing and dithering that is exposed by the better quality video.

Sticking strictly to native hardware support, I tend to prefer having the following cables for these systems:

NES: Composite
Master System: Composite/RGB
Genesis-Sega CD-32X: Composite/RGB (32X has very good Composite)
TG16/DUO: Composite (requires a mod for RGB, but DUO/R has great Composite
SNES: Composite/S-Video
3DO: S-Video
Jaguar: S-Video
Saturn: S-Video
N64: S-Video
PS1/PS2: Component
Dreamcast: VGA to Component
Xbox: Component
Gamecube: Component
etc.

[BlastProcessing402]

s-video is just overrated. There isn't a particular flaw of note.

I don't blame people for not wanting to invest in better. RGB can be frustrating and expensive to handle. Despite its rarely achieved BAR NONE quality that when done right stands up proud next to component.

S-video isn't overrated at all if you have a good TV that supports it. The leap from composite to s-video on any system I've used it with have been well worth the cost of the cables. Even made the text that was unreadable over composite in a few PS3 games readable before I got my HDTV.

And I'm sure RGB is better than s-video, but sets supporting RGB just haven't been common in the US, so for most of us that's why s-video was the way to go before systems started using component and HDMI.