How much better is S-Video than composite?

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Doc

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How much of an improvement if any is an S-Video connection over a composite
cable? If transferring 8mm video shot in theme parks, am I going to see such
a night/day difference that it would be worth finding an 8mm camcorder with
S-Video out?
 
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No. after 2-3 generations copied in EP it really shows though.

RAT

"Doc" <docsavage20@xhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f81Fd.4190$KJ2.2915@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> How much of an improvement if any is an S-Video connection over a
composite
> cable? If transferring 8mm video shot in theme parks, am I going to see
such
> a night/day difference that it would be worth finding an 8mm camcorder
with
> S-Video out?
>
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

S-Video is far superior to composite. It's not even close.

Mike

"Rattus the RAT" <rats_and_guns_n_rosesREMOVE-THIS@yahoo.com> wrote in
message news:34jlv2F47isbdU1@individual.net...
> No. after 2-3 generations copied in EP it really shows though.
>
> RAT
>
> "Doc" <docsavage20@xhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:f81Fd.4190$KJ2.2915@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> > How much of an improvement if any is an S-Video connection over a
> composite
> > cable? If transferring 8mm video shot in theme parks, am I going to see
> such
> > a night/day difference that it would be worth finding an 8mm camcorder
> with
> > S-Video out?
> >
> >
>
>
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 03:50:35 GMT, "Doc" <docsavage20@xhotmail.com>
wrote:

>How much of an improvement if any is an S-Video connection over a composite
>cable? If transferring 8mm video shot in theme parks, am I going to see such
>a night/day difference that it would be worth finding an 8mm camcorder with
>S-Video out?

S-video can be greatly better than composite, but it depends on the
relative quality of the electronics on both ends. Very good composite
beats cheap S-video.

But it is a *lot* easier to make low cost great quality S-Video than
composite, so you're almost always better off using S-video.

Any Hi8 or D8 camcorder or VCR should have Svideo out, and they
aren't very expensive.

What are you transferring it to? If it has S-video, it is likely
that is the better quality connection on it, and probably is
recommended for use by the maker.
--
*-__Jeffery Jones__________| *Starfire* |____________________-*
** Muskego WI Access Channel 14/25 <http://www.execpc.com/~jeffsj/mach7/>
*Starfire Design Studio* <http://www.starfiredesign.com/>
 
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Doc wrote:

> How much of an improvement if any is an S-Video connection over a composite
> cable? If transferring 8mm video shot in theme parks, am I going to see such
> a night/day difference that it would be worth finding an 8mm camcorder with
> S-Video out?
>
>

Yes. In most cases, esp. if transfering to another tape, you'll see
a big difference.

In the most basic example of dumping video to VHS on a SVHS deck
into VHS format (not SHVS, which is better), my deck shows clear
difference in quality between video fed in identically through composite
vs. s-video. For archives and copies, I'd go svideo all the time.
Svideo looks more like a good VHS original; composite looks more like EP
mode VHS tapes.

Output to a TV, maybe you won't see such a big difference unless you
have a HDTV/high-res TV set. And most of the time, you can't get SVIDEO
on a VHS deck unless you buy a pro-model or a SVHS deck.

Anyways, DV > component > S-VIDEO > composite video transfer quality
in general.
 
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On a sunny day (Wed, 12 Jan 2005 03:50:35 GMT) it happened "Doc"
<docsavage20@xhotmail.com> wrote in
<f81Fd.4190$KJ2.2915@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>:

>How much of an improvement if any is an S-Video connection over a composite
>cable? If transferring 8mm video shot in theme parks, am I going to see such
>a night/day difference that it would be worth finding an 8mm camcorder with
>S-Video out?
>
>
The difference between S-Video and composite (with chroma mixed in), is that
in case of S-Video the chrominance signal is send via a separate wire.
IF<<<< processed separately at the reception side, it can prevent some
interference (for example the type you see when wearing striped shirt etc..).
Of cause it must also have been processed separately at the sending side...
Which I am not at all sure about.
The other thing it is may allow some more luminance bandwith if they used
simple filtering...
So simply use normal PAL or NTSC if that does it for you and saves you more
then 1 $.
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

David Chien <chiendh@uci.edu> wrote:

> Output to a TV, maybe you won't see such a big difference unless you
> have a HDTV/high-res TV set. And most of the time, you can't get SVIDEO
> on a VHS deck unless you buy a pro-model or a SVHS deck.

I always view some (Tivo for instance) text, which Really shows the difference
between composite and s-video, and between different quality setups of any
kind. In my experience, composite looks fuzzier. Nex
 
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"David Chien" <chiendh@uci.edu> wrote in message
news:cs45k0$cd8$1@news.service.uci.edu...

> Yes. In most cases, esp. if transfering to another tape, you'll see
> a big difference.

>
> Output to a TV, maybe you won't see such a big difference unless you
> have a HDTV/high-res TV set. And most of the time, you can't get SVIDEO
> on a VHS deck unless you buy a pro-model or a SVHS deck.

This would be from 8mm camcorder to Pinnacle DC10-Plus capture card for
purposes of making DVD's. I believe I've seen 8mm camcorders with S-Video
output.
 
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"Doc" <docsavage20@xhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:mOkFd.5141$KJ2.1043@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>
> "David Chien" <chiendh@uci.edu> wrote in message
> news:cs45k0$cd8$1@news.service.uci.edu...
>
> > Yes. In most cases, esp. if transfering to another tape, you'll see
> > a big difference.
>
> >
> > Output to a TV, maybe you won't see such a big difference unless you
> > have a HDTV/high-res TV set. And most of the time, you can't get SVIDEO
> > on a VHS deck unless you buy a pro-model or a SVHS deck.
>
> This would be from 8mm camcorder to Pinnacle DC10-Plus capture card for
> purposes of making DVD's. I believe I've seen 8mm camcorders with S-Video
> output.

I don't recall seeing s-video on 8mm decks/camcorders unless they were Hi8.
I doubt that it will make a significance difference in the capture quality
going to s-video, because it's 8mm. You'll be best off looking for a Hi8
unit (or Digital8) . If you do go to the trouble, capture it both ways an
report back with the difference in quality that you find.
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

> This would be from 8mm camcorder to Pinnacle DC10-Plus capture card for
> purposes of making DVD's. I believe I've seen 8mm camcorders with S-Video
> output.

Here, the cleanest, best way would be to use a Digital8 camcorder
(<$300 ebay.com by sony) to play the 8mm tapes directly into DV output
into the PC for capture as DV files.

This eliminates the dual analog conversion step (once out, once in),
retains the highest original quality possible (tape head right into DV
converter in the digital 8 converter), and is the best way to go for
making DVDs that retain the most info.

---

Otherwise, svideo into DC10, and see if you can use VirtualDub +
filters to clean up the video before conversion to MPEG-2.

http://www.virtualdub.org/
 
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"FLY135" <fly_135@(hot not not)notmail.com> wrote in message
news:QdmFd.5691$C52.2206@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

> I don't recall seeing s-video on 8mm decks/camcorders unless they were
Hi8.
> I doubt that it will make a significance difference in the capture quality
> going to s-video, because it's 8mm. You'll be best off looking for a Hi8
> unit (or Digital8) . If you do go to the trouble, capture it both ways an
> report back with the difference in quality that you find.

I should clarify that the tapes are already captured. If there's no such
thing as 8mm with S-video out, then it's a moot point. Coulda sworn I'd seen
such a critter in a pawn shop, but maybe I was mistooked.
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Doc said:

>> If there's no such
thing as 8mm with S-video out, then it's a moot point. Coulda sworn I'd seen
such a critter in a pawn shop, but maybe I was mistooked.>>

Maybe you saw a Hi-8 camcorder. As far as I know, they all have S-video out
and most of them are backward compatable and can play 8mm recorded tapes.


Dave
http://members.tripod.com/~VideoDave
 
Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Michael Banowetz said:

>>S-Video is far superior to composite. It's not even close.>>

Since we are talking about transfering 8mm (not Hi-8) the transfer would be
somewhat better, but I wouldn't say "far superior". Regular 8mm is a pretty low
quality signal to start with.


Dave
http://members.tripod.com/~VideoDave
 
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