TV hook up question? Red, white and Yellow cords vs S-video?

[KingofCards]

Which is better? All of my components have an S-video option as well as the three headed tri-color cord. What is the difference? Is the S-video much better? What is the difference in price?

Thanks.

I am bored and have extra money burning in my pocket.

 

[Duckjake]

Which is better? All of my components have an S-video option as well as the three headed tri-color cord. What is the difference? Is the S-video much better? What is the difference in price?

Thanks.

I am bored and have extra money burning in my pocket.

All the tech guys I've talked to recently say the S-Video is basically useless.

Don't know why. That's just what they said.

 

[nathan]

S-video is supposed to be better quality. I can't tell the difference between them.

 

[Linderbee]

All the tech guys I've talked to recently say the S-Video is basically useless.

Don't know why. That's just what they said.

S-video is supposed to be better quality. I can't tell the difference between them.

There you go. Problem solved. A nice consensus on the subject.

 

[O]

Which is better? All of my components have an S-video option as well as the three headed tri-color cord. What is the difference? Is the S-video much better? What is the difference in price?

Thanks.

I am bored and have extra money burning in my pocket.

Depends on what your TV, receiver and satelite box will have as outputs and inputs.

If the cable is three prong and it's red and white for audio and yellow for video, That is the worst as far as video goes. It's pssibly the cheapest cable made.
S-Video is a step above for video. You can see the difference,
Component, red, blue, green, is considered by some to be the best. An HDMI cable is the latest technology and possibly the best, unfortunately not every home theatre is capable of using
HDMI.
As far as audiio goes an optical cable is best if possible. If not quality cables will serve you better then the cheap red and white, and yellow three prong cable.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Depends on what your TV, receiver and satelite box will have as outputs and inputs.

If the cable is three prong and it's red and white for audio and yellow for video, That is the worst as far as video goes. It's pssibly the cheapest cable made.
S-Video is a step above for video. You can see the difference,
Component, red, blue, green, is considered by some to be the best. An HDMI cable is the latest technology and possibly the best, unfortunately not every home theatre is capable of using
HDMI.
As far as audiio goes an optical cable is best if possible. If not quality cables will serve you better then the cheap red and white, and yellow three prong cable.

S-Video is better than composite (Red, White, Yellow). You should be able to notice a difference between them.

Whomever Duckjake talked to about S-Video is wrong. Composite video is about as bad as it gets. Most newer TV's have at least an S-Video connection, and that is clearly better than composite.

Overall, I would agree that component is the best, because HDMI still has issues with its technology that it is working out.

I actually need to take the time to remove the HDMI cable connection from my HD-DVR, and put the component cables back in, because the HDMI connection, although it is capable of displaying a better connection, it rarely does with cable boxes.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Oh, and if you need better cables, please do yourself a favor and buy them at

www.monoprice.com

Great quality cables, at a fraction of the cost.

 

[Covert Rain]

S-Video is better than composite (Red, White, Yellow). You should be able to notice a difference between them.

Whomever Duckjake talked to about S-Video is wrong. Composite video is about as bad as it gets. Most newer TV's have at least an S-Video connection, and that is clearly better than composite.

Overall, I would agree that component is the best, because HDMI still has issues with its technology that it is working out.

I actually need to take the time to remove the HDMI cable connection from my HD-DVR, and put the component cables back in, because the HDMI connection, although it is capable of displaying a better connection, it rarely does with cable boxes.

That is correct. S-Video does look better then composite. The larger the TV the more you will notice a difference as well.

HDMI does have the better video quality but component is still a great quality video connection. The only problem is that most new HDTV's that are coming out won't allow 1080p over component which is what Blu-Ray and HD DVD uses. Meaning you have to use HDMI.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

That is correct. S-Video does look better then composite. The larger the TV the more you will notice a difference as well.

HDMI does have the better video quality but component is still a great quality video connection. The only problem is that most new HDTV's that are coming out won't allow 1080p over component which is what Blu-Ray and HD DVD uses. Meaning you have to use HDMI.

Well, the HD-DVD addon for the 360 uses VGA to display 1080p. Component is capable of displaying in 1080p, but HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is preventing it. The stupid part about HDCP, is that Hollywood has not even implemented it yet in their content, and they probably wont for at least another couple of years.

 

[Duckjake]

Whomever Duckjake talked to about S-Video is wrong. Composite video is about as bad as it gets. Most newer TV's have at least an S-Video connection, and that is clearly better than composite.

I should know better than to listen to the guys at Best Buy.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I should know better than to listen to the guys at Best Buy.

Wow. Don't ever do that again. In fact, I wouldn't even buy a major purchase at BB, if it weren't for their reasonably priced warranties. Do your research without taking to anyone in a blue shirt.

 

[D-Dogg]

I use component cables on all my equipment, other than digital audio cables and the HDMI. I only use S-Video or composite cables when hooking my laptop up to the tv.

 

[jw7]

if it weren't for their reasonably priced warranties.

Does anyone really buy extended warranties? Heck, if I bought an extended warranty for every electronic product or appliance that was offered to me I would be out like $3000 with nothing to show for it.

Extended warranties have a huge profit margin, much more than the margin on the product itself. And the odds are, if a product is going to fail, it will be either right away (covered by the standard warranty) or after the term of the extended warranty.

Granted, I've never spent $2000 on a giant TV, but I have never had an electronic product or appliance break down within the window of the extended warranty.

 

[D-Dogg]

Is this the questionable TV hookup thread?

 

[abomb]

Is this the questionable TV hookup thread?

, 5/5 and all that jazz.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Does anyone really buy extended warranties? Heck, if I bought an extended warranty for every electronic product or appliance that was offered to me I would be out like $3000 with nothing to show for it.

Extended warranties have a huge profit margin, much more than the margin on the product itself. And the odds are, if a product is going to fail, it will be either right away (covered by the standard warranty) or after the term of the extended warranty.

Granted, I've never spent $2000 on a giant TV, but I have never had an electronic product or appliance break down within the window of the extended warranty.

Whether you decide to buy an extended warranty or not, depends on your purchase. If it is a big screen TV more than $2,000, absolutely. (Although I did not purchase it for my TV, they wanted $700) The semiconductors in TV's now don't last more than 1-2 years. This trend started about 5 years ago when most of the Japanese manufacturers began using Chinese and S.E. Asian semiconductors to save price. The Japanese had to switch to stay in business.

Most of the other purchases are cheap enough to not worry about a warranty, (that is, unless you purchased a PS3, you should buy one then without question).

Is this the questionable TV hookup thread?

5/5 indeed.

 

[jw7]

Whether you decide to buy an extended warranty or not, depends on your purchase. If it is a big screen TV more than $2,000, absolutely. (Although I did not purchase it for my TV, they wanted $700)

Maybe I am missing it, but you seem to be contradicting yourself here. On the one hand you say absolutely buy the warranty for a large screen TV, but then you say you didn't purchase it because they wanted $700.

If the semiconductors are truly as bad as you say, then why even buy the product in the first place? With the way price drops in electronics, it would probably be much cheaper just to buy a replacement after the warranty expires instead of paying $700 up front.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Maybe I am missing it, but you seem to be contradicting yourself here. On the one hand you say absolutely buy the warranty for a large screen TV, but then you say you didn't purchase it because they wanted $700.

If the semiconductors are truly as bad as you say, then why even buy the product in the first place? With the way price drops in electronics, it would probably be much cheaper just to buy a replacement after the warranty expires instead of paying $700 up front.

I am contradicting myself. Most warranties should be in the $300-$400 range for a $3,000 TV. The place that I bought it from, had about the worst warranty policy ever, but the price that I bought it from, was over $1,000 cheaper than anywhere else. When I purchased a $2500 TV 3 years ago, the warranty for 5 years was $300.

Depending on your credit card company as well, they may extend your warranty another year as well.

In most cases, for large purchases, the warranty is worth it. It just wasn't in my particular case.

 

[KingofCards]

Well I ordered some of those cords and am going to test it out.

Thanks for link, they were cheap. I guess when I use the s-video I just leave the yellow cord unhooked but keep the red and white for audio, right?

 

[jw7]

Thanks for link, they were cheap. I guess when I use the s-video I just leave the yellow cord unhooked but keep the red and white for audio, right?

Yes, that is how I have mine set up.

Also, if you are running surround sound, you might want to use a digital coax audio cable for the audio from your DVD to your receiver instead of the red/white RCAs. Supposedly this is better.

 

[Duckjake]

Does anyone really buy extended warranties?

I bought one for my wife's laptop. 18 months after we bought it my 12 year old dropped it and it stopped running. Sent it to the authorized repair place and they fixed it for the shipping charge. Saved me about 4 times the cost of the warranty.

Bought the way overpriced "road hazard" warranty on a new set of Michelins a couple of months ago on a hunch. Got a screw in the sidewall. Got a new tire with no hassle. Saved 1.5 x's the cost of the road hazard warranty.

Once bought a 100 disc CD player that broke not long after the regular warranty ran out. Sold it at a garage sale for $5. Two days later got a reminder in the mail that the extended warranty on the CD player was about to run out. Had forgotten all about it.

When you have been a life long Cardinal football fan you buy all the warranties you can afford.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Well I ordered some of those cords and am going to test it out.

Thanks for link, they were cheap. I guess when I use the s-video I just leave the yellow cord unhooked but keep the red and white for audio, right?

Yep, I would not connect the yellow cord. Like mentioned above, if you have a capable receiver, you should really use the optical or coaxial connection if available. Do you have any kind of surround sound at all, or are you only using TV speakers?

Oh, and that site is the "holy grail" for cables. They price and service cannot be beat. You will receive those cables in a few days. Never buy Monster cables.

I bought one for my wife's laptop. 18 months after we bought it my 12 year old dropped it and it stopped running. Sent it to the authorized repair place and they fixed it for the shipping charge. Saved me about 4 times the cost of the warranty.

Bought the way overpriced "road hazard" warranty on a new set of Michelins a couple of months ago on a hunch. Got a screw in the sidewall. Got a new tire with no hassle. Saved 1.5 x's the cost of the road hazard warranty.

Once bought a 100 disc CD player that broke not long after the regular warranty ran out. Sold it at a garage sale for $5. Two days later got a reminder in the mail that the extended warranty on the CD player was about to run out. Had forgotten all about it.

When you have been a life long Cardinal football fan you buy all the warranties you can afford.

Again, as Duckjake said, usually the warranty is worth it for big purchases.

 

[KingofCards]

I have an RCA surround sound system.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I have an RCA surround sound system.

Then you should be using an optical or coax cable for your surround sound. Wouldn't you like to hear your TV/DVD/etc out of all 5 speakers, rather than just 2?

 

[KingofCards]

Then you should be using an optical or coax cable for your surround sound. Wouldn't you like to hear your TV/DVD/etc out of all 5 speakers, rather than just 2?

I might already have that. All 5 speakers work for everything.