Best quality cables (without modding), and best switchbox?

[rattboi]

I'm working on trying to get the best quality from my consoles on my last-gen TV (32" NTSC non HDTV w/ Component and S-video in).

I have 6 consoles right now, and I'm pretty sure I know the best I can do, but I wanted to see if anyone had any comments on it.

Saturn: S-video (already have)
Playstation 1: S-video (already have)
Dreamcast: S-video (have as part of VGA switch box)
PS2: Component (don't have)
Gamecube: Component (don't have)
Xbox: Component (don't have)

I'm also looking into getting a decent component switch box, as I only have 1 component in and 1 s-video in on my TV. Any recommendations?

[lordofduct]

For your TV that is the best you can do all around.

The PS2 though, when you buy the cables, make sure you first go into the settings menu while on your composite/Svid cables and set the component out to Y/Cb/Cr and not to RGB. Because it uses the same pinout as the PS1 (which doesn't support Y/Cb/Cr) there is a software switch to make the RGB pins Component pins. If it is in RGB mode you won't get shit from the cables.

[rattboi]

So what is RGB mode for? Also, how about Component Switch box?

[neohx_7]

So what is RGB mode for? Also, how about Component Switch box?

Best switch box is a decent A/V receiver. If you bother with almost any switch boxes you'll be battling bad connections or degraded audio/video. I notice that audio is especially affected.

[lordofduct]

So what is RGB mode for? Also, how about Component Switch box?

Most of your older video game consoles (up until PS2/XBOX era) used analog encoder chips that took a raw RGB signal (the purest video signalling of analog video using RED/GREEN/BLUE colour signals) and converted them to all your composite needs (composite being a the RGB signal cramped together in YUV signal and ran on a single, or split cable like RCA or Svid). Because RGB is the raw format and best quality and was inherently already THERE they offered pins for it if you had an RGB monitor that can utilize the low refresh rates (usually about 15-30hz for most older consoles).

The way analog goes, RGB is the quintisential best video you can get (VGA utilizes RGB at higher refresh rates so that it can be displayed in higher resolutions). Here in America RGB monitors are very uncommon to come across and usually rather expensive. In Europe on the other hand they are much more common, usually offered through what is known as the SCART port. RGB also requires a sync line (sometimes both vertical and horizontal). Due to some of the annoyances and complexity of hooking them up most people didn't like it. You had to know what kind of television you had and read the manual to figure out exactly which type of RGB you had.

i.e. RGB/Hsync/Vsync ... RGB sync on blue ... RGB/HVsync in one cable (genny utilizes this method, it is also commonly called Composite Sync) ... and a couple other odd ones.

Here in America you usually found RGB connectors used BNC connectors and hooked up to ports like this:



or others used RS232 9-din cables like this:



RGB was phased out by Component, in the US, which doesn't actually have better picture quality. BUT it did follow a strict standard AND because of such a standard all cables could easily conform to accept high-bandwidth resolutions (like 1080i or 720p).


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As an off topic. Those of you who used computers back in the 80's might remember how each freaking computer had different names for their video cable and monitors that accepted them i.e.: CGA, EGA, MDA, etc.

As better displays were built with higher standards. Along with video cards that could handle higher resolutions and more colours. New standards had to be set constantly. IBM stepped up in the late 80's to create what is known as VGA (video graphics array) which supported high resolution and had room for vast improvement. Then in 1990 they invented the XGA standard (eXtended graphics array) which superseded, but innevitably held the same name as, VGA. From there new forms of VGA were easily released with out the end user even knowing that the standard did. They no longer had to pay attention and conform to the ever extending Video Graphics Analog port for nearly over a decade. Not until DVI was released to conform to the new standards set (WXGA and WGA... wide extended graphics array/Wide Graphics Array) and also to be able to pass information onto digital displays which would have required analog converters that degrade quality and cost more.

And importantly: Composite was the name chosen for a lot of these formats due to the fact composite means "made up of disparate or separate parts or elements". Formats like RCA cables and Composite Sync lines are called this because the one wire actually contains multiple parts (RCA contains every colour signal, composite sync contains both vertical and horizontal sync)

[metaleggman]

Actually, last time I checked, the PS2 needs to be switched to RGB if you live in Europe or are playing on an RGB, as it doesn't automatically support RGB. When I used my component cables it booted up straight to Y/Cb/Cr. Now, this was on a slim PS2, so it may have been different on the original fatty.

And like neo said, if you are too lazy to unplug your cables for each console, just get a nice A/V Receiver. I would buy one that has HDMI out (which then scales/interlaces it to at least 480p), 7.1, and multiple inputs and outputs. Cnet has reviews. The reason I say this is that you may not have a need for 7.1 one at the moment, so you can always set it to 2.1 and buy some nice stereo speakers, or buy a nice 5.1 setup and add two speakers in later on. That's the great thing. Just whatever you do, don't get a HTIB. Those suck ass. They are the DVD combo/ A/V Receiver. They are extremely limited in inputs and usually have crappy wattage and speakers. Also, when buying speakers, remember to think about lengths of cable and whether you need floor stands or those slick multi channel speakers (as my family TV desperatly needs, it's in one of those retro TV cubbies and the TV barely fits). If you need help with that, pm me and I can help you pick something out!

Not to hijack the thread, but has anyone else had any problems with their Saturn's S-video output? Mine has rolling diagnol lines when I use it.

[rattboi]

Thanks for all the info. I didn't end up getting an AV receiver though, as most of the ones I saw cost more than my TV did. Also, I KNOW I'm not getting an HDTV for at least a few years, and I don't have anything other than analog 2.1 stereo sound. So, instead of getting the fancy AV receiver, I got this Pelican PL-960 System Selector off ebay for $27.50 shipped.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... &rd=1&rd=1

It's hard to find good pictures online, but the seller took some really good quality ones.

I've been buying cheap recently, and pretty happy with the results. I got Guitar Hero + guitar for $50 because the game wasn't in the case, but they put it in a slip cover. Fine with me. Saved $20.

I also got this wireless PS2/Xbox joystick: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... id=3414467
The pictures there are pretty decent. That one only cost $10 at a downtown Seattle Gamestop.

Anyways, that's all off-topic, but I'm pretty happy with my purchases for < $100 this month.