Best Video Connections

[ApolloBoy]

Here's a video connection guide for vintage home computers if anyone's interested:

Amstrad CPC

• Best non-modded solution: RGB

Apple II

• Best non-modded solution: Composite

Apple IIGS

• Best non-modded solution: RGB

Atari 400

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires VBXE board)
  Second best modded solution: S-video

Atari 800

• Best non-modded solution: S-video
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires VBXE board)

Atari 1200XL

• Best non-modded solution: Composite
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires VBXE board)
  Second best modded solution: S-video (the luma signal is already present on the AV out, you just need to add the chroma signal)

Atari 600XL

• NTSC best non-modded solution: RF
  PAL best non-modded solution: Composite
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires VBXE board)
  Second best modded solution: S-video

Atari 800XL

• Best non-modded solution: Composite (or S-video for later 800XLs)
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires VBXE board)
  Second best modded solution: S-video (for most 800XLs, the luma signal is already present, you just need to add the chroma signal)

Atari 65XE/130XE/800XE

• Best non-modded solution: S-video
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires VBXE board)

Atari XEGS

• Best non-modded solution: Composite
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires VBXE board)
  Second best modded solution: S-video

Atari ST

• Best non-modded solution: VGA and RGB (high res mode runs at 31 KHz, low res at 15 KHz)

BBC Micro

• Best non-modded solution: RGB

Coleco ADAM

• Best non-modded solution: Composite
  Best modded solution: Component

Commodore 64

• Best non-modded solution: S-video (older C64s don't have S-video)

Commodore Amiga

• Best non-modded solution: RGB

Commodore VIC-20

• Best non-modded solution: Composite
  Best modded solution: S-video

FM Towns

• Best non-modded solution: RGB (24 KHz?)

Fujitsu FM7

• Best non-modded solution: RGB

Mattel Aquarius

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: Composite

MSX

• Best non-modded solution: Composite or RGB (depends on the computer)

NEC PC-8801 series

• Best non-modded solution: RGB (15 KHz or 24 KHz)

NEC PC-9801 series

• Best non-modded solution: VGA
  Second best non-modded solution: RGB (24 KHz)

Sega SC-3000

• NTSC best non-modded solution: Composite
  PAL best non-modded solution: RGB

Sharp X1

• Best non-modded solution: RGB (Turbo Z models and later)
  Second best non-modded solution: Composite

Sharp X68000

• Best non-modded solution: VGA (default scanrate for most games)
  Second best non-modded solution: RGB (some games can run at 15 KHz)

Tandy CoCo 1

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: Composite

Tandy CoCo 2

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: Composite

Tandy CoCo 3

• Best non-modded solution: RGB

TI-99/4A

• Best non-modded solution: Composite

ZX Spectrum

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: Composite

ZX Spectrum 128

• Best non-modded solution: RGB

[thelolotov]

Made loads of updates to thelolotov's original list and clarified it. I found it odd that he made distinctions regarding RGB and PAL, so I eliminated those as there's quite a few of us here in NTSC Land with SCART to component converters and RGB monitors.

Atari 2600

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: Svideo

Atari 5200

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: RGB (requires a VBXE board)
  Second best modded solution: S-video

Atari 7800

• NTSC best non-modded solution: RF
  PAL best non-modded solution: RGB (French 7800s only)
  Best modded solution: S-video

Bally Astrocade/Professional Arcade

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: S-video

ColecoVision

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: Component (that's right!)

Emerson Arcadia 2001

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  Best modded solution: Composite

Magnavox Odyssey 2

• Best non-modded solution: RF
  NTSC best modded solution: Composite
  PAL best modded solution: RGB (can only be done on PAL consoles)
  
  Mattel Intellivision/Intellivision II
  • Best non-modded solution: RF
    Best modded solution: Composite
  Sega SG-1000/SG-1000 II
  • Best non-modded solution: RF
    Best modded solution: RGB (on later SG-1000 IIs only)
    Second best modded solution: Composite
  Famicom
  • Best non-modded solution: RF
    Best modded solution: RGB (requires replacement PPU)
    Second best modded solution: Composite
  Nintendo Entertainment System
  • Best non-modded solution: Composite
    Best modded solution: RGB (requires replacement PPU)
  Sega Mark III
  • Best non-modded solution: Composite
    Best modded solution: RGB (signals are already on the AV out but need amplification to be useable)
    Second best modded solution: Component (video encoder outputs component video but no mod has been found yet)
  Sega Master System
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
    Best modded solution: S-video
  Sega Master System II
  • Best non-modded solution: RF
    Best modded solution: RGB
    Second best modded solution: S-video
  Nintendo Entertainment System 2
  • Best non-modded solution: RF
    Best modded solution: RGB (requires replacement PPU)
    Second best modded solution: Composite
  Super Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Famicom
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
  Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
    Best modded solution: S-video
  Super Nintendo Entertainment System Mini/Super Famicom Jr.
  • Best non-modded solution: Composite
    Best modded solution: RGB or S-video
  Victor/Sega Wondermega
  • Best non-modded solution: S-video
    Best modded solution: RGB
  Neo Geo AES
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
    Best modded solution: Component
    Second best modded solution: S-video
  Neo Geo CD
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
    Second best non-modded solution: S-video
  Atari Jaguar
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
  TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine
  • Best non-modded solution: Composite (requires TurboBooster, TG-CD or custom cable
    Best modded solution: RGB
    Second best modded solution: S-video
  TurboDuo/PC Engine Duo/Duo-R/Duo-RX
  • Best non-modded solution: Composite
    Best modded solution: RGB
    Second best modded solution: S-video
  SuperGrafx
  • Best non-modded solution: Composite
    Best modded solution: RGB
    Second best modded solution: S-video
  3DO
  • Best non-modded solution: S-video
    Best modded solution: RGB
  Amiga CD32
  • Best non-modded solution: S-video
    Best modded solution: RGB
  Sega Saturn
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
  Nintendo 64
  • Best non-modded solution: S-video
    Best modded solution: RGB (certain N64s only)
  PlayStation
  • Best non-modded solution: RGB
  Dreamcast
  • Best non-modded solution: VGA for games that support 480p
    Second best non-modded solution: RGB
  PlayStation 2
  • Best non-modded solution: VGA via SoG/Blaze/Xploder bootdisk for games that can be forced into 480p
    Second best non-modded solution: Component
    Third best non-modded solution: RGB
    Best modded solution: Universal VGA cable
  GameCube
  • Best non-modded solution: Component for games that support 480p
    Best non-modded solution for those without wads of cash: S-video
    PAL best non-modded solution: RGB
  Xbox
  • Best non-modded solution: Component
    Second best non-modded solution: RGB
    Best modded solution: VGA Sync-On-Green cable and modded BIOS:
  
  VGA Cable Guide
  Modify BIOS for SoG
  
  Xbox 360
  • Best non-modded solution: HDMI
    Second best non-modded solution: VGA
    Third best non-modded solution: Component
  Nintendo Wii
  • Best non-modded solution: VGA
    Second best non-modded solution: Component
    PAL third best non-modded solution: RGB
  PlayStation 3
  • Best non-modded solution: HDMI
    Second best non-modded solution: Component
    Third best non-modded solution: RGB

Wow, you've been busy. Mind if I take this and splice it into my original post? Also, how about you put the vintage home computers guide you made in a separate thread, I'll link to it there, and you link to my guide here?

[ApolloBoy]

Wow, you've been busy. Mind if I take this and splice it into my original post? Also, how about you put the vintage home computers guide you made in a separate thread, I'll link to it there, and you link to my guide here?

Sure, that'd be fine with me.

[thelolotov]

Wow, you've been busy. Mind if I take this and splice it into my original post? Also, how about you put the vintage home computers guide you made in a separate thread, I'll link to it there, and you link to my guide here?

Sure, that'd be fine with me.

Alright, merged your guide into my original post, updated and tweaked some stuff, shoot me a pm, or reply in this thread, whenever you get around to posting your vintage home computers guide, and we'll cross-link them.

[TEKTORO]

Love this guide,very helpful!
On the Sega Saturn my system is not modded but I use Svideo would that be considered 2nd best?

[thelolotov]

Love this guide,very helpful!
On the Sega Saturn my system is not modded but I use Svideo would that be considered 2nd best?

Unless anybody else has a better alternative, yes, I'll add that.

[TEKTORO]

Love this guide,very helpful!
On the Sega Saturn my system is not modded but I use Svideo would that be considered 2nd best?

Unless anybody else has a better alternative, yes, I'll add that.

Has to be better than RGB no?

[thelolotov]

Love this guide,very helpful!
On the Sega Saturn my system is not modded but I use Svideo would that be considered 2nd best?

Unless anybody else has a better alternative, yes, I'll add that.

Has to be better than RGB no?

S-Video better than RGB? No. RGB is much better than S-Video.

[TEKTORO]

Cool.

[kamiboy]

If you ask me RF is the one output to rule over them all. You really cannot compete with its proposition of convenience, sound AND video all through a single tiny wire? No clutter for the baby to get stuck and choke on, no puzzling conundrums of slightly different hued wires to make colour blind people feel handicapped.

Why, with such comfort it truly was the HDMI of its day.