Same cable format needed throughout system?

[Hoff]

<font color='#000000'>I think this is truly a newbie question, but I ran into a puzzle setting up a Denon receiver this Christmas for my folks.

If I used component cables from the DVD to the receiver, and S-video or composite from the receiver to the TV (only inputs available) I got no picture.

Is it typical that one must have the same cable format throughout the system for video (or I suppose audio) to be transmitted?

It seems logical that I wouldn't get the benefits of component by passing a component signal through a composite cable, but it seemed to me that the receiver should be able to do that kind of juggling. No?

Any enlightenment is quite welcome.

Larry</font>

 

[James Sponaugle]

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Hoff : <font color='#000000'>I think this is truly a newbie question, but I ran into a puzzle setting up a Denon receiver this Christmas for my folks.

If I used component cables from the DVD to the receiver, and S-video or composite from the receiver to the TV (only inputs available) I got no picture.

Is it typical that one must have the same cable format throughout the system for video (or I suppose audio) to be transmitted?

It seems logical that I wouldn't get the benefits of component by passing a component signal through a composite cable, but it seemed to me that the receiver should be able to do that kind of juggling. No?

Any enlightenment is quite welcome.

Larry</font>

<font color='#000000'>Hi Larry,

I'm not sure what receiver model you have, but in general they are not capable of &quot;converting&quot; between different cable formats. &nbsp;The problem is that it's not just a different cable. &nbsp; The electrical signal on component cables (best quality) is different from S-video (next best) and different from composite (worst). &nbsp;Most receivers don't have the necessary electronics inside to do this non-trivial conversion. &nbsp;Generally, they just &quot;switch&quot; signal formats of the same type. If your TV &nbsp;has an S-video input, use the S-video output on your DVD player to attach to the appropriate S-video in on your receiver. &nbsp;You should see a picture then.

-James</font>

 

[Hoff]

<font color='#000000'>Ah - I see. Thanks!
Larry</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>Just to add my 2 cents worth - James is right on the money about this one. &nbsp;Only some higher priced receivers (Onkyo is the brand that comes to mind) converts S-video to Composite and also the opposite direction (no conversion for Component to S-video or vice versa).

Some TVs done even allow you to use the hook ups for more than one cable type. &nbsp;I had an older 27 inch Sony that had one AV input on the back including an S-video jack. &nbsp;I figured that I could use the S-video plug for a DVD player and the composite jack for a Playstation and just turn on one or the other - wrong I was. &nbsp;If you look at a plug on the end of an S-video cable there are 4 pins plus a little plastic pin in the middle. &nbsp;That plastic pin usually trips a switch or connection of sorts in the jacks on the TV that kills the signal coming from the composite jack to avoid interference or something. &nbsp;The only way to get my Playstation to work was to physically unplug the S-video cable when I wanted to play some games.</font>

 

[Hoff]

<font color='#000000'>From playing around with things for a bit, it seems that composite and S-video are able to switch back and forth on some receivers (at least on the Denon and H/K's that I have access to), but never between these and component.

I've been figuring out how to connect a DLP projector, Harman Kardon receiver and Mac laptop. In the course of figuring all this out, I've been able to see the difference in picture between the various formats. I can't see a difference between composite and S-video (is this typical) but the difference with component is pretty impressive.

So here's my follow-up question:

Are most/all devices like the TV situation described above (plug in S-video and turn off the other plugs)? I will soon have a DVD player and projector that can use component, but a VCR and TV that use only composite. To be able to view DVD's on both, and use component for the projector, I was hoping to connect the DVD player to both composite and component inputs on my receiver. Then I would only need to switch between them on the receiver - and not need to change cables back and forth. Is this likely to work?

Larry</font>

 

[Guest]

<font color='#000000'>That may very well work to switch between component and composite. &nbsp;I think that there is no switch to trigger ala the S-video that I experienced but with modern electronics the TV might cut out other inputs when one is being used. &nbsp;If that's the case you can hope that the TV somehow switches between the various plugs on the inputs as needed - one would need to turn off other inputs so as not to confuse the dohicky that picks what signal to display.

As far as composite vs. S-video - a properly shielded composite cable transmits excellent picture. &nbsp;S-video merely separates the Chrominance (color) and Luminance (brightness) parts of the signal so as to avoid cross interference when shooting the information across one cable. &nbsp;You can often notice a decent enough inprovement in color by using S-video over composite - but then I'm only told this as I am mostly color blind.</font>