Svideo - or Firewire

konmanos · Post by **konmanos** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:17 am

I have just recently purchased a TV/Tuner card. I have always transferred video via fire-wire. The Tuner card has an S-video input connection and my camera has a DV connection. I am quite happy with the DV connection to Firewire. Is there any benefit in going to an S-video transfer connection?
Regards

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:57 am

I use the svideo connection to connect a satellite receiver to the TV card.
You have to get a SCART to SVideo converter to do so. It is a better picture than connecting via the co-axial cable.

I still use the firewire to connect my camcorder to the computer.
My Digital cameras connect to the computer via USB.

Simply put - different connections for different devices.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:01 am

S-Video is/was a superior method of transferring analogue video, either from an analogue camera or VCR. It only transfers the video, not the audio, for which the RCA composite plugs have still to be used. On a TV card, it is used for exactly the same purpose.

IMHO, the quality of the captured analogue video, whether from the analogue TV signal from the card (if it's not a digital/HD TV card) or from analogue source material (analogue camera/VCR) is never going to be anywhere near as good as captured *digital* video, even using the S-Video connection, though using the S-Video connection will give you a superior capture to using all RCA cables.

Your digital DV video should still ONLY be captured via Firewire in the same format or perhaps converting it to DVD compatible mpeg-2 on the fly, still using Firewire. Don't even think about capturing DV via S-Video...

konmanos · Post by **konmanos** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:02 am

Thank you SJJ - however - is there any better connections than others - between the two - firewire or Svideo? Noticeable differences? or is it just another connection?

Thanks

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:12 am

See my post. Simply put -- S-Video = analogue capture; Firewire = digital capture. Never the twain shall meet!

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:20 am

If you have a choice of connecting a certain device using Svideo or Firewire I would opt for firewire.

On my System I have the following input sources and their associated connections.

Sony MiniDV Camcorder - Firewire.
Kodak Digital Camera - USB
Panasonic Digital Camera - USB
Mobile Phone - USB / Bluetooth (Dependant upon which computer I am using)
TV Card - Normal reception - Co-axial Cable
Satellite Receiver - I use its SCART output and connect it to the TV cards SVideo Input.
VHS Recorder - SCART output and connect it to the TV cards SVideo Input.

Different Users on this forum will have different equipment and different means of connection. Generally speaking Firewire is better than USB.
Firewire is better than SVideo.

You can also connect various devices via RCA plugs (Yellow / Red / White)
This is superior to co-axial. Typically you can take a SCART output and connect to RCA inputs.

Your best approach if you have more than one way of connecting a device is to try both and see which works best for your particular setup.

konmanos · Post by **konmanos** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:21 am

Much appreciated - all explained now! You guys are the best support I have ever come across!

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:50 am

S-video is also a different type of signal to normal analogue . If you have a normal vcr/analoge source then there is no benefit from using the s-video connection over the yellow composite cable.
In fact, sometimes you cannot get a signal if you try to take a composite signal through an S-video connection.
An S-VHS vcr/unit will give better results when using an S-video connection compared to the composite one.

PidTel · Post by **PidTel** » Thu Nov 22, 2007 7:01 pm

There seem to be some misunderstandings as to the nature of S-Video.

It stands for Separate Video - the luminance and chrominance parts of the analogue signal are kept separate instead of being combined to form Composite video. The standard connector on non-professional equipment is a 4 pin mini DIN but it can also be sent over a Scart/Scart lead if the relevant pins are wired.

To return to the OPs question, there is no advantage whatever in using S-Video instead of firewire. The digital signal would have to be converted to analogue in the camera and back to digital in your TV/Tuner card. This additional processing will inevitably cause some degradation especially since the analogue chrominance signal consists of an amplitude and phase modulated sub-carrier which has to be encoded and decoded.

Confusion is often caused by the availability of leads which have different connectors at each end. They do NOT convert the signal. For example, a Scart to S-Video & two audio RCA plugs will only work if the equipment at the Scart end is set to send S-Video. If Composite video is sent it will appear on the luminance pin of the S-Video connector and the receiving unit will interpret the signal as monochrome because there is nothing on the chrominance pin.

If both the sending and receiving devices are S-Video capable you should use that in preference to the Composite video on the yellow RCA plug.

Tom