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Advice About Composite/S-Video-to-Component Converters

1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  lcaillo 
#1 ·
Folks -- This is my first post, so, please be gentle with me! :gulp:

I recently upgraded my 1990s-vintage analogue home theater system to digital, including a 1080p HDTV -- what a difference! I also am one of the last C-Band satellite subscribers (big ugly dish, West Virginia Wildflower, etc). Most of us use Motorola DSR-922 digital receivers. The output of the DSR-922 is either s-video or composite video. Surprisingly, there is a digital audio fiber optic output, but no component video output.

My new receiver is an Onkyo TX-SR607, which is an incredible piece of hardware! It has component and composite inputs, but no S-video input. So, for the moment, I am stuck with the composite video input.

While surfing, I did find a converter: http: (no www)//ep.yimg.com/ca/I/videoware_2096_13970298, which, on paper, appears to be able to do the job.

Since this converter costs $160, I thought I would ask the experts if the increase in picture quality is worth the cost?

Thanks for your help!
 
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#2 ·
Welcome to HTS, Hmmm.... there are a couple issues here but to answer your question, no, the cost is way to high and the picture quality will never match that of a pure digital connection from a digital source. If after receiving a few replies here, you decide to go with a converter, here is one for $60: http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/33-10720&CAWELAID=293709404

Have you tried contacting your satellite provider and asking for a newer box or an HD DVR? It may cost an extra $10 a month but that's how you will truly get the most out of your new TV and receiver.

Darius

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#3 ·
Darius -- thanks for your advice! The $60 box does look interesting. In answer to your other question, The Motorola DSR-922 C-Band satellite receiver I'm using is the last one Motorola will make, so I'm basically stuck with it until it dies or until the last of the C-Band subscription providers finally throws in the towel. We already have Verizon FiOS for broadband and telephone, so I know there's FiOS TV in our future someday.
 
#5 ·
Svideo is basically the same as composite except the luminance and chrominance are seperated in s-video. The receiver will be upconverting/upscaling the signal to match whatever your output is (component or HDMI) and depending on the model might actually do some line doubling and/or interpolation, but composite and s-video have the exact same "resolution". That said, having the Y and C seperate in the S-Video usually results in a slightly better picture since some clarity is lost in the process of creating composite.
Is it worth going to component first to preserve seperation? maybe - depends on how good each signal (S-Video or composite) are coming out of the C-Band. A good way to play with it is with a TV that has both svideo and composite - plug both in and switch back and forth a few times - see if you can even tell a difference between the two. Some devices put out a good composite signal.

Also something to consider - converting to component requires a fairly complicated color space conversion - the $60 adapter is unlikely to have as good of a converter as your new Onkyo - i.e. you might actually get a better signal going composite into the onkyo than converting s-video with a cheaper processor and going in component - sounds to me like pot luck. I've been burned in similar situations many times.

DF
 
#6 ·
S-video is pretty much irrelevant unless the source has separate chroma and luma to start with, which is mostly found in VCRs. If it is composite and you don't have a very good comb filter to separate them, you may be better off with composite. It really depends on where you have the best filter, sort of like scaling resolutions.
 
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