low quality S-video connexion

[szermatten]

Hi,

I plugged my DVD player to my projector with a S-video connexion, but I get an image that is grey and really low quality. Is it that I have a shitty cable or something can be done to improve the quality?
Thanks.

[guns1inger]

Sounds like a bad cable, or the projector doesn't really take s-video.

Is it a true s-video cable ?
Are you coming out of an s-video port and going into an s-video port ?

I ask only because I know a few people who have tried to use the s-video adapter from their gfx cards, to go from s-video to composite, and have had the same issue (well, actually they get a very clear black and white image)

[szermatten]

well, the projector takes s-video, no doubt about this. However, my dvd player only has a SCART out, so I had to use an adapter SCART to s-video (the adapter also has red, white and yellow RCA).

I tried the s-video cable from my laptop to the projector and it works fine. Do you think it's the adapter causing the black and white image?

Thanks.
S

[dnix71]

You might want to read the wiki articles here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART

I would suspect the adapter.

[The_Doman]

Do you think it's the adapter causing the black and white image?

Probably yes,
Those adapters will only work with S-Video if the SCART connector can be setup to output a S-Video signal.
Check your manual/menu settings of the DVD player if this is possible.

Lot of recent cheaper (european) DVDplayers don't offer S-Video output anymore, only RGB/composite.

[jman98]

szermatten - I know that you are new, but you made a gigantic mistake in your first post. You left out some VERY important information - that you are actually using an SCART to S-video connector. It's a newbie mistake to think that the less you say, the better, but actually that was very important for us to know. In the future I would advise you NOT to make assumptions on what is important and not important to tell because what you didn't tell us was a lot more important than what you did tell us. It's always better to give too much information than not enough.

SCART is not what I would call a high quality video output. Neither is S-video. If your projector can do high definition, you will understand what I mean by this. DVI, HDMI and component all are high quality video outputs. Comparing S-video and SCART to high quality outputs like composite is like trying to compare VHS tape to DVD. Lots of DVD players don't offer S-video anymore because it sucks, so there is no need to offer crap outputs like S-video with modern TVs. Modern standard definition TVs, at least in the USA, are able to accept component video inputs unless they are tiny piece of crap TVs that cost under $100.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Yikes! Déjà-vu all over again!

szermatten - there was a thread about something very, very similar just recently. It's a long one but has a happy ending!

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic339455.html

[szermatten]

sorry for the late answer, I was on vacation, and thanks for your answers!

JohnnyMalaria - I've read the thread you quoted, if I understand correctly :
"unless my DVD player is an SVHS unit, it won't be outputting an S-Video signal. You will see composite on pin 19 of the SCART but no Chroma on pin 15. Hence no colour. "

Is that correct?
Thanks.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Almost. SVHS refers to a VCR that records S-video. Check your DVD player's specifications in the manual to see if it does output S-video or not.

If it doesn't, that explains the problem.

If it does, it might be the SCART adapter. There seems to be a lot of people who have had issues with these particular adapters. A simple adapter (per my previous link) may solve them.

[szermatten]

Thanks for your answer JohnnyMalaria,

I've checked the specifications on the net, here is what I found out:
"Connectivity
Other connections: SCART1 (CVBS, S-video/RGB out), Analog audio Left/Right in, FM Antenna, MW Antenna, Easy-Fit speaker connectors, HDMI out"

It should support my S-video, right?
As for the simple adapter, here is the one I have. Do you think it could be a shitty one?
Thanks,
S.

[JohnnyMalaria]

It depends on your DVD player. What is the brand/model?

[szermatten]

It is a Philips HTS3115.

[szermatten]

and here is where I found the information about the SCART supporting the S-video:
www.p4c.philips.com/files/h/hts3115_12/hts3115_12_pss_aen.pdf

[JohnnyMalaria]

I'd try a simpler SCART adapter like the one I mentioned on the other thread:

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic339455.html

[The_Doman]

and here is where I found the information about the SCART supporting the S-video:
www.p4c.philips.com/files/h/hts3115_12/hts3115_12_pss_aen.pdf

Well, did you get it to work then?

The SCART adapter you showed should work with S-Video.
But You need to set up the DVD player SCART manually from the setup menu to output S-Video.
You can't have S-Video and Composite output at them same time from a SCART socket.
If you using a composite connection when switching to S-Video it should switch to Black/White.

I have the same situation here (Netherlands) with my digital cablebox SCART output:

[szermatten]

Thanks The Doman, when I saw your post I thought that was gonna be it. But somewhow life is never that simple. Philips says the SCART can handle S-video, but the menu only has the possibility to set up the HDMI connexion......
I guess I'm f***ed, is the only solution to buy a new DVD player?

[The_Doman]

Philips says the SCART can handle S-video, but the menu only has the possibility to set up the HDMI connexion......
I guess I'm f***ed, is the only solution to buy a new DVD player?

Yeah it looks like it!
I checked the PDF manual of that thing and there it does not mention S-Video (or even configuring the SCART) at all?!
http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/h/hts3115_05/hts3115_05_dfu_eng.pdf

Some false advertising by Philips it seems to me?

If your projector has the option for RGB (PAL/NTSC) input then there could be a possibility to connect it that way assuming ofcourse that Philips outputs a RGB signal over the SCART connector.

But getting a cheap DVDplayer with S-Video out option will be cheaper I guess.

[szermatten]

Well, I'll think about a new DVD player. Thanks a lot to all of you for your help!!