Although many new image connections at your home or in a work situation nowadays take place via the digital HDMI, it is quite possible that with existing equipment you still have an analog S-video / S-VHS connection. We have listed the right solution for this standard in its range. There are S-video cables with pre-assembled connectors and lengths from 1.0 to 20 meters. To allow connections to other standards, there are reducers and converters.
Best S-Video Cables
What is an S-video cable?
S-video is an analog standard for recording and playing back image signals and was introduced in 1987 as an improved version of the then very popular VHS. The progress was in a sharper image and improved color reproduction. The resolution increased from 240 to 400 image lines.
The color information was separated from the image signal and sent through a separate conductor. The black-and-white image signal, including brightness information, ran parallel to this via another conductor. All this resulted in an improved VHS cable with a 4 pin connector whose impedance, like the two internal coax connections present, is 75 Ohm. Unlike for example Scart, this VHS cable only serves for the transport of video images; the sound goes through another connection.
Quality differences in S-Video Cables
When choosing an S-video cable, it is important to choose the right quality. There are two variables that determine this VHS cable: the desired length and the presence of interfering ether signals.
Regarding the length, the longer the cable, the greater the chance of signal loss. Higher demands are therefore placed on the conductive properties of the S-video cable at greater lengths. A premium conductor such as oxygen-free copper is often used. Gold-plated connectors ensure long-term good contact due to the insensitivity to oxidation.
An S-video cable can block interfering ether signals due to good electromagnetic shielding. The better cables are equipped with a so-called double shield, that is to say that two radiation-resistant layers are placed around the conductors. With short S-video cables, there is already less signal loss and the chance of disturbing radiation is smaller, so that products with specifications at a lower level can be chosen.
Useful accessories
It is possible that one of the two devices between which you want to install an S-video cable does not have a correct connector or works via a different standard. Handy adapters and inverters have been developed for this. There are adapters to analog RCA / RCA and Scart connections. But also converters to connect the analog standard with digital standards such as VGA and HDMI.
The product information of each individual article states which conversion takes place and which connectors can be connected. A special mention also deserves the video grabber with which you can convert analog images into a digital format with high resolution. There is an audio / video switch for switching multiple sources on one television or monitor.
