Best Connectors for CRT TV

HenSim on 26/04/2019 - 20:44

I recently managed to get an old CRT TV for classic gaming in the spare room. I'm trying to get a practical set up, hopefully avoiding sacrificing quality. I have a variety of mostly Nintendo systems (NES through to Wii, PS1/2) that I have typically connected with composite cables. I haven't ever used S-Video or Component, and I'm not sure how much of a benefit they are for CRTs. I also won't be able to regularly access the back, so the setup should be able to be relatively stable.

The TV has:

  • One composite input at the front (would prefer to avoid using).
  • One composite + S-Video at the back.
  • One component cable at the back.

So I guess my key questions are:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Switch-Component-Stereo-Digital-A1…

https://www.amazon.com.au/Switch-Switcher-Composite-Selector…

  • Are third party cables generally OK? Even if going for only composite cables, I would need to replace some of the Nintendo ones that have worn down over the years.

Thanks in advance, I know that this is a lot of questions coming from a place of relative ignorance!

Gaming

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 26/04/2019 - 20:56

    The switchers are fine, they are nothing more than a switch and shouldn't lag at all.

  • Filename on 26/04/2019 - 21:14

    They're all passive switches that just pass the signal through. Cables are all going to be of similar quality unless you're running over significant distances. Component was available from GameCube/PS2/Xbox onward. PAL N64 does RGB through SCART, GameCube can do VGA output with a modified Component or D-terminal cable – think I picked up one ready to go in Hong Kong back when. Wii just settle with Component and Wii U use HDMI obviously.

    To answer your question, back in the day I remember feeling there was a very clear improvement using s-video on the SNES & N64 and even more so going to YPbPr/RGB on the GameCube. Most people didn't know any better back then but today I think it would be difficult to put up with composite.

  • HenSim on 26/04/2019 - 22:06

    Thanks people. Definitely going to get a switcher, and will shop around for cables. S-Video and such can be tricky to find, hard to know of reliability.

    (I should note that I've got a standard HD TV for newer gaming stuff separately).

  • Switchblade88 on 26/04/2019 - 22:45

    S-video was (is?) definitely a step up from composite.

    Back in the day I had video-input on my graphics card; dual composite and S-video inputs and outputs along with VGA & DVI. I used it for playing my OG Xbox on my computer monitor. You could definitely tell the improvement to S-video!

    Of course, the next logical step for me was extracting the true VGA signal from the Xbox motherboard with Shottky diodes on traces, and a modchip that enabled it…

  • [Deactivated] on 27/04/2019 - 08:43

    Wait until you find out how much the Gamecube Component cable costs these days. ;)

  • the Unforgiven on 27/04/2019 - 17:02

    Use component for the video & you can have sound attached to another source like portable speakers

  • HenSim on 05/05/2019 - 08:25

    Slightly annoying update: it appears the s video port doesn't work on the TV. There's a small bit of metal in a strange spot at the top of the port. Initially it stopped the plug going in at all, and after some careful maneuvering it seems it just doesn't work. Not the end of the world, it'll be component and composite it seems, unless I find a way around it.

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