| What is S-Video?
S-Video connectors are round DIN-style units that carry high-quality video signals between compatible devices. S-Video stands for Separated Video or Super Video. S-Video devices and cables are used only for the video transmission process (no audio signals are transmitted over S-Video). Typical S-Video cables have 4-pins and offer greatly improved quality over RCA / composite cables but lower quality than component video units. S-Video outputs are now very common on video cards and S-Video inputs are very common on Television sets, making S-Video one of the preferred methods of connecting a computer to a TV.
What is 7-pin S-Video?
7-pin S-Video is the non-standard format of S-Video delivery found commonly on Laptops and some computer video cards (especially those manufactured by ATI). Four of the seven pins found on non-standard S-Video devices are dedicated to carrying the normal S-Video signals. The purpose of other three pins can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer but they are commonly used for extra picture definition or to carry added control signals. |