How can you tell a scart is RGB?

[Vipen]

a friend has an eight year old toshiba tv which has 2 scart sockets. do you think at least one would be RGB? it's not a great tv but it is widescreen. there's nothing written underneath the ports.

i haven't got a clue.

thanks for any advice.

[ptogscot]

Aint sure about a Toshiba TV but on my Sony TV the icon which appears on screen when you go to a scart input which has an RGB signal incoming is different to the icon displayed when a non RGB (eg composite or S-video) signal is incoming to the same socket. So the best way to test this is probably to hook up an RGB source and look to see if the icon for that input is different (may say RBG or in case of mine has 3 dots next to it for an RGB signal).

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by Vipen

a friend has an eight year old toshiba tv which has 2 scart sockets. do you think at least one would be RGB? it's not a great tv but it is widescreen. there's nothing written underneath the ports.

i haven't got a clue.

thanks for any advice.

I'm pretty sure AV1 will be RGB.
Post the model no and I'll find out for sure.

[fallenangle]

Might seem a bit obvious but why not :-

Just plug the SCART equipment you have into each socket and check the picture. If one is noticeably better that'll be the RGB one. If there's no difference either they're both RGB or both simple AV SCART or the equipment you're using doesn't output RGB (VCRs don't). You should be able to tell the difference between a RGB enabled socket and
one that isn't quite easily by the picture quality they produce.

Either SCART socket might support S-Video as well. So, if the equipment is S-Video compatible, select that option from the TV input menu for that socket and see what happens.

[Eddy Boy]

Some TVs have AV1 AV2 then RGB1 which means AV1 but taking the RGB signal.

Also on SCARTS the composite video is sent out at the same time as RGB.

[per-Sony-fied]

Trouble with sets of that age the RGB enabled socket is generally down converted to S-Video so the difference between RGB enabled and plain S-Video as I'm sure both sockets will alocate for will be small. If this is the case it isn't worth worrying about.

To be sure you have an RGB enabled scart socket you could do 1 of 2 things.

1. Set the source to RGB via the software, then look at how the pic quality is and then set it to composite and do the same.

2. Buy a RGB enabled ONLY scart lead and set your source for RGB (obviously).
If you get no signal then the conclusion is RGB is not an option.

[Astaroth]

easiest is to look in the manual if it is still arround or get the model number and look online... much easier than fiddling arround with testing different sources

[ismael-1986]

or when you swicth over to the RGB ? source u'll notice the picture will shift slightly towards the left mainly on toshiba and sony models hence y they have a smart shift option to compensate for it, and also if u have hoocked up sky, ntl ect take note on the sharp detail to the sky banner if its not RGB it'll look a little jaggerd, other than that u must be very dumb on not how to work it out thanks

[fallenangle]

I just want to contradict something said above above about some RGB SCARTS being 'downgraded' to S-Video. I have just been testing official XBox (import) component/RGB SCART/(import) S-Video cables against one another. I'm no TV engineer so this is subjective opinion but I am a professionally trained photographer/photographic printer ie. I'm used to judging image quality

Yesterday I came to the conclusion that S-Video IS as good as RGB SCART and ordinary 480i/575i component connections. It gives a different type of result but it is not inferior. It marginally enhances sharpness over RGB SCART which makes some textures look less smooth and, at the same settings, colour saturation is not as good.

The point is: don't ignore S-Video - it provides a vast improvement over composite and any claimed inferiority to RGB is more down to personal taste than anything else.

[per-Sony-fied]

Originally Posted by fallenangle

I just want to contradict something said above above about some RGB SCARTS being 'downgraded' to S-Video.

The point is: don't ignore S-Video - it provides a vast improvement over composite and any claimed inferiority to RGB is more down to personal taste than anything else.

My point being was that under normal circumstances with TV's of today to say 5 years old You'll notice, more than likely a good difference in the type of picture you'll get if you switch between the 2. However for some older TV's chip technology was such that any TV that had RGB would use an *all in one* processor and as such would be down converted to S-Video so that differences between the 2 types would be minimal and quite possibly hard to detect.

[per-Sony-fied]

Originally Posted by fallenangle

I just want to contradict something said above above about some RGB SCARTS being 'downgraded' to S-Video.

I'd also like to add that I said it would likely be down converted rather than down graded which is 2 different kettle of fish.

[fallenangle]

OK - but I'm using a fairly new Sony KD32 WS Trinitron and my new JVC HV32P37S for my comparisons and I have been impressed by both their performance using S-Video. Until I did these tests I've always accepted it wasn't as good as SCART RGB.

I've found much more significant with modern TVs is the effect of digital 'enhancements'. Select the wrong ones ie. unsuited for your source/connection type and you can make RGB SCART look worse than Composite quite easily. But conversely you can also improve the image: S-Video's slight lead in sharpness suits Sony's full DRC mode perfectly. It still looks sharper than RGB SCART but the DRC smooths the slight grittiness unenhanced S-Video gives some flat textures.

[ismael-1986]

my sony trinitron kv14" from 1992 can do RGB compasite i didnt think sommat tha old wud support it

I have a question based on this topic. I have a 5 yo Teac 80cm TV, model CT-M805SR. It has a SCART plug on the back. The cable that came with the TV has a standard composite video a/v lead on the scart cable. Can I buy a SCART cable that will have RGB or component video input on it? I don't think that it supports s-video.

I use the TV purely as a "monitor" connected to a Sony A/V Receiver via a composite video lead from the "monitor" output. However, all the components that are connected to the receiver, a pay tv decoder, a DVD player and a digital TV set top box are all connected to the Sony via s-video.

Is there any advantage to me exploring the possibility of getting an RGB or component signal to the TV?

Thanks

Martin
Australia

[Nick_UK]

Originally Posted by fallenangle

I just want to contradict something said above above about some RGB SCARTS being 'downgraded' to S-Video. I have just been testing official XBox (import) component/RGB SCART/(import) S-Video cables against one another. I'm no TV engineer so this is subjective opinion but I am a professionally trained photographer/photographic printer ie. I'm used to judging image quality

Yesterday I came to the conclusion that S-Video IS as good as RGB SCART and ordinary 480i/575i component connections. It gives a different type of result but it is not inferior. It marginally enhances sharpness over RGB SCART which makes some textures look less smooth and, at the same settings, colour saturation is not as good.

The point is: don't ignore S-Video - it provides a vast improvement over composite and any claimed inferiority to RGB is more down to personal taste than anything else.

It really all depends on the design of the TV. Theoretically, RGB should be better than s-video, but the difference is very subtle, and the design of the interface electronics in some TV's can actually make s-video appear to be better than RGB. For that reason, you are quite correct - you should not ignore s-video - it can give excellent results.