S-Video VERSUS Component??

[Ghost_Snare]

I currently use an Infocus 4800 Screenplay DLP Projector, an X-Box, and a progressive-scan dvd player...I've been using s-video to connect the dvd player and X-Box to the projector and have been pretty happy with the picture quality...the movies and games look great on the projector and the colors and brightness are nice on the eyes...only thing is that I see vertical lines on blue images and there is a faint "grid-type-distortion-noise-kind-of-thing" going on if you look really close to the picture...I've read that component is the better way to go so I got my component cables and switched out the s-video...what I got was a picture without the negative aspects BUT the image seems blurrier and the colors are AWFUL! I have tried resetting the settings and starting over but it's lacking the sharpness and pleasant colors of the s-video connections I had before. Now people's teeth on movies are BRIGHT and BLINDINGLY white and the colors seem darker and just as not of a nicer picture...I'm confused!! I have tried turning down the brightness and contrast to where the whites are dimmer but then the picture is dark and the colors are saturated...looks vcr quality...I just don't know how to fix this...I've read everywhere that component beats s-video but the picture I'm seeing is worse with component...I like the more definate picture quality of the component but the s-video colors are just more movie-like and better on the eyes...HELP!!!

 

[PJTX100]

Usually component does beat s-vid but your experience proves that there are no guarantees. I was using s-vid to connect my old Pioneer 525 and to be honest the pic was surprisingly good. The Pioneer 575 via component is better but not by a huge amount.

Stick to what you are happy with. As long as the pic looks good from, say, 1.5x distance away don't worry about what it looks like close-up (unless you always view it close-up, in which case a PJ isn't the ideal display device)...PJ

 

[fallwood]

Component leaves s-video for dead they are not even comparable, picture is sharper colours are more vivid and overall image is a lot brighter, if I compare the component connection from my xbox to ae700 with an s-video connection the component picture is sooo much better, you must have something setup wrong as the difference is immediately obvious, remember to switch xbox into ntsc mode when using component or it looks crap.

 

[phillfyspoon]

Component is alot better but remember progressive scan - Is the dvd player or the TV doing it?

 

[Ghost_Snare]

Well the dvd player is progressive scan and the X-Box is also so I don't know why the lousy picture...anybody here have the Infocus 4800 Projector and know how to set up the picture to look nice...I've tried using the THX Optimizer but when the brightness is lower the picture is dull...I wish I could get the component to look good...thanks!

 

[pragmatic]

Are you pluging the progressive scan into the correct component connector? I know my X1 has a vga-d-sub for taking in progressive scan and a special s-video and component connection to take in non progressive. If your forcing the already progressive through the non progressive scan the projector may be applying its own stuff ontop making the image look good, otherwise all i can think is maybe you got some dodgy cables as component should be better.

You mention that the teath are blindingly bright, maybe your screen in more reflective? If non of the above is true though, just stick with the s-video connection as it gives you a better piccy and thats what counts!

 

[Ghost_Snare]

well I tried using the computer-to-component adapter that Infocus included with the projector and got absolutely nothing...when I used the s-video-to-component I get a picture but at the bottom it's only saying 480i so I guess that's not the progressive-scan picture...maybe my dvd-player is defective...as far as the whites go, I'm currently just shining the projector on the wall so I know that's not the problem...it does seem like maybe it's doing it's own processing to the already processed picture like you were saying...I just don't know...but I wish I could get it to look good. Does the computer input work when you plug the vga-to-component adapter into it? I'm getting nothing on mine...thanks!!

 

[pragmatic]

The progressive scan one, i.e. overrides the progectors own goes into the vga d-sub
you will need from maplins a vga dsub -> component which is the rgb three phono connections, they also do a vga dsub -> 5 x phono which i think is for CRT projectors and i'm not sure it would work just to leave the 2 out you wouldn't use.

Try turning progessive scan off your projector in the menu and experiment with this before buying anything, i find the component in via interlaced give a very nice picture on my X1 as I have a (maybe getting long in the tooth) sony 725, that doesn't have progress component out.

 

[phillfyspoon]

try turning progressive OFF from the dvd player the projector may do a better job.

 

[Ghost_Snare]

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!

Well there is a switch on the back of the dvd-player that switches it from regular output to progressive-scan and I've switched that along with the X-Box settings for 480p...I previously was using an s-video-to-component adapter on the projector and according to the instruction book you are supposed to use the computer-to-component adapter instead so I tried using that one...NOW that the dvd-player is set to progessive output when I turn it on this time the projector is noticing the 480p output and displaying it!! THIS DOES LOOK ALOT BETTER!! The grid is gone, there are no vertical lines on blue pictures, the rainbows are even less present than the s-video...I finally see the LIGHT!! lol...The X-Box games are incredibly sharp with the progressive output and it's like I just upgraded my projector to a high-def one...the dvd-player now looks twice as sharp too!! The white levels are more normal now because the other input is supposed to be for 480i ONLY so it WAS upconverting a progressive signal and making it screwed up more...the picture is INFINITELY BETTER now and there has only been one negative aspect that I've noticed...on a few dvds there are horizontal lines that quickly appear when the image moves too fast...is this from a lower frame-rate or something...it doesn't happen on most of my movies and never on the games so I'm thinking it might have to do with a better framerate or something...maybe it's the cables I'm using...it's almost perfect...what do you think??

 

[pragmatic]

Glad you got it sorted out and you can see your projector as it was ment have fun and i'm sure you'll be watching a few more movies just to see how good they look.