Hi,

My DVD player has comp vid out and an optical out but the television only has composite vid and s-vid. Currently I am connecting comp to comp but would I get any improvement (and how much) by using an Optical to S-vid cable and connecting the TV and DVD this way.

Regards
Needle

the optical cable is for audio, not video. Check the DVD and receiver manuals again about where the optical gets connected.

Ernie is correct. The optical output is a digital audio output, for 5.1-channel surround decoding. The proper connections for your setup is composite-to-composite for video, and audio-L&R-to-audio-L&R for sound. The only place the optical output can go is to a 5.1 receiver's digital audio input.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

Needle responded to my forum response via email. Here is that exchange (edited a bit) so everyone can share and enjoy --

In a message dated 1/8/2003 10:31:15 PM Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Thanks for the reply - so out of interest, what devices would have use for an optical to s-vid cable?
Regards
Neil


As far as I know, there is no such cable. It is kind of like a color to stereo adaptor. Apples and oranges. Apples and lunch boxes. Do you walk to work, or carry your lunch? As different as night and tangerines. In the same industry, but not something that exists.

UNLESS --

It is something that costs on the order of a thousand dollars; here's what it could be. Suppose (because I have never heard of anybody bothering to make this happen) somebody decided to send video over an optical cable. They could take the two signals present on an s video cable, chrominance and luminance, and convert these into two optical signals modulated at different frequencies so they could be mixed onto a single optical cable and then separated at the other end. The Other End would have to have a device which would detect these two optical signals and convert them into two electrical signals which would then go to an s video connector.

whoops -- you defined this as an optical to s-vid CABLE; this device would be a chassis that had to be plugged into the wall or otherwise powered. Definitely not a cable.

So who makes this "optical to s-vid cable" that you are asking about?

Why, the Acme Optical-to-S-vid Cable company, of course!

Bit of a comedian hey Larry :)

Anyhow, went back to the store and checked the cable again. It was actually a optical/s-vid to optical/s-vid. Standard stuff and no fancy conversion.

Thanks to Ernie for his prompt thoughtful responses.

Regards
Neil

I've seen optical to coaxial converters...

but optical to s-vid???????

anyway only sound comes out of the dvd's optical connection

Really? I stuck my ear up to the optical connection on two different dvd's and couldn't hear a thing.

Hey Larry, does that there Acme company make an optical to aural cable?

Yes. It's called a "Home Theater Surround System". You plug the optical line in at one end, and sound comes out at the other. Very cool!

However, I opened three different DVDs and looked very carefully. I couldn't find an optical connection on either side of the disc. Further inspection, however, did reveal an optical connection on the rear panel of my DVD player.