Topic: S-Video

[IceCold]

So. I've decided that I want to buy S-Video cables for my Cube. It took me the better part of four years, but I feel that this is a necessary path to take. I just have a few questions..

I usually get first party accessories, so in this case I'm inclined towards the Nintendo branded cables. However, they're more expensive (price is not a factor, though), and they're also not available in stores (right?). I wanted to know if there are any third-party offerings (Pelican? MadCatz?). And if so, for those who have used them, are they comparable in quality to the Nintendo ones? And finally would you, by any chance, know if they are readily available in stores? I could go check myself, but if anyone here already knows, that would be great.

Thanks!  

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

It's a good (BAD) time for you to inquire, cuz Cube accessory availability has been on the decline for the past year (Nintendo DS aka Dead System).

Mad Catz has made MANY variations of S-Video+A/V cables.  Their "shielded" cables (Gamecube-only or Universal) are good quality and pretty durable, as I've been using them for several years.  They tend to use clear plastic which allows you to see the wire-coil or braided shielding around the wires.  These are the kind you should look for.  I think they stopped making them, tho.  The kinds I only see now have thin, flimsy wiring and no shielding -- avoid these.  All models are typically US$10, and much lower if you find them for sale/clearance.

Pelican -- avoid at all costs.  Generally thin wiring, no shielding, broken on me on many occasions (between my N64 and GC), and one set I bought for a friend ended up cutting the resolution of the image in-half (major huge pixels), which i didn't think was possible.

When looking at other 3rd party cables, pay attention to the quality of the construction.  Thin wires along any portion of the cables are not a good sign.  Shielding is a plus.

The best 3rd party cables are made by Monster, hands down.  Very clean picture, little to NO noise output in the audio (when looking at GC-to-PC audio recordings).  Built tough, and with Monster's quality shielding.  These are what I use for my video captures.  Their 6ft model is around US$20.

Nintendo's first party cables shouldn't be bothered with.  They're generally more expensive than 3rd party cables (US$16 excluding shipping), and there's nothing special about them -- no shielding, same wimpy wiring as the default A/V cables, and they're S-video ONLY which cuts out the yellow/composite video option, whereas the majority of 3rd party cables include both.  Seriously, S+A/V cables should've been included with the console from the get-go.  Consider Nintendo's cables a last resort.

[IceCold]

Hmm, thanks; I'll definitely look those up. One more thing - do you have any idea about the InterAct, Universal and HipGear ones?


This is the Monster one you were talking about, right?



Good MadCatz one?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

No prob.

Concerning the other cable manufacturers, I don't like them.  Some cables look like "toys," and they mostly seem to exist just to get a piece of the 3rd party accessory pie, like the GBA accessory scene.

Those Monster cables above are similar to what I have.  I think that one is the 10ft model which costs around US$30, and you can see it has no composite video plug, only S-vid.  I have the 6ft model that's S-Video with composite video.

The MadCatz pictured is exactly the one I have.  Can't go wrong with them.

[IceCold]

Aha, now I have all the necessary info, just need to get around to shopping for them.

Thanks again.

[IceCold]

Yes! Just picked up the MadCatz one from Future Shop for $10 CDN after my fair share of blood, sweat and tears.. Drinks on the Funhouse!

One more question, promise - I was thinking of getting normal S-Video cables for my DVD and video camera. Compared to the difference in clarity for my games, how would the improvement for DVD picture quality stack up? I can now judge how much of a difference the cables make for my Cube, so would you happen to know if the cables improve DVD quality as much? Thanks

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

DVDs will receive the same improvement -- better clarity and color.  If you've noticed the difference it makes for your Cube games, you'll notice the difference in your DVDs, provided you're using the same viewing conditions (quality of TV screen, how far you sit, your eyesight, etc).

Static scenes (like menus) help identify the differences, especialy if you're switching between Composite and S-Video connections.  But I DON'T recommend plugging and unplugging S-Video cables while both machines are on (i've busted a few s-video cables doing that, ie. black&white picture, tho i don't have a scientific explanation for it).  If you want to try that kind of a test, get an A/V switchbox.