KSubzero1000 wrote: ↑October 14th, 2019, 12:43 am
Suits wrote: ↑October 13th, 2019, 10:57 pm
Hmmmm, I’m not going to agree with that - in my experience, SCART has always delivered a sharper image over anything else.
I looked around a bit and component seems to be the more popular answer here.
This Eurogamer thread says component is crisper, although
that one is less conclusive.
MLIG also have a great episode about that very topic and they don't seem to lean one way or the other between Component and RGB. They consider them to be somewhat similar as long as the quality of the individual cables are high. The direct comparison segment starts at 26:40.
(But I also can't help but notice that their 480p Component footage seems to look ever so slightly sharper than their 480p RGB one. Could you perhaps look at the footage of the girl at 30:36 and tell me what you think?)
I don't know what else to tell you, brother. But in my personal experience, for the PS2 at least, switching to component after years of using the SCART cable was an absolutely noticeable improvement. Although I have never had the opportunity to try the component on the GC, so I can't comment on that. I also can't vouch for any potential brand quality difference between the two cables. I know my component is a good one, but it's possible that my RGB was an inferior brand all along. I wish we could both sit down together and try it out using top quality cables!
PS: And also, keep in mind that I'm talking exclusively about the end result on an LCD screen here.
EDIT: Okay from what I'm seeing, some TVs appear to display a significantly better picture using one cable as opposed to the other... I suppose my TV is a good fit for my component, then? Argh, what an absolute minefield!!
OK.
I wasn’t sure how granular this would get, especially in a ‘What have you been playing thread’ but everything you have mentioned, makes perfect sense and you are well on the way to getting frustrated with all this.
First, MLIG is my touchstone for all of this. It was their RGB masterclass that I got onto about four years ago and ultimately got me to source a PVM and climb into the rabbit warren that is displaying retro video game consoles.
You really can’t go wrong with what Coury and Marc not only have to say, but the way in which they explain issues and talk about the quirks of retro systems in their RGB Mastercalss, as well as anything else they talk about.
RGB
Most video game consoles will put out native RGB signal direct from their boards.
The common exception is the N64.
For consoles that give out direct RGB signal, in an ideal world, to get the best picture from this, you want to connect those direct signals to your TV.
Also, good picture quality can mean a number of things to a number of people. Generally, I personally want clear, defined lines and vivid colours with as little colour bleed as possible.
To give this a tangible example, look here (just ignore S-Video for now) and focus on what the difference between Composite signal and RGB(SCART) signal give.
Cables
Now, the cables that you connect to your analogue console and use to deliver the signal to your TV matter.
SCART for instance, will take the RGB signal direct from the console and carry the signal down individual cables to a SCART connector as its own signal.
Composite for instance will take the signals from the console, and merge them all down cable that the TV will unscramble at the other end.
It’s this merged signal that can cause problems at the other end when it comes to unpacking it and losing quality.
Think of it like a spoon, in an Ice Cream factory. If you had a separate spoon for each flavour it would give a better representation of the individual flavour than it would using the same spoon and mixing it up slightly.
The joy of analogue signal.
You then have things like sync to consider, but we won’t get into that now – its not important I feel.
Cable
quality matters too, you don’t have to spend £100’s but £20 will get you something with good shielding to reduce interference down the cable, good resistors and capacitors to reduce buzz and power noise and fairly thick wire for better signal strength.
First party SCART cables are good, the Dreamcast and Wii ones particularly so.
TV
Secondly, what’s really important is they type of screen you are displaying on.
CRT is obvious and does have some level of variation as to what the results will produce but generally in most cases it’s an easy win in this case – RGB is king.
OP also, stated that they were using a Sony Trinitron which is a great start as the Trinitron tubes are considered some of the best technologies out there for CRT’s. I use a Trinitron set, be it a Professional Video Monitor but it’s still Trinitron technology none the less.
With modern panels, LCD, Plasma & LED they don’t have the capacity to natively display RGB analogue signal, or any analogue signal for that matter so modern panels with older connections, like Composite or SCART will need to run processing of the analogue signal and convert it to a modern, digital signal.
This is where things like input lag occur and dependant on the level, quality, type of processing can give widely varying results.
This is where OSSC (Open Source Scan Convertor) steps in and sits between retro analogue consoles and your modern TV. This box of tricks will convert the signal for the TV deliver the digital signal in an infinitely better way than any modern TV can.
Ksubzero wrote: If you have a PS2 and the two cables lying around, I'd recommend you try it yourself firsthand. Don't forget to switch between RGB and YPbPr in the menu if you do so. Interested to hear the result!
I have, and I have. I have an official Sony Composite cable set, like yours and I also have a PS2 SCART cable form Retro Gaming cables. I get a more stable image from the SCART cable on my PVM CRT. I have not tried these cables on a modern panel, as I have no desire/need to. Without an OSSC I’m not holding up much hope – especially on my Panasonic Plasma and my Samsung 4KUHDLED.
So,
based on OP’s original question,
“Is an RGB SCART better for a PS2 and CRT TV?”, then I still say, yes.