Someone clarify the TV Resolutions for me

[udontneed2know]

Alright, I have a regular ol' television with S-Video. I've seen all these resolutions and such but I'm still confused on what type of resolutions you can get out of non-HDTV televisions.

So could someone just go down the list for me.

Like for instance, Composite cables = 480i or something. S-video = 480i ... stuff like that.

I would just like to know what my regular SDTV's resolution is with S-Video and what it WOULD be if I could use component cables and stuff like that.

[DezNutz]

Standard digital television is 480i

The best transfer of video would go in this order;

Cable Connector
VGA cables (red/white/yellow)
S-Video
Component

Those are all capable of standard resolution, in order to reach HD Television (480p and above) you need to use next standards;

Component cables (5 cables 3video, 2 audio)
HDMI

The difference is that HDMI is digital all the way where as component converts the digital signal to analog to be able to transfer over the cables. HDMI is a better picture but both are considered capable of HD.

Of course these only apply to cables.. you still have to have a TV capable of recieving that type of input and be able to display that type, wether it is HD or even digital, there are some old TV's that are analog only.

You also have to have a source that can output at one of these definitions, aka PS3 or 360, even though your TV may be capable of 1080p, and your component cables may techinically be capable of 1080p if you connect them to a 360 which cannot output 1080p you will not get that, you would get 1080i or whatever you set your 360 to display.

To say that the 360 having component outputs only is not a limitating factor is very untrue, as most if not all future HD programming will be using digital only cables as they produce a better quality picture, HDMI being the current standard.

[udontneed2know]

So a regular television with nothing special is 480i? And the best output an SDTV can recieve is 480p?

Whats my TV getting through S-Video at the moment. Did it jump from 480i to 720i or anything like that.

[hisame]

Humm the old TV is very hard, but basically most TV made before 2004 are very hard to find out if it's 480i or 480p. s-video suppose to give you up to 480p but I would say 90%+ of the SDTVs out there are 480i. excepte ones that specialy said it's 100Hz multi scan progressive. Even ones with component input does not make it a 480p TV since componet inputs with 480i too.

Basically any TV if not specially mark as 100Hz or Progressive TV it's 480i. No matter what inputs it takes. But the truth is if you have a diouble scan TV ie ones with 60Hz and using s-video or component input it's almost as good as 480p anyway. Since with these spec it produce a effect of false 480p30 by showing the signal in 480i60.

[adamba4e]

Now that your question has been answered there is no need to keep this thread open.