Inside an AV receiver 2 - Video connections

COMPOSITE VIDEO

Lowest quality but simple and functional is Composite video, carried by a single RCA phono socket, colour coded yellow (see above). Composite is basic Black and White video, with colour added, so it is Black and White compatible and will show a Black and White picture if the colour component fails for any reason. It does not offer good picture quality from most sources, being a ‘default’ option. Composite video inputs must go through conversion to digital via an ADC before passing out via HDMI. Composite with an On Screen Menu display added is not always output from a receiver as this requires an extra on-board DAC.

S-VIDEO

This is a single, small multi pin plug (see above) that carries analogue video and audio together. It was used mainly in North America but is now slowly disappearing from receivers.

SCART

The European - well, French! - alternative to the American S-Video standard, it carried a variety of analogue video and audio signals via a large, multi pin plug. It is rarely if ever used on modern receivers and is not pictured here.

COMPONENT VIDEO

This is a high quality analogue video format and still common in AV receivers, although now as a single input and single output to a TV or monitor / projector. As with the other analogue video formats, the output may not carry On Screen display setup menus. Check in the handbook before buying if you need this.