So Coaxial & S-Video are phased out on newer TVs?

[S1500]

So I've been fantasizing about getting a larger TV, most notably a Samsung LN40C530 40-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV. Why? It's $569(great price) and of course, it's out of stock/not available in the places I looked(Best Buy, Target). But I digress.

 

But I look on the specs and notice that there's no S-Video port. They don't even cheap-out & share the component & s-video ports, which my current TV does(don't like that). I also notice, but can't confirm that there's no coaxial port for even some RF love for older consoles.

 

Problem: My PS2 uses s-Video. While composite is available, yes, but I would prefer S-video. The component cables I tried with my PS2 simply don't work.

 

Sooo what gives? Are newer TVs just skipping s-video altogether? I just wanna bigger TV with the same port love my current 26 inch TV has.

[+Psionic]

That sucks, but as time goes on I'd imagine you'll see more and more of this. S-Video is not used nearly as frequently as composite or component, so if the manufacturers start to cut corners it will probably be the first thing to go.

[dstone]

Looking at the pictures of it on Amazon, I can spot a coax input. That being said, if the TV only has a digital tuner, you're still out of luck connecting consoles. According to the product page at Samsung, it only has ATSC and ClearQAM tuners, so no analog stuff. You'd have to have an analog tuner (like an old VCR or something) that would convert over to a composite feed.

 

I did an install of eight Samsung screens about a year ago, none of those had s-video connections. Monoprice carries a unit that converts both composite and s-video to HDMI for around $50. I'm sure the picture would look a bit cruddy due to the scaling, but it would definitely get everything connected. Link to Converter

 

About six months ago, my grandparent's TV quit. I got them a Sharp Aquos 42" from Dell. It still lacks the s-video port, but it does have an analog tuner. Link

(Full disclosure: I am rather fond of the Sharp Aquos line)

Edited January 20, 2011 by dstone

[Nikdog]

I also notice, but can't confirm that there's no coaxial port for even some RF love for older consoles.

Thats what the VCR is for. My SuperBetamax's primary function is to convert RF to composite. Which latter in turn gets converted to HDMI.

 

Problem: My PS2 uses s-Video. While composite is available, yes, but I would prefer S-video. The component cables I tried with my PS2 simply don't work.

Did you make sure to go into system settings and change RGB to Y/Pb/Pr?

 

The only things I would use with S-Video are S-VHS and SuperBetamax.

Edited January 22, 2011 by Nikdog

[+wood_jl]

S-video port was an early casualty in this modern changeover. It seems that the manufacturers (for the most part) seem to view HDMI and S-video as mutually exclusive.

 

Coax (threaded) will likely be around for a while.....but does that mean there will be an analog tuner in there too? Probably NOT. Even digital TV tuners use the threaded coax connector. So just having a coax connector may not guarantee your new TV will tune into old analog channel 3 for your old console.

[potatohead]

That sucks!

 

I use S-video constantly.

 

I do use the component video stuff too, but not as often. Mostly DVD, sometimes progressive scan.

[Reaperman]

Support for NTSC/PAL signals in general will probably dwindle to almost nothing within the next half decade and we'll all be forced to use external scalers. Might as well just pick up one now and be ahead of the curve.

[Video]

This is why I keep adapters and such (including VCR's) Hey, IIRC, the pelican Accessories switch box for AV, will allow you to plug in Coax and output it to the TV through AV, though it's been years since I tried, so I could be remembering wrong (though I do remember if you wanted coax, you had to use the PSU with the box, but if you stuck to AV only, you could AX it.

 

[edit] Many external Digital tuners have an option built in to allow analog to be piped in through their coax input and out through their AV also.

Edited January 22, 2011 by Video

[SRGilbert]

Yeah, I guess that's not a huge surprise, considering almost everything uses HDMI these days.

 

Weird that your PS2 component cables don't work. I have two of them on two different tv's using component cables and it's a significant upgrade over S-video.

 

A decent workaround might be to pick up a VCR/DVD Recorder that upscales and outputs to HDMI. Panasonic makes a couple of models that have S-video inputs that would work well for that. Also, most modern home theater receivers have multiple analog inputs and will upscale and output over HDMI as well.

 

Truthfully, if you are really a classic game fan, you should be playing those systems on a CRT anyway!

[gdement]

Converters are probably never going to look as good as a TV that natively supports SVideo. SVideo is the preferred hookup for many older systems, so if you're buying a TV for that purpose, I wouldn't compromise. Find an old model somewhere. Of course you can get used TVs cheap at places like Goodwill, but even if you want new there must be some NOS TV's out there. Maybe try Amazon, or go to ebay if you have to. The major retailers won't have anything "obsolete", but there's gotta be internet sellers and liquidators out there with unopened old model TVs.

[Greg2600]

S-Video is mostly gone yes, but Coax will stay, because it's used for HD antennas too if the TV has an ATSC converter. Composite will remain too.

[Midnight Synergy]

To the OP: I actually just picked up this very same TV, and just to confirm: It does have Coax, but not S-video. Haven't hooked up an Atari 2600 yet, so I don't know if it can upscale that signal or not.

 

Also a big fat WARNING regarding some other Samsung models, in particular some of the LEDs like the 5000 Series. They often have shared inputs component and composite, meaning they have only one set of inputs, but it recognizes if you have a component or composite video coming in. So if you have two non-HDMI connections (e.g. a PS2 and a DVD player) you cannot connect these at the same time. You will need to keep switching cables physically. I learnt this the wrong way, and one return/exchange later, I thought I'd point it out for anyone else.

[+wood_jl]

Anybody else notice the lag many flat-panels have when using "old" inputs like composite? Don't see that with an HDMI console.

 

I'm keeping some CRTs around. Problem solved. (with S-video, mind you)

Edited January 28, 2011 by wood_jl

[S1500]

To the OP: I actually just picked up this very same TV, and just to confirm: It does have Coax, but not S-video. Haven't hooked up an Atari 2600 yet, so I don't know if it can upscale that signal or not.

 

Also a big fat WARNING regarding some other Samsung models, in particular some of the LEDs like the 5000 Series. They often have shared inputs component and composite, meaning they have only one set of inputs, but it recognizes if you have a component or composite video coming in. So if you have two non-HDMI connections (e.g. a PS2 and a DVD player) you cannot connect these at the same time. You will need to keep switching cables physically. I learnt this the wrong way, and one return/exchange later, I thought I'd point it out for anyone else.

 

Same issue with my Sylvania HTDV model. Makes troubleshooting a bit difficult and seems to limit what you can truly use for inputs on a TV. Got around it by using a VCR + a 4-porter + my stereo for additional inputs.

[Arkhan]

Yeah coax will remain.

 

My 55" Bravia has coax. I plugged Intellivision into it. BAD FRIGGING IDEA.

 

My eyes almost melted. Don't do it.

[potatohead]

Yeah, lag on some TV's is pretty high these days. It's about like using a USB capture to game on. Sucks.

 

Right now, people are tossing great old CRTs. If you've got the room, get something like a SONY WEGA. Those things are absolutely great. I've got one, and it's the finest SD display I've ever seen. Love using it. For gaming and classic computing it's golden.

 

And the funny thing is regular DVD media, through the component inputs, is just pixel perfect. My HD set doesn't even come close.

[psquare75]

Regular DVDs on an HD TV need to be upscaled.

[potatohead]

Yep. And that does not always translate well, IMHO.

[jeremysart]

I see no reason why any TV sets in the near future will lack a coaxial port. Most people still subscribe to cable television which needs coaxial. I use U-Verse so my coaxial is free for a switch box to remain plugged in at all times ^_^

 

edit:

 

Thought I'd throw it out there, PS1, 64 and a few others from that era look like complete garbage on HD sets.

Edited January 28, 2011 by jeremysart

[jferio]

I suspect part of why we're seeing this type of cost cutting is they've gotten past the point of trying to sell to everyone, and had to cater to all comers. Now, anyone buying a lower priced set is either going to be the type to just be hooking one up, and not worrying about specifics and specs and whether or not the thing lags and the composite connection will do them just fine for the old VCR for Johnny's middle school football career videos.

 

And on the other hand, if it's that important for the buyer to have all the connectors, one is typically some sort of videophile or collector and is going to drop the extra moolah to get a television that still does it all out of the box, so that they can hook up the old LaserDisc player, the BluRay, the cable box, the stereo receiver, and one or two other things so that they can watch movies in their custom built dedicated theater room.

 

(which, on that note, it surprised me when I realized my cheapy $50 DVD player does composite, and component, but not s-video.)

[psquare75]

I don't think my cable box even does S-Video, and it has composite, coax, component, and HDMI.

[Koopa64]

I still think S-Video is a garbage quality connector (not the signal it produces). The jack on my big 32" CRT is really loose, if it's not pulled up all you get is a black and white image. It's also really easy to bend the pins inside the connector. Whoever thought the S-Video jack was good enough for consumer consumption, needs a slap upon the face. A solid connector like the Nintendo/Sony's Multi-AV jacks would have been awesome for TV connection. Instead we get crapola like RCA and S-Video jacks... What a waste of metal and plastic...

[soloman]

Yeah, lag on some TV's is pretty high these days. It's about like using a USB capture to game on. Sucks.

 

Right now, people are tossing great old CRTs. If you've got the room, get something like a SONY WEGA. Those things are absolutely great. I've got one, and it's the finest SD display I've ever seen. Love using it. For gaming and classic computing it's golden.

 

And the funny thing is regular DVD media, through the component inputs, is just pixel perfect. My HD set doesn't even come close.

 

This is usually a case with newer TVs that have tons of post processor effects. Most of them (I know the Bravia line has it) will have a "game" option that you can turn on which removes the lagging effects.

 

I have a cheap, small CRT just for all the old systems. If space is an issue, a lot of portable DVD players with video inputs still support older formats and look great.

[psquare75]

The Samsung I have has a game option.. I turn off all the add ons and it looks pretty good IMO.

[S1500]

Guess my worries are no more. I can buy a component cable set for a PS3 & use that. The component cables I have/had for my PS2 were defective. A coworker brought his & it worked just fine, no need to hold up on the d-pad to fire it up.

 

Hey then, I can just hook that up to my switchbox & easily switch between cable Tv, xbox 360 & PS2 no prob! Component RCA inputs aren't going away for awhile!

 

Only problem left is getting transport & the fact everyone's buying TVs in anticipation for the superbowl. Wonder if I can get an open-box discount for a returned one. I have my eyes on a Samsung 46 inch model.