S-Video vs. Composite AT&T U Verse

Although both S-Video and composite video are methods for transmitting analog video signals, each uses very different styles of cable. S-Video uses a four-pin connector known as a mini-DIN. Two pins are responsible for carrying different pieces of video information: one pin for the luminance, or brightness information, and one pin for the chrominance, or color information. Two other pins are ground wires. Composite video uses connectors generally referred to as A/V or RCA connectors. Composite video does not divide up the video signal but maintains it in one cable.

The quality of S-Video is generally superior to composite video because it divides the video signal into separate parts, which allows for a higher level of control over the individual components of the signal while also allowing more of the video information to be transmitted. With that said, composite, or A/V, connections are more ubiquitous and can be found on almost any analog television set sold in the United States.

One advantage of the composite, or A/V, video connection over S-Video is that it is generally paired with stereo audio connections in the same format. In fact, composite video and audio connections are interchangeable, which means you can use any A/V cable to transmit audio or video. S-Video cables are very specifically designed for video transmission, and someone using an S-Video cable must utilize a separate means of transmitting audio.

Both S-Video and composite, or A/V, connections are included on AT however, S-Video has mostly been superseded by much higher quality digital video standards.