Customer Reviews

Dreamcast Retro Bit S-AV Cable

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The S-Video doesn't work at all, and here's why:

The connection for the Luminance S-Video is connected to the SAME PIN as the composite signal.

The S video Chroma and Luminance pins are not connected to ANYTHING at all.

The guy who got a better picture from plugging them both in is mistaken.

S-Video is IMPOSSIBLE with this plug unless you rewire and solder it yourself.

Don't buy this. period.

The s-video plugs in fine to my Toshiba HDTV, but only displays video in black and white. I guess you get what you pay for. At least the composite cables connect and function in color.

The S-video portion of this cable is defective. It's missing elements that disaply colour. Any s-video cable that displays Black & White means its defective.
Many companies take the cheap route and don't properly connect the inside properly and neglect to connect the S-Video portion of the cable. Anyway the best possible Picture anybody can get out of the Dreamcast is with the VGA box. Get one, they are awesome. The Picture Quality is super clean and crisp on HDTV's.
It resurrects your Dreamcast back to life and does provide "BETTER" Picture Quality than today's Nintendo Wii...hands down...

I'll make this short: much like half the reviews here, I found that the s-video output on this cable simply does not work (for me, it's going straight into a projector in my theater). Don't believe anyone that tells you there's a way around this--there's not. All you'll get through the s-video connection is a blurry, black and white image.

The component portion of the cable works fine, but what's the point? The Dreamcast comes with one of those, and if that's all you wanted, you wouldn't be buying an s-video cable!

Anyway, skip the cables and just get the VGA box and use ITS s-video output, instead. But be wary of Retro-Bit's version... like these cables, their VGA box seems to be shoddily made (mine is working, but the connections are soldered at weird angles and the a/v connector going into the Dreamcast is loose).

In short, avoid this product, and be wary of anything from Retro-Bit.

This is a worthwhile investment if you have a TV with s-video inputs. Clarity is much improved using the s-video over stock RCA's.

Composite or the VGA box are the only better ways to clean up the signal (VGA box doesn't work with all games. However it does double the resolution to HDTV quality).

I'll keep these around even though I have the VGA box, just in case it dies =p

This obviously is not a game, just a video cable for the Dreamcast. That said, it works, and Dreamcast is awesome. The end.

Great cables that work fantastic with my Sega Dreamcast, I am finally able to use my Sega Dreamcast again. The cables came ahead of schedule and were cheap, 5/5 stars!

I will start with the most important bit of information,in all caps.

HOW TO MAKE THE S-Video WORK ON A HDTV: PLUG IN ALL FOUR ENDS, SET THE INPUT CHANNEL TO THE ONE WITH THE COMPOSITE CABLES (THE YELLOW,RED,WHITE THINGIES) IT MADE IT WORK AND LOOK MUCH BETTER.
IF YOU SET THE INPUT TO WHERE THE S-VIDEO IS PLUGGED THEN YOU GET BLACK & WHITE.

So basically you use it like the cord that comes with Dreamcast but have the S-Video end plugged in at the same time.
And yes I tried it without the S-Video in and there is a difference.

On to how groovy it looks.
The first thing you will notice is that there is less blur around the text.
When you start playing a game the colors are richer.
The lighting effects look better.

It just make the game look lot less flat.
To the point that it improves depth perception.

It also makes there be less blurry jagged edges.

I'm glad I chose to try this solution before I went for the VGA box.

Those are an adapter so you still need other cords to use it so it could be much pricier.
You have to get two other cords, the VGA(same cord as computer monitors) and a cord for audio(also like on a desktop computer.)
I may try it sometime though as it is another step up from s-video, and I may have some of those cords laying around.