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trunksfujita

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 27, 2003
36
0
Miami
Can anyone tell me what The S-video connection is For, what is the use of it, and how would i use it?

Thank you.

Also what can you use the PC card for?
 
S-Video is a way to connect your PowerBook to Televisions/Home Cinema Systems/Surround Sound Systems/etc. with only a single wire and play video/audio on any one of those devices. I'm not sure when this first became commonplace, but if it's from the past couple of years, you'll have no problem using the S-Video.

The PC Card slot has a number of uses. I use mine when I'm at my parents house. They just switched to Ricochet Broadband, a type of totally wireless internet provider (Only in Denver and San Diego) - you have to use a PC Card for it to work on a laptop.

I know there are other uses, but I've never used it otherwise.
 
I don't believe s-video has aynthing to do with audio, in fact its a high quality video connecton. You can use it to view dvds from your computer to and external TV set (but you will need a mini plug to RCa connecter to go from your headphone jack to your tv) or you can use a TV set as a second monitor or to mirror your desktop. I work at a TV station and we use S-video all the time and its never for audio. Of course there could be some sort of special s-video cable used for an all in one solution but the cable that came with my powerbook is s-video to composite, a single rca jack for video. I use my PC card slot with a compact flash reader for my digital camera.
 
S-Video

S-Video cables split the video signal into two, one for colour and the other for brightness. There is no audio that goes through S-Video.
 
-trunksfujita

Be aware, that the S-Video bus is a bus all it's own. Meaning that if you were to input S-Video into your stereo, you'd better have S-Video running all the way through - no moving to composite. The two don't talk.
 
S-Video is easier to include on the system than RCA jacks, plus it usuable Europe, unlike most RCA jacks. S-Video does indeed send a color signal and brightness signal, that allows for more color data to be sent and therefore a better picutre is usually produced. Apple's PowerBooks ship with an adaper from S-Video to RCA (Composite) jacks, for use with older/cheaper TVs.

It is true that no audio is sent through the S-Video cable, however you can easily use a stereo mini-jack to left and right RCA to send sound.

I usually use my S-Video on my PowerBook to watch Movies on my Mac, or even QT movies.

TEG
 
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