Apple Soundtrack Pro 2 - Manual (Page 481)

Appendix C Working with Professional Video and Audio Equipment 481
Composite
Composite is the lowest common denominator of video signals. A composite signal
runs all color and brightness information on a single cable, resulting in lower-quality
video compared to the quality of other formats. Nearly all video devices have a
composite input and output. This format uses a single RCA or BNC connector.
In professional editing environments, composite video signals are most commonly
used for troubleshooting, for menu outputs, and for low-quality preview monitoring.
For consumer and home use, composite signals are often used to connect VCRs or
DVD players to televisions.
S-Video
S-Video, also known as Y/C, is a higher-quality video signal used by high-end
consumer video equipment. The image looks sharper and has better color than a
composite video image because S-Video keeps the color and brightness information
separate on two cables. Most low-cost analog-to-digital video interfaces have S-Video
as their highest-quality video connector. Use care when working with S-video
connectors; the four delicate pins can be bent easily.
Component YUV and Component RGB
Professional video equipment, such as Betacam SP decks, has component YUV (Y’C
B
C
R
)
video inputs and outputs. Component YUV separates color and brightness information
into three signals, which keeps the color quality more accurate than that of other
systems. Component YUV is as good as analog video gets. High-end consumer devices,
such as DVD players and televisions, have increasingly begun to support component YUV.
Note: Another form of component video, component RGB, is not as widespread on
professional equipment as component YUV.
RCA connector
BNC connector
S-Video connector