Automan,
sorry, you've misunderstood me. I'm saying that as component is superior to S-video, converting from component to RGB will leave Bruce with a component-quality signal, whereas converting S-video to RGB will leave him with an S-video quality signal. Therefore, converting from S-vid is pointless, but there would be some relative improvement on his *current setup* (ie S-vid) by converting from component. I !don't! mean an improvement from component to RGB signal quality. We know that's not possible.

Curiously though, the www.techtronics.com link in the 4th message above (thanks djy) suggests that
1) A TV/movie camera outputs the video signal in RGB.

This is essentially what Automan said. Just after that, however, it also says:

2) A DVD disc is recorded with Component Video signal in digital format. Hence Component Video is the best format to display a DVD on a TV. This format is common in US and Japan.
Most European/Asian/Australian DVD players converts and output the signal into RGB, without any noticable effects on video quality.

Now, we've already agreed that you cannot regain quality, so (according to the above) if you watch a DVD, you're down to component quality to start with. This would appear to suggest that although RGB is better for most sources, component is better specifically for DVD's, as that's what's on the actual disc. If the source and output are progressive scan component video capable, then the rendition of the disc's data should be perfect. Viewing in RGB (hence another step in the signal processing chain to convert the component signal to RGB) would theoretically provide (at best with good kit) a non-prog scan component-quality signal or (at worst) a component-quality signal minus the conversion overhead/detail loss inherent in a poor quality RGB conversion process/scart cable. Thus (stay with me folks!), if all this is correct, then if you (Bruce) can convert the component quality signal to RGB with no loss of detail/clarity etc, then you will see an almost-perfect picture (and with prog scan, even better), because RGB should not (from what Automan said about higher bandwidth/compression) hinder the signal at all, leaving Bruce with a component-quality source from the way the DVD was encoded originally.

Sorry, I know I go on, but I like techie stuff!

Don't suppose your kit's got prog scan then?!
Dan.

This message was edited by dan_flower on 04/18/02 07:13.34.