Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse to the idea of a multi-pin, multi-functional connector (in fact I rather like the idea), yet I've often wondered... why the SCART? The pins are rather flimsy, there isn't enough of them, there's no locking mechanism, being just a few of my criticisms.
Well, the answer, quite simply, is that it's French.
SCART (Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radio Recepteurs et Televisieurs), PERITEL or EURO-CONNECTOR was devised, by the French, as a means of protecting their domestic television manufacturing industry.
Prior to it's inception, France had legislation preventing the import of television sets unless, that is, they were capable of receiving their old 819 line monochrome system. The demise of the system, however, meant some alternative protectionist measure was required, hence the SCART. So in 1980, after it's development, the legislation was reformulated to stipulate that all televisions sold in France must have a SCART socket.
Alas though, as a deterrent I would rather tend to think that it was something of a failure - in more ways than one. A). For "foreign" manufacturers, it was an easy (and relatively low cost) item to add. B). They didn't have to go to the expense of developing their own standard. C). It stopped the development of an alternative/better standard.
As for S-Video. Not surprisingly it wasn't included in the original specification and by the time it was considered the connector, having already become fully loaded, meant the means to implement it would only come at the expense of something else. That's the reason why most SCART sockets are either RGB or S-Video and not both (pin 15 is either RGB "Red In" or S-Video "Chrominance").
Just think of how much simpler life would have been had the French considered something like a larger/revised version of the 25 pin 'D'. Ho hum, he sighed (with a slight Gallic shrug).
