Super-video (S-Video)

What Does Super-video (S-Video) Mean?

Super video (S-video) is an analog form of video transmission that splits the video signal into two sections called "luma," for luminance, and "chroma," for chrominance or color. S-video is used for various kinds of connectivity such as bringing video streams to monitors or flat screens.

Techopedia Explains Super-video (S-Video)

Some associate S-video with JVC company, the company that pioneered one of the more common types of connectors for this transmission method. The connector has a wide round shape and four pins in a grounded pair setup. Many types of consumer products and devices have this S-video connector built into their designs. There are also S-VHS machines and other products that use S-video protocol.

One of the benefits of S-video is a higher bandwidth than composite video technologies. However, although many consider S-video to be a step up from composite in terms of image quality, quality and compatibility can be issues with S-video, and users have to consider the full range of analog and digital video solutions in setting up a display infrastructure. For example, where SCART technology or other methods have largely replaced S-video on consumer products, it may be hard to use S-video in the average A/V connection.