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PlayStation (played on PS2) Composite/S-video/RGB to HDMI capture tests Vol. 2

2,820 views · Published 24 October 2016 · 9:07 · Indexed 31 October 2026

Channel: Jarrah White · 2016 · Gaming

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In the previous video I uploaded some capture tests of Driver for the original PlayStation played on the PS2. While it did a good so showing the difference in quality between composite video, S-video and RGB SCART, admittedly the underground car park level is not a very good example as it doesn't have a lot of lighting or colour. So here's a repeat of the test, this time of gameplay during the Take A Ride feature in Miami during the day.

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Most retro gamers swear by RGB SCART for the best quality on most old video game consoles. Such devices like the Sega Mega Drive, the Super Nintendo and of course the original Sony PlayStation. 

The PS2 optimizes in quality through YPbPr component, which is the next level up from RGB SCART. But if you've ever used HD video game capture cards, such as an Elgato Game Capture HD which has a component input, you'd be disappointed to find out the hard way that it doesn't recognize the low resolutions of PS1 games through YPbPr.

The PlayStation 2 games typically use 480i or 576i depending on your region, while PlayStation 1 games use 240p or 288p. Some PS1 games, such as Driver, use 288p for the cutscenes and gameplay, but 576i for the menus and loading screens! So if you want to record PS1 games in optimum quality, you need a HDMI upscaler that can 1) upscale the PS1 games to 720p or 1080p, and 2) do so without blacking out when the game switches from 240/288p to 480/576i.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a Component to HDMI upscaler that can handle the switch seamlessly. Even the hugely popular (and ridiculously expensive) XRGB-mini Framemeister blacks out between resolutions regardless of whether you use Component or RGB. But there is a cheap RGB SCART to HDMI device that does the trick and does it beautifully. I also found a composite/S-video upscaler that works. Here are some capture tests for comparison.

The composite is very dark and blurred. The S-video is much sharper, but still pretty dark. It just doesn't benefit from S-video the way the Nintendo 64 or even VHS does. The RGB retains the sharpness of S-video while also giving a boost in brightness and the colours are more vibrant. 

Here's the composite/S-video device used: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HDMI-S-video-RCA-Composite-to-HDMI-720P-1080P-AV-Video-Converter-Au-Powersupply-/231112750704?hash=item35cf64b670:g:QDQAAOSwNSxVAVd4

And here's the RGB SCART to HDMI upscaler: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AU-SCART-HDMI-to-HDMI-720-1080P-HD-Video-Converter-Monitor-Box-For-HDTV-DVD-STB-/311502092814?var=&hash=item4886f8ba0e:m:mNs4UTXgwcj9HkT750urNXw

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