Just inherited an older DD A/V Yamaha reciever(5230)- with no S-Video feed in or out - and I want to use S-Video from my DVD player and Dish receiver. Just talked to a guy at Radio Shack who says they have an "S-Video Converter - $49.00." Works as follows: run S-Video cable out from satellite receiver and DVD Player to the converter, then RCA plugs from the converter into the back of the receiver - and according to this guy - I will get an S-Video signal into my receiver from these RCA plugs coming from the converter. My question is: I didn't know this was possible. Anybody used this thing - or heard of it? Sound plausible? Thanks alot in advance for any replies.

Roy,
I've got one of those S-Video splitters and it works great. HOWEVER, if you use the S-Video output of DVD and DSS and plug it into the splitter, you will have to use the splitter's S-video OUT. You can't have the S-video convert to RCA ....either use all RCA (in/out) or all S-Video (in/out). The splitter can't convert S to RCA.

You're better off using all S-video and running it to your TV if it only has 1 S-video input on it.

Alfer

What you're describing sounds like an s-video to composite video converter. You will not be getting any conceivably better picture quality than if you just used the composite video connections to begin with. As soon as the signal separation offered by Y/C s-video connections is combined into a single connection, all of those benefits of separation are lost. Save yourself the money and just buy some composite video cables instead. You will not be getting s-video quality with this converter.

Or, do as Alfer did and get an s-video switcher, which will allow you to switch among s-video and composite video sources, although you'll have to do it manually.