[tueidj]

The composite cable is never better than the component cable.

[PPSainity]

One thing to understand between the 480i and 480p is there are differences in the amount of information in both the resolution in each field (not frame) and in the full frame rate (temporal resolution). The different video processor in TVs handle things, well differently. If you want to understand what your specific TV does to certain image feeds find out what video processor is in it and head on over to the avforums.

In cases where 480i looks better than 480p chances are that the video processor in your TV is more adapt at de-interlacing than it is in post-processing progressive images. Progressive images have more temporal resolution so the image will seem more crisp, and jaggies will be more present. Getting rid of jaggies is hard, just look at the performance hit modern PC graphic cards still take anti-aliasing. Interlaced images have the benefit of being softer due to most common de-interlacing methods, not to mention these methods are more mature and optimized.

I'm just a hometheater hobbyist, so I can't explain further than this with any more elegance, but if video processing intrigues you I suggest visiting avforums. Interesting stuff that you can spend many an hour on...

As far as different cables go, some TVs have poor components and are more susceptible to the effects of degraded signal quality. Component cables are after all carrying an analogue signal. This means that even small differences in cables might cause a visible difference in picture quality. Just don't take this as an excuse to go all out on Monster cables. We are talking about bad quality cables which can be replaced by great cables at far less Monstrous prices....I believe someone did mention monoprice already...

-[]D

Edited by PPSainity, 10 February 2011 - 06:47 AM.

[steveroo]

i just bought a knock off component cable from ebay and the 480p setting with wide screen look stremendously visually better on a 32" lcd. Highly wroth the $10.00!

[Hanks6]

i've seen 480i looking bettter than 480p (over component) on certain TV sets. but this is the exception to the rule. my friends 50 inch panny plasma is one such screen (entry level model) - 480i is noticably crisper than 480p. unusual, but this is obviously related to the ability of the TV's scaling in these different modes.

however, 480p is considerably better on my 32 inch panny LCD, it's like night and day with Double Dash, which is a blurry mess in 480i. 480p also seems to edge it out on the 37 inch panny plasma we have downstairs, but not by as much as on the LCD.

Edited by Hanks6, 18 January 2012 - 12:46 AM.

[Mario92]

BTW do you guys see difference between 480i and 576i? I have original nintendo RBG cable so I don't even have 480p as option.

[Hanks6]

Mario92, on 28 January 2012 - 12:41 PM, said:

BTW do you guys see difference between 480i and 576i? I have original nintendo RBG cable so I don't even have 480p as option.

should be sharper because of the increased resolution. i can certainly see an improvement in madworld (PAL vs NTSC interlaced) but the PAL also runs in a squashed box, making any comparison more complicated. also, 480i should be PAL60, so 60hz - more framerate/smoother over any increased resolution and no chance of weird ratios. gonna be the best option in most cases. presuming it's a CRT TV set i'd take the smoothness of 60hz over a little more resolution. scaling isn't really an issue like on HDTVs.

in a lot of ways RGB PAL60 on a CRT screen is the best way to play the Gamecube/Wii - super colourful, crisp and smooth. I don't think many HDTVs can produce a good image from the Wii due to the limited resolution/scaling and fake widescreen mode, just a big one.

Edited by Hanks6, 30 January 2012 - 07:59 PM.