Welcome to my RGB SCART cable & video guide. SCART connectors, cables, and the RGB video standard itself can be a little bit difficult to understand at first, especially if your used to more simple and straight ways of connecting your gaming hardware to a display. Here you will find information relating to cables, and converting RGB video to some of the more common video formats. I also touch on SCART switches briefly.
What is SCART?
SCART (known as "EIA Multiport" in the US) is a cabling standard that originated in France for connecting video devices such as televisions and A/V devices together. SCART connectors are 21 pin socket headers that are almost rectangle shaped (the connector is designed to only go in 1 way) and quite large.
SCART is standard and commonplace in Europe, and SCART cables are large bulky cables that can carry a myriad of different signals. The SCART standard most commonly carries composite, S-video, and RGB as well as YUV video. SCART cables are analog only and do not carry digital video signals. They can also carrier left/right stereo audio.
Additionally, Japan had its own flavor of SCART connector with a completely different pin out than its European counterpart. Micomsofts line of XRGB devices are wired in this fashion, so be sure not to get the 2 mixed up, as doing so can cause damage to your equipment.
Cable Quality
SCART cables vary in quality to very cheap with thin wires to thick, heavily shielded cables. The cheaper cables found on eBay and elsewhere are fine for testing and occasional use, but I have noticed that overtime the picture displayed by these cables can start to degrade due to the cheap components used in the manufacturing process. Hardcore gamers may want to look elsewhere for a higher quality cable.
SCART Switches
SCART switches are an ideal solution for those of you who have many different video game consoles and need to look all of them up all at once. There are quite a few different offerings on the market, some good and some not so good. The 2 most common types are:
•Unpowered switches are the most commonly found switches on eBay and elsewhere. They are passive, “straight through” devices that simply pass whatever signal is coming through the cable to the connected display. Passive switches can be automatic, where the switch detects and input and activates that particular socket, or completely manual. If you are using an auto switch great care should be taken to not power on more than one console by accident, as these automatic switches can pass excessive voltage to your display and possibly damage it.
•Powered switches need a separate power supply but often include extra features such as built in signal amplification, led indicators, recording off one input while playing on another, etc. These types of switches tend to be a little more expensive but are also much more reliable. Active switches can also be auto or manually switching.
Beware; a bad SCART switch can cause problems with your video, such as a dimmed picture or humming noises in the audio. I’ve had much better luck with the active switches than the powered ones, but many active switches have compatibility issues with certain consoles.
It’s best to look for an active type switch that provides separate isolation between each input. Extron makes a series of matrix switchers that are fantastic, but expensive. The Joytech AV control center 2 is much cheaper and reliable, but is getting rarer as of late.
RGB SCART To VGA
Converting SCART to VGA can be accomplished with ease. Many standalone devices exist that allow for such a conversion and they range in price from very cheap to very expensive.
For instance, The GBS-8200/8220 can convert any 240P RGB/component YUV signals to 480p VGA. This is an ideal way to utilize a spare VGA monitor you might have laying around. Some flat screens still carry VGA inputs as well.
However, the appropriate cable is required as SCART is not the most widely supported connector outside of the television world. If you don’t want to purchase a cable you will most likely have to use one of the cables supplied with the GBS adapter and cut/solder in your own connector.
If you’re looking for something a little less basic than the open source scan converter is a good option. The OSSC is a highly sophisticated device and is capable of many different types of video conversion. It is primarily used for analog to digital conversions but options do exist for analog output. Beware, however that it is a little pricier than the above option, coming in at around $150.
RGB SCART To Component
Component video is common on most U.S CRT/LCD TVs. Since most U.S TVs don’t have SCART inputs, you may wish to convert your RGB signal to component.
There are a lot of cheap RGB-YUV converters on eBay; however most of them are just CSY-2100 clones. I have found that the eBay devices often do not produce a good picture, so it’s best to avoid those. The original CSY-2100 seems to no longer be in production.
My go to converter for RGB-YUV is the SB-2840. It is a solid converter and produces a good picture. The converter is capable of converting 240p and 480i/480p.
Hidden Scart Mode On Projectors?
Almost every digital projector I’ve ever used has a hidden SCART mode and can actually output RGB SCART through its VGA input. This is accomplished by making a cable with a SCART connector on one end and DB 15 header on the other. Please note that this does NOT actually convert the signal to VGA, it just signals the projector to activate its SCART mode. Projectors are also capable of accepting composite sync, so a sync stripper is unnecessary.
You’ll most likely have to make your own cable or by one from a specialty site since most consumer equipment doesn't have a use for such a cable. I usually make my own, as it is quite simple to do and VGA cables are so common/cheap I almost always seem to high quality cables lying around. Just be sure to use a well shielded cable to avoid any analog video noise.
I have included a diagram and a quick video below to give you an idea of how a projectors SCART RGB input works. I also included a pin out if you wish to make your own cable.
Remember
SCART was not a popular standard in the A/V industry due to the connectors bulkiness. As such, many devices and supporting accessories will be of questionable quality. RGB video can be carried over any type of cable or connector, but using poor quality components at incorrect tolerances will almost always result in video issues over time. If you don't want to make your own cables or converters and are willing to pay a bit extra, there are many sellers that cater to retro gamers and produce a variety of bespoke cables.