S-Video

S-Video (also known as separate video, Y/C, and super video) is an analog video signal format that carries standard-definition video, typically at 525 or 625-line resolution. It encodes video luma and chrominance on two separate channels, achieving higher image quality than composite video, which encodes all video information on one channel. It also eliminates several types of visual defects, such as dot crawl, which commonly occur with composite video. Although it is improved over composite video, S-Video has lower color resolution than component video, which is encoded over three channels. The Atari 800 was the first to introduce separate luma and chrominance outputs in late 1979. However, S-Video was not widely adopted until JVC's introduction of the S-VHS format in 1987. The S-video format was widely adopted in consumer equipment due to its improvements over composite video. However, it was rarely used by professional studios and broadcasters as component YPbPr was superior for signal processing and standard-definition TV was broadcast over NTSC composite signals.