How to get Colors from your VCR to PC via s-video
Tired of discovering a b/w world all around you? well, it's time to cut with the past ! claim your colors !
Last Update: 02/05/2006
Before we start over again, a few words on video quality
This needed a section apart: how to get color from VCR s-video to your Pc. I got disappointed the same when i discovered that my VCR too was outputting B/W only... on the s-video cable. Yes, because when i connected the composte cable to my PC color just reappeared..
The trouble are video connector standard: my VCR isn't outputting s-video signal, so it's impossible to get an s-video signal on my Pc-... simply because there is not such a signal. The only working is the composite one.
Although the suggestion from this tutorial will work, i don't encourage to do so: if you have composite cable and connector use them and forget s-video. If composite is not an option and s-video is the only way, before proceeding look theese two picture: the left is s-video hacked connection, the rightone is true composite.


No, i don't like "that" show, it was just the first frame i captured... too lazy to change channel... Did you see those artifact in the left picture?... well... this is what you "could" get from your connection... however you may be more lucky than me, just try, never mind !
How to do it
Apart from instructions, i followed a slight different approac: i made the connectore reversible in any moment, you can apply this method also to the precedent.

Our standard fake "adapter" 
Really easy, no secret: find a way to link 15 and 19 !Now, you may think: all right, i find a small wire, fit like the photo and... well... i did that only for testing, i don't belive that "flying" wires will solve, instead they will short all the other PINs together when they clip off, it's always better to solder.


Left: my favourite palyground :D - Right some jumpers that we will fit outside the connector 

Left: take the external cover, drill 2 holes (here i melted)... - Right: 2 small pieces of wires 
The idea is: take out PIN15, it'slike a tooth... and solder the wire where the existent wires is already fitted 
Closer look 
REMEMBER to lift up that tooh inside te PIN or it will not stay in place. 

Do the same for the other PIN, then put it back 
Put the connector back and make the two wires to pass throug the holes you drilled before, bend at 90° 

Now, put some tin on the jumper, some thin on the wires and join together (sorry, not much pictures, got only 2 hands) 
You shuld came out with something like this 
I just put some isolant scotch to keep things together, some hot glue would do it the same 

Important: check conductivity between the two PINs, they have to be shorted; no other pin should short with them 

This is the final part: using s-video put the blu jumper, if using some other simply remove to switch back to the original 
Happy video capturing !!
Question, info, suggetion, report ? did it worked, burns? fires? B/W again? totally black? ... maybe... COLORS !!!! mail me ! say something, to ask... or just because it is working :)
let me know ! ;)
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