Component Video

Component video is a video signal containing two or more separate signals (components), as opposed to composite video in which all data is contained in a single signal. There are various types of component video, including:

• RGB (Red, Green, Blue). Uses three components — one for each of the primary colours.
• Colour-difference component (YCbCr, YPbPr or YUV). Also uses three components, but one is used for luminance (brightness) and two are used for chrominance (colour).
• S-Video. Uses two components — one for luminance and one for chrominance.

Component video inputs are available on modern high-end television sets and DVD players, providing a signal quality that is superior to older systems such as RF, composite, etc. If you have the choice between component, s-video, composite and RF, component is the best option.

Despite it's advantages, component video is gradually being overtaken by digital signals and connections such as HDMI.