S-Video to RCA Chroma, Luma Cable

This may seem like a somewhat obscure and certainly not very exciting post, but I want it to get into the search engines. One of the nicer non-RGB monitors ever made is the Commodore 1702, released in the early 80s. As expected, it accepts composite input, but it goes well beyond by accepting separate modulated chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness) video inputs over two RCA style inputs. These separate signals provide a much higher fidelity image than a single composite signal, so much so that years later this method of input was given a more convenient, single 4-pin mini-DIN connector and christened S-Video. You’re probably using it in your entertainment center.

So this makes the 1702 a great screen for game systems and other devices that output S-Video, right? You just need a converter cable. Aye, there’s the rub. This is not exactly a standard cable. Sadly, most 1702s and the few other oldschool CRTs that have this dual RCA input scheme lie languishing in attics, closets, or worse. Over the years I’ve fruitlessly searched for such a cable, only to come up empty handed. And while I’ve some rather minor skill with a soldering iron, I was not looking to make my own.

Well, I’m happy to report, I’ve finally found a source for such a cable. Cables N Mor, locted in North Carolina, sells a line of S-Video RCA adapters. I’ve got several on the way, right now. Hopefully anyone out there searching for this elusive cable will find this post.

I will actually be using this cable not with my Commodore 1702, which is dedicated to my C64 setup, but with a Teknika MJ-10 (seen here and here) which features composite as well as chroma, luma inputs and can be read about in this excerpt from the September 1985 issue of Creative Computing magazine. A very nice screen. (I lead off with mention of the 1702 as it is the most well known of the chroma, luma input CRTs.)