VintageWare > Apple IIGS SCART Cable

About the SCART Connector
The SCART connector was invented as a way to carry video, audio and control signals between two video devices. It's most commonly used to connect a video recorder or DVD player to a TV with a single cable. The SCART connector is standard on most European audio-visual equipment but is almost unknown in the USA. More Info: Wikipedia entry for SCART.

RGB versus Composite Video
The Apple IIGS can connect to a display using a composite video cable, but Apple only intended this to be used for connecting a monochrome monitor. For a colour display the RGB video output was normally used. RGB stands for red, green and blue. This refers to the way the video is sent as seperate colour signals. The SCART connector on a TV allows for one type of connection which is not generally found on non-SCART TVs, and that's an RGB video input.

Benefits for the Apple IIGS
There are two advantages to using an RGB video connection over composite:

• better picture quality since there is no need to convert from RGB to composite video in the computer and back again in the TV
• you can use any colour system TV (PAL, SECAM or NTSC) with your IIGS whereas the computer's composite video only outputs in the NTSC standard

While the picture quality will never be as good as can be achieved with a true computer monitor, I have found that on a cheap 48 cm (20") TV 80-column text is legible and this size screen is great for games.

Cable Construction

Cable: 1.5 metres, shielded
Apple IIGS end: 15-pin D plug with thumb lock-screws
TV end: 21-pin SCART plug

If you want to make your own cable the construction details are also available on my Apple II web site here.

VintageWare > Apple IIGS SCART Cable