Untangling the Web of PS2 Cables

Stereo AV Cable
Also referred to as a Composite video cable, this is the same cable that you'll find inside the PlayStation 2 box. The reason for this is that it is the most common way that people will connect their consoles to their televisions. The composite signal sends all the video information -- the red, blue and green signals -- mixed together in a single signal. This is the type of signal used by standard NTSC televisions that are found in the United States. The Cable has three jacks -- yellow, white, and red -- with the yellow jack sending the video signal and the white and red jacks taking care of the left and right audio for stereo sound. You won't get the full scope of the graphical quality of PlayStation 2 games because the picture is a bit blurrier and more washed out than it should be. It's definitely a step below S-Video.

If you're not sure if your television set accepts composite video, then check its inputs to see if it looks anything like what you see in the picture above.

RF Adaptor
This cable offers the absolute worst picture quality available and is typically only used when it's the only option because the TV that you're plugging your system into is very old and doesn't have any other means to accept audio and video signals. If this is the cable that you're using to play PlayStation 2 games, then you are not doing them justice and aren't really getting the most out of the system for either playing games or watching DVD movies. If at all possible, upgrade your television to something that was made in the past decade (it can be done for less than $100).

This is what the port looks like on the back of the television that you'll be hooking up an RF Adaptor to. For your sake, let's hope that this is not your only option when playing games for the PlayStation 2.

S-Video Cable
Short for Super-Video, this is one of the higher quality ways to transmit the television signal for your PlayStation 2 to a television. The way S-Video works is that it basically separates the color information (Chrominance) from the brightness (Luminance). By doing this, it reduces things like color bleeding and dot crawl and greatly increases the general clarity and sharpness of the picture. The reason that this is so is that televisions are designed to display separate Luminance (Y) and Chrominance (C) signals. The increase in picture quality that you'll get in PS2 games when you move from composite to S-Video is very noticeable and is well worth spending the extra money to buy the optional cable.

To use an S-Video cable for your PlayStation 2, you'll need a television that has S-Video inputs on it. If you're not sure, consult the television's owner's manual or check and see if you have ports like the one pictured above on your set.

Component AV Cable
Component video is a step above S-Video and is the best picture quality that you can get out of your PlayStation 2 aside from RGB. With component video the video connection between the PlayStation 2 and the television is made through three separate connections for a near perfect picture. Technically speaking, the component video signal is comprised of the luminance (Y) signal and separate chrominance (PR and PB) elements. And because each of the separate signals is handled through their own medium and not through one or two wires, you are given a reference-quality picture with the most precise color representation possible.

Digital Out (Optical)
The Digital Out (Optical) port on the rear of your PlayStation is the port that is used to connect your system digitally to a Dolby Digital or DTS Receiver. You will need to use a Digital Optical Cable (Also referred to a Toslink Digital Audio Cable) to connect your console to your receiver in order to get full Dolby Digital (AC3) or DTS surround sound. Digital is preferred over analog because it has a wider dynamic range, which results in clearer highs and deeper, tighter bass, without the distortion common with analog connections. If your receiver only has a Digital Coaxial input, then you won't be able to connect your PS2 to it. And, be sure to remember to remove the plastic tips from your Toslink cable before you plug it into the back of your receiver or PlayStation 2.

Here's what the Digital Out (Optical) port looks like on your PlayStation 2 (above left) and what the input would likely look like on your Receiver (above right). The port on the receiver that is crossed out is a Digital Coaxial input.

S400 iLink
Also known as FireWire, the iLink port is used as a high speed interface port to connect your PlayStation 2 to other systems or devices to transfer data that requires fast transmission speeds. Transferring data at speeds up to 400 MB/sec, this port is currently used in some PlayStation 2 games for network gameplay. By connecting two PlayStation 2s together with an iLink or FireWire cable, it is possible to play multiplayer games with two copies of the game and two television sets. It is also possible to connect more than two PlayStation 2s together with iLink or FireWire cables if you connect each of them directly to an iLink or FireWire hub.

The possible uses for the iLink port extend beyond just connecting multiple PlayStation 2 consoles together, as it can also allow you to connect your system to other devices with iLink compatibility, including digital video recorders, digital still cameras and handheld organizers. This could make it possible to download information from one of these devices (such as a picture of your face) and have it be used as a texture in a videogame.

In the photograph above, we have two PlayStation 2 consoles hooked up together via their iLink ports with a standard iLink cable. You can also network more than two PlayStation 2s together by connecting them to a separate iLink hub using the same cables and ports.

USB
The PlayStation 2 comes equipped with two USB ports on the front face of the system. Short for Universal Serial Bus, the USB specification allows for up to 127 USB peripheral devices to be used in a single system and transferring at a maximum data rate of 12Mbps. It is used to connect peripherals to your PC and can also be used for networking purposes just like the iLink or FireWire port, although its data rate is much lower.

The most common use for the two USB ports on the PlayStation 2 is currently to connect USB compatible keyboards and mice to it. Pretty much any USB compatible keyboard or mouse that you can use on a PC will work with your PS2, assuming that the game is programmed to support either keyboard or mouse input. Unreal Tournament, for example, will work with USB compatible keyboards and mice and will actually allow for multiple keyboards and mice if you connect them to a USB hub.

The photograph above is an example of a USB keyboard and mouse plugged into the two USB ports of a PlayStation 2. The toe on the bottom half of the picture belongs to Dave Zdyrko and the toe in the upper right hand corner belongs to Sam Bishop.

While Sony has divulged all the details about its HDD and Ethernet adaptor, we do know that the unit will offer users with the ability to store game data, upgrades, and other information onto the hard drive, while also allowing them to use the Ethernet card to connect to the Internet via high-speed services like DSL, Cable, IDSN and other broadband alternatives that use Ethernet connectivity.

This is a picture of what the drive bay looks like on the backside of the PlayStation 2 unit. Do not use this for storing items, drugs, sandwiches or anything else not authorized by Sony Computer Entertainment.

-- Dave Zdyrko