SCART RGB Cable
A generic video cable supporting RGB video and stereo audio, for multiple generation of Nintendo consoles.
Description
This SCART RGB Cable provides improved image quality for a range of Nintendo consoles that use the Multi AV port, a proprietary connector that allowed different types of analogue video cables to be attached. First introduced with the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom, which coincided with the move away from RF outputs, the plug remained in use up until the GameCube. Notably only the PAL version of the GameCube would output a RGB signal.
Despite the cables bundled with consoles usually being composite (yellow video + red/white audio), Nintendo long supported higher‑quality outputs such as s‑video and RGB (RGB SCART in PAL regions). This cable plugs into the Multi AV port on one end and provides an 21-pin SCART connector, which can carry RGB and other video, plus stereo audio. The advantage of RGB is the analogue video is sent at the highest quality across several cables, which removes colour bleeding and dot crawl compared to composite. The result is a substantially sharper image, and it the preferred connection retrospectively for enthusiasts.
SCART was a common connection throughout Europe and had the capacity for composite and full RGB signalling, enabling the highest analogue quality available for the era. Japan had a very similar 21-pin cable, the JP21. SCART and JP21 both supported composite, RGB video, S-Video and YPbPr (component). They look the same however the pin allocations are different for both formats. Nintendo did sell an official RGB cable in Japan earlier on using the JP21 standard.
