Monster Cable is a name well known to audio and video enthusiasts alike. After supplying cables for other game systems, they were bound to striketh down upon the GameCube. Does the GAMELINK 300 GC S-Video cable live up to Monster’s reputation?
Anybody that knows anything about audio knows about Monster Cable. The audiophile and videophile elite live and die by the quality standards that Monster Cable have lived up to for years. Monster Cable Products, Inc. was founded in 1979 by laser-fusion design engineer Noel Lee. He also just happened to be an audiophile and a drummer.
Lee discovered that wires of different constructions produced varying degrees of audio performance when hooked up to loudspeakers. From this, he developed his own speaker cable, named it Monster Cable, and created an industry unto its own.
Lee chose the name "Monster" for two reasons. It sounded powerful, and the size of the cable was "monsterous" (sic) compared to regular loudspeaker cables. It became an immediate hit with consumers. In fact, the name Monster Cable has even become synonymous with high quality and performance in many circles. Their products have become an indispensable component for many audiophiles, recording studios, musicians, and home theatre buffs. They are now the leading manufacturer of high-performance cables that connect audio/video components for home, car, and professional use as well as computer games and now video games under their “Monster Game” brand.
Monster has released a number of cable products for game consoles in the last couple of years, joining the fray while the time was ripe and the industry was booming. Certainly it was only a matter of time before they would release a line of products for Nintendo’s GameCube. Enter the GAMELINK 300 S-Video cable.
WHAT IS S-VIDEO?
S-Video is a form of connecting video devices, such as VHS, DVD players, and video game systems to monitors and televisions. S-Video is preferred over the standard composite connections that are most commonly used today (the red-yellow-white cables). Even though S-Video is not a new technology, most older televisions don’t support S-Video. However, it is becoming more common with new televisions as manufacturers compete fiercely to spice up their offerings in the face of digital devices like DVD players that demand better visual quality.
S-Video cables send the video signal in separate chrominance (color) and Luminance (brightness) channels to the television. The result is a brighter and sharper picture with richer color. It also cleans up the so-called “dot crawl” effect, which is the flicker often seen along object edges.
While S-Video does not produce video as good as the “gold standard” component video inputs (red-blue-green), it is more widely available, and does easily exceed the picture quality of composite cables that come included with game systems.
THE GAMELINK 300 GC S-VIDEO CABLE
Monster Cable is well known for boasting a lot of patented technology and features in their products. In fact, they were fast to inform us of the following features found in the GAMELINK 300 GC:
Monster claims that this combination of features, of course, adds up to the best S-video signal possible. We don’t mind a little boasting. Fancy patents and buzzwords or not, Monster Cable has a solid reputation and a lot to live up to in this day and age when consumers are demanding better and better performance out of their video and audio equipment, particularly on the heels of DVD players and high definition televisions that enable them to witness these benefits first hand.
However, marketing aside, many of these features, such as the gold connectors, are best utilized for cables that extend a greater distance (10 feet or more) to ensure better signal integrity, as distance can have a negative effect on signal quality. The next best feature Monster sells in their cables is durability. So, how does she stand up?
The GAMELINK 300 GC is a bulky cable spanning a full 10 feet. It’s thicker than regular S-video cables because it also carries audio wiring inside its purple exterior. (Most S-video cables only transmit a video signal). True to Monster Cable’s style, the TV-in connectors are gold plated, a nice perk for a cable of this length. The only way to test video cables is to plug them in and see how the picture looks.
THE TEST
To check things out, the following cables were compared:
The television is a standard definition 20” Toshiba 20AF42 with composite, component, and S-Video inputs, so all video formats are represented. (A very nice TV, by the way, which has a lot of “big screen” features in a 20 inch tube.)
After closely examining several games using each of the cables (Mario Party 4, Star Fox Adventures, Mario Sunshine, and Rogue Leader) the final results were fairly predictable. Nintendo’s composite cables, included with the GameCube, offer the lowest visual quality of the bunch. That is not necessarily a knock at composite cables, as the picture quality is fine if that is all your television will support.
Equally predictable, Nintendo’s component cables offered the best picture out of all of the cables. The Toshiba television, as a standard definition set, doesn’t support progressive scan, so that does not affect the results here. The video quality is still the best of the bunch.
The more interesting story is in the comparison between Nintendo’s own S-Video and the GAMELINK 300 GC, which were both “middle road” offerings. The extras and patents that Monster Cable boasts pay off on this television set – but only by a very slim margin. The differences were almost undistinguishable to the eye, and I was looking very closely to find them. These differences were found along some edges where artifacts and flicker are most prominent. Monster Cable had an ever so slight edge, but to the casual gamer not specifically looking for these flaws, they would never be found.
Having the performance crown over Nintendo’s S-Video cable, new questions arise.
At a full $19 more than Nintendo’s own S-Video cable, and even $5 more than Nintendo’s component cable, is the GAMELINK 300 GC worth the premium price you’re sure to pay? Monster’s offering does have the following going for it:
It should be noted that there was no discernable difference in audio performance when connected to the television's audio-in jacks.
Are these benefits worth more than double the price of Nintendo’s competing cable? For most people, the answer is probably not. If you are a true videophile, chances are you’re going to look for component cables for your component-supported TV, so the GAMELINK 300 GC isn’t for you.
If you’re considering replacing your current S-Video cable with a Monster Cable and don’t have any of the special needs listed above, you should save your money and stick with a Nintendo replacement cable.
If you have a TV with nothing better than an S-Video connection, and you’re looking to replace your composite cable with a new S-Video connection, or you do need a longer or more durable S-video cable, this is your best opportunity to get the best value for your dollar.
Outside of a need for longer or more durable cable, the GAMELINK 300 GC should be reserved for video enthusiasts looking for the VERY best performance they can get out of their televisions, where money takes a backseat to visual excellence.
