So the recombination is non-destructive, substance is quite certain about that. I can accept that about the recombination process itself (and I saw no comb filter artefacts on the composite out of either the S9 or X9), but I'm equally certain the difference I saw in their composite outs wasn't just me subjectively seeing what I wanted to! Perhaps what I saw had more to do with other differences in terms of the different signal paths/circuit design between the players.

Though whatever the specific reason for it I'm still thinking that if the player has a bit of a dud composite out then recombining externally to feed to a processors composite input (with superior CF) is worth a try.

My 99 just got back from being fixed. I’ll hook it up both ways on two inputs, I’ll calibrate both of them and the start two copies of the same disc and A/B between them. It’s been a long time since I played around with this sort thing and I can’t quite remember my findings.

The 99 is one of the players where the s-video is special and not just made by the normal Pioneer Y/C guts that happen to be in the player already. R7G, X0, the later stuff with TBCs and whatever. I don’t think this is worth a broke dink on the lower end decks with Y/C outs.

99 has the same comb filter as the X0. The part numbers are off by one letter at the end but it likely is a minor revision. However the low noise signal output greatly effects the 3D comb filter performce. Certain thresholds are applied. One is discerning noise from detail. Noise is recognized as randomly moving low luma pixels. 3D comb filter compares adjescent frames. If the low luma sub pixel signal appears in the same spot each time then it is determined detail. If it floats around it is then random noise. Sometimes small details can have low luma values and floating if there is movement in the picture. This is when the comb filter makes mistakes.

Please let us know. I currently have my 99 running composite directly into my LED TV. I'm looking to get a Panasonic DVD recorder to be able to try out s-video. I haven't used it since I got rid of my rear projection TV about 10 years or so ago.

I tried yesterday to use the S-video out of my LD-X1 on my Lumagen.
I can now say, that yes, for sure, the image is better through Svideo than video out for this player. The image is far sharper, and no more outline fault as does video out.
The bad thing is you have sometimes more rainbow effects than video out.

I'm curious as to how one might discern if the composite out is in fact re-combined from a Y/C separation as opposed to not.

Can this information be looked up via Service Manual schematics?

Other than subjective/anecdotal reports in this thread I don't see any references to documentation to clear up if certain players actually re-combine the signal for the composite out.

As I understand it, if the player has an S-Video output, then it MUST do an internal Y/C separation (duh). Is the opposite true then? Players without S-Video outputs don't internally separate or do they?

I have a CLD-D406. It lacks an S-Video output. Would it be safe to say that the composite out is "pure" and not a re-combination of a previous internal Y/C separation somewhere?

In players that are reported as having a re-combined composite, such as my CLD-D704, is the same comb filter used to separate and also re-combine or are there actually 2 independent filters?

When I got the 704 it looked different than the 406 I was used to. All NR off and Composite out however 704 looks more processed than the 406 (because it is). 406 looks amazing going composite into my Pioneer plasma with 3D comb filter....maybe similar to a CLD-R7G native S-Video out from what I read.

I looked into the X0 service manual. X0 doesn’t recombine. It has a separate path for digital composite all the way from the digital tbc. It’s pretty much as good as it gets.

Nice, love when new info surfaces thanks.