Here's something I've always wondered and I'm sure you smart folks can figure it out - any idea why Scart either never took off or never emerged here? It's always served me well in Europe when it comes to reliability.
Was it something to do with the differences in the TV systems?
It's only been a few years since the only input you would need for a TV would be from a 3/4 inch vcr. R/G/B/ inputs, even if available from a vcr, is somewhat pointless for what is essentially a 250 line signal off VHS tape.
Remember European systems are 600 line+, rather than 525 NTSC standard; though even a PAL VHS helical scan is never going to give you that kind of resolution.
Another problem may be that the "color under" system used in NTSC VHS does not lend itself to a stable RGB signal. I am also thinking that the composite signal may be more easily handled by the TV, rather than the unstable sync signal from an RGB feed. Most VCRs have been designed for recording directly off-air signals using the internal tuner, rather than either composite or RGB from the TV's demod.
As the Wikipedia article indicated, the scart connector was designed for specialized services available in France.
So, until recently, there just wasn't much point in having anything more complicated to interconnect other equipment with the TV. With DVD. HD, and other ins and outs, it appears that the US/Far EAst standard will be the HDMI cable
The ongoing interface battle continues. There must have been 20 different interface connections that combine Audio, Video and some switching or control for monitors / receivers throughout the last 30 years. Expense, availability and ease of use / modification were some of the big problems.
HDMI seems to be the leader now but has a problem with high cost.
Maybe the cost will come down with time.
