S-video convertors

Hi Cormac,

You can get different types of adapters that send S-video over differnt cables. Like Y/C which will use two BNC connectors, or Cat5 baluns that use standard Cat5 cables. But the signal protocol is the same.

If you want to use a different signal protocol or "type" then you need a piece of gear called a scan converter to change to whatever signal you might need. So an HD camera would need to be "scan converted" down to s-video signal (SDI to S-video). These things are not cheap though!

If you are looking to simply hook up say a DV camera to your S-video input, then a good piece of gear I can recommed is the DAC-100 by DataVideo. This will allow you to use a Firewire device (like a DV cam) to send S-video. It will also allow you to use composite signals as well.

Here's a link:

www.datavideo.us/products/dac_100_main_page.htm

I own one of these myself, and it's really great for most things. Works with both Mac and PC, so you can also use it with Catalyst.

Hope this helps.:)

Cheers Marty,
yes that help's,
I suppose just more equipment that will go on my must have list....

Best C

Try this. A little more expensive but far more options and fantastic quality.

www.focusinfo.com/solutions/catalog.asp?id=9

SDI / YC / CVBS / YUV / IEEE1394
In all directions with every output always active

Thanks Clyde but out of my price range for the moment,
Had a quick look works out about 1750 stg/$2800 us V's about 175stg/$280 us for the datatron range.
Agreed it does a lot more but can't justify the price quite yet as i am purchasing not a supplier or company.:sad:

Thanks all the same.
C

Has anybody seen/got or used a s-video box than can send the s-video signal output and return over one Cat5 cable?
In theory you should be able to send both signal's down one cat5 cable and i have been told some production's have been using this system to reduce the amount of cat5 runs required to preview DL-2 camera's at FOH.
I understand and have the single s-video baluns from muxlab but want to know if anybody has seen or used what I'm talking about...

and while I'm here other than the elc trussmount switch has anyone used or built a tuss mountable switch/hub? the elc version is very expensive for what it is.
www.elclighting.com/products.htm

As always thank's for your time...
Cormac

I have never seen that, but i would guess they just have made a custom cable adapter.. Since cat5 has 4 pairs, and Y/C only needs two pairs, I would guess you can just use the first two pairs for send, and the last two pairs for return.. It will be like a 1xcat5 to 2xS-video..

-There might be some recomandations about which pair to use for what, since the cat 5e cable has some specs when regarding noise and how the cable is twisted that fases out the noise.(I don't know the details, but if i had to guess, i would have have wired it as the cat 5e, siince that also is two pairs for send, and two pairs for receive)

[quote=cormacjack]Has anybody seen/got or used a s-video box than can send the s-video signal output and return over one Cat5 cable?"

www.muxlab.com/products/ve_quad_video_balun.html

This is a 4-signal over single Cat5. That would be a send/return from 2 different DL2's. Is that what you're looking for?

Hi jon,
thanks for you reply.
yes that would might be one way of getting to where i want to get,using the muxlab product i would still have to renconvert the RCA or BnC connector at the DL-2 back into s-video connector,what i want is a box/adaptor that will give me a Cat5/6 input to 2 x svideo(send-return).

Also trying to reduce the amount of turnarounds,convertors etc required as i feel the more your adding to the cable in term of cable etc the higher the chance of getting signal dropout etc,may well be wrong on that.

Thanks Cormac

Cormac...

I didn't look, but I believe they make an S-Video version too in the 4-way. I'll look around some more and see if I can find it. I know I've seen it somewhere.

Jon

Alternative products here:

www.atiguys.com/?fa=products&category=2

I have not seen a 2-way S-video Balun. Only the 4-way BNC ones.

Remember that s-video is simply a dual coax (Y/C), so if you want to run 2 s-video lines that fits very neatly into 4 lines.

Yes you need a balun at either end of the cable, and yes you then need s-video to Y/C adapeters as well, but you will halve the number of cat-5 lines needed to run video in and out of a DL.2

I'll try and work up a diagram and post it a little later tonight:friday: