S-Video/RCA to VGA

[PowerGod]

I'm trying to find if its possible to convert S-Video/RCA to VGA (cause I have only monitors in my house), and I found different adapters but with VERY different prices... (from 5€ to 300€)


I know nothing about video signals conversion, but I read that this kind of conversion is particularly difficult, and require different components.


Why is sometimes is specified "... to VGA LCD" ? My monitors are all VGA "Cathodic tube", can them require a special adapter, different from the LCD one ?


Does anyone tried it ?


I'm even interested on a multi adapter FROM/TO all type of signals (scart,rca,hdmi,dvi,svideo,vga) if anyone know some good product with a decent price.

 

[peelie]

have you seen this thread http://boards.openpandora.org/index.php?/topic/805-usb-to-vga/?


there is some info on video to vga later in thread

 

[PowerGod]

have you seen this thread http://boards.openpa...05-usb-to-vga/?


there is some info on video to vga later in thread

Yes, I read the thread before, but there are not so many info about how good theese products are... I've found on internet so many different thinking about this type of adapters... and seems that some aren't able to manage widescreen and automatically stretch the images without options, but it is not specified on the box...

 

[WizardStan]

The cheap svideo->vga adapters are most definitely specific for laptops or certain video cards. They aren't really S-Video, they're some kind of S-Video plus: the 4 standard S-Video pins, plus three additional pins that already output the VGA signal. The "adapter" just uses those extra pins. It doesn't actually do any magic conversion and you'll be disappointed if you try.

 

[PowerGod]

Is it counterproductive to use ap USB Hauppauge TV tuner in your case? The better dongles have S-Vid. input. and are relatively inexpensive. I think those take the signal as-is, any upconversion or whatever's done by the graphics card/processor.

If I undestand correctly this thing need at least a (recent) PC connected to the monitor, but I was hoping to use stand-alone monitors... anyway I have only VERY OLD PCs without USB ports

 

[TrashyMG]

Something like this? this directly converts SVideo / Composite to a VGA source.


- StarTech.com Composite and S-Video to VGA Video Converter for Computer Monitors Video converter


More expensive but supports Component Output.. looks more solid.


- Atlona AT-AVS100 Composite+S-Video to Component or VGA Scaler/Converter

 

[WizardStan]

S-Video to Component is very simple, and theoretically cheap. The parts can be acquired for about $10 if you're handy with a soldering iron. 480i signal only, of course, the same as S-Video. What I'd like is an S-Video to HDMI/DVI for the cheap. Pretty sure that'll never happen.

 

[Neelix]

Do you mean S-video to Composite?


If you have a such a simple S-Video to Component solution I'd really like to see it.


- Neelix

 

[WizardStan]

Theoretically this is the key component you need, or most any chroma demodulator should work; they can be had for between 5 and 20 dollars, typically. I forget exactly what the circuit is supposed to look like, unfortunately, but the rest is basically just power and properly connecting lines where they need to go. I've got one of these that I always intended to use but lazy.

 

[TrashyMG]

Theoretically this is the key component you need, or most any chroma demodulator should work; they can be had for between 5 and 20 dollars, typically. I forget exactly what the circuit is supposed to look like, unfortunately, but the rest is basically just power and properly connecting lines where they need to go. I've got one of these that I always intended to use but lazy.

Interesting, I'd prob build one for myself.. but my electronics workbench is also being ignored by my laziness..

 

[PowerGod]

Something like this? this directly converts SVideo / Composite to a VGA source.


- StarTech.com Composite and S-Video to VGA Video Converter for Computer Monitors Video converter


More expensive but supports Component Output.. looks more solid.


- Atlona AT-AVS100 Composite+S-Video to Component or VGA Scaler/Converter

yes, theese seems exactly what I need, but one thing I don't understant is why they put even Line-in - Spk-out sound in a "video" converter... considering that the sound doesn't have to be converted :huh:


EDIT: mmm startech have a very large choice of similar products, even with the video-in only ^_^

 

[StreaK]

i wonder if its a possibility to produce OP to VGA cable [i saw something similar in that matter on CPASJUSTE's auction few weeks ago (OP developer's edition or sth..)].


Personally i would rather buy a OP to VGA cable than OP to TV [since all my TV's / Monitors have VGA extension]

 

[PowerGod]

One last question, if I use the converter for the Pandora only, do I need resolutions like SXGA or UXGA ? Or the max useful output is XGA ?


I mean, if for some reason I will use a more recent HD monitor for the Pandora output, does something change using UXGA instead of XGA ?

Personally i would rather buy a OP to VGA cable than OP to TV [since all my TV's / Monitors have VGA extension]

I would buy it too... this converters seems sooo large...

 

[TrashyMG]

One last question, if I use the converter for the Pandora only, do I need resolutions like SXGA or UXGA ? Or the max useful output is XGA ?


I mean, if for some reason I will use a more recent HD monitor for the Pandora output, does something change using UXGA instead of XGA ?

Personally i would rather buy a OP to VGA cable than OP to TV [since all my TV's / Monitors have VGA extension]

I would buy it too... this converters seems sooo large...

Well I don't remember every resolution for the XXGA naming scheme.. I like dimensions not arbitrary names. But honestly XGA (800x600) is still better than svideo can output, PAL output can almost match VGA resolutions (640x480).. Also just a reminder these converters will never provide better quality than the original source video even if they do let you scale up to higher resolutions..

 

[PowerGod]

One last question, if I use the converter for the Pandora only, do I need resolutions like SXGA or UXGA ? Or the max useful output is XGA ?


I mean, if for some reason I will use a more recent HD monitor for the Pandora output, does something change using UXGA instead of XGA ?

Personally i would rather buy a OP to VGA cable than OP to TV [since all my TV's / Monitors have VGA extension]

I would buy it too... this converters seems sooo large...

Well I don't remember every resolution for the XXGA naming scheme.. I like dimensions not arbitrary names. But honestly XGA (800x600) is still better than svideo can output, PAL output can almost match VGA resolutions (640x480).. Also just a reminder these converters will never provide better quality than the original source video even if they do let you scale up to higher resolutions..

I used that naming scheme cause I've seen them in the output selector here http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FY4OQ8/ref=asc_df_B004FY4OQ81843970?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B004FY4OQ8

 

[Nardella]

[name] [width] [height]


vga 640 480


wvga 800 480


svga 800 600


xga 1024 768


The Pandoras screen is wvga 800 480.


An S-Video cable can carry up to xga 1024 768.


The Pandora currently can only clone its wvga 800 480 screen onto S-Video.


AIUI the Pandora may eventually be able to output xga 1024 768 over S-Video.


[edit] I was unable to to find a quote regarding this and have thus changed my statement.

 

[TrashyMG]

[name] [width] [height]


vga 640 480


wvga 800 480


svga 800 600


xga 1024 768


The Pandoras screen is wvga 800 480.


An S-Video cable can carry up to xga 1024 768.


The Pandora currently can only clone its wvga 800 480 screen onto S-Video.


AIUI the Pandora will eventually be able to output xga 1024 768 over S-Video.

Can you quote your sources that say the Pandora can handle S-Video output up to 1024x768? Also there wouldn't be many Televisions, monitors that would support that directly from Svideo out if that was true..

 

[Nardella]

Can you quote your sources that say the Pandora can handle S-Video output up to 1024x768? Also there wouldn't be many Televisions, monitors that would support that directly from Svideo out if that was true..

I don't have a quote at this time, I will take a look.


Any HDTV with S-Video input should be able to support XGA over S-Video.


[Edit] I was unable to find any information regarding the pandora supporting external resolutions greater than WVGA over s video

 

[Nardella]

Ah look at that, found some quotes.

TV out is actually its own frame buffer: while the default is to simply clone the screen, it is entirely possible to have it output an entirely different display.

The TV Out is a full secondary graphics output, so it can run independent from anything on the LCD (at the moment we only clone it though).


So yes, you can change the resolution - but as it's an S-Video Output, you can't go higher than PAL / NTSC.

 

[Caine]

The maximum PAL size is 720x574, NTSC is only 720x482.


At least, that's what Notaz told me when I wrote the TV-out config tool.