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component to vga transcoder problems,horrible picture!Help!
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Posted by: RANSOME

I just got my hd tivo today.I needed to transcode the component signal to vga for my Nec Plasma 50mp1.The picture I ended up with is awful,it looks like there are huge black banding lines all over the screen.
The transcoder is a Keydigital kd-xb,on closer inspection it looks to be for xbox..playstation2.Although it says it will carry a 1081I signal,it's not doing a very good job.
Is it the cheap transcoder or is my plasma display not handling the siganl correctly.Need some help please..

Posted by: Want1394

You will probably get the best help over on the AVS forums; I'd start with either the HD equipment forum or the plasma forum.

Posted by: btwyx

quote:
Originally posted by Want1394
You will probably get the best help over on the AVS forums; I'd start with either the HD equipment forum or the plasma forum.

I asked over there in the Plasma forum, the advice I got was an Audio Authority 9A62, the product of that is horrible as well. I'm not conviced there is a good, cheap transcoder.

Posted by: ChrisW6ATV

The problem with the 'low-cost' component-to-RGB transcoders is that they create the H and V sync signals on separate wires that a VGA/RGBHV display needs, but they do not remove the sync signals from the "Y" (now the "G") signal. Any display that can accept both kinds of signals through the same port will probably think it is still component (and mess the colors up), and many or most other displays will just have video-level problems from the higher voltage of a "G plus sync" signal when it is expecting "G only" (again, messing up the color). There is one transcoder, the Key Digital CTCA3 I think, that does remove the sync on G. It is about $300, though. There is also a 'build-it-yourself transcoder' project being discussed in the AVS Forum HTPC area as well.

Posted by: RANSOME

I just bought the rca transcoder,I will see if that helps.I heard that the KD-CTCA3 is the best of the transcoders,I can get one for about $200,that might be the answer.I just think that the one I tried is more of a toy than solution for home hdtv.

Posted by: btwyx

quote:
Originally posted by ChrisW6ATV
The problem with the 'low-cost' component-to-RGB transcoders is that they create the H and V sync signals on separate wires that a VGA/RGBHV display needs, but they do not remove the sync signals from the "Y" (now the "G")

My panel does has selectable Sync, on Green or HV, it doesn't see any sync on green from the 9a62. If it did it might work a whole lot better.

Posted by: aos

The Key Digital KD-CTCA3 is very good. I'm using one, and the quality is fantastic. I don't know if $200-250 is what you call "cheap", but I think it's money well spent.

I got mine from copperbox.com, and they were very quick and helpful.

-andrew

Posted by: btwyx

quote:
Originally posted by aos
The Key Digital KD-CTCA3 is very good.

Does it do 480i? Its not clear on the copperbox web site.

Posted by: herdfan

quote:
Originally posted by RANSOME
I just bought the rca transcoder,I will see if that helps.

What is the model number of what you bought. I don't know of RCA making a transcoder. If you got a VHCD300, it won't work. It is meant to take a VGA signal and convert it to component, not the other way around.

Posted by: aos

quote:
Originally posted by btwyx
Does [the KD-CTCA3] do 480i? Its not clear on the copperbox web site.

Yes, it does. I can't speak for quality, because the only time I've ever looked at its 480i output, it's been on my CRT projector which has never had 480i converged, so it's a flickery multi-color mess, but on something more suited for showing 480i, I imagine it would look fine.

-andrew

Posted by: RANSOME

I just found a DVI switcher from gefan (with ir remote and discreet codes) for $211.This will actually be a much better solution to my problem.Now I can run both my Bravo d1 and the HD TiVo on the same cable and let my Harmony remote switch everything for me seamlessly.I won't have to settle.

Posted by: dyanni

Ok - keep in mind these are shots taken from a digital camera pointed at my CRT monitor at 1080i. They are not a great quality photo - but they do show how well the KDS box manages transcoding the component signal to vga. The soft focus, herringbone pattern are all caused by the way I took the photo. In person, the quality of the image is just awesome.

http://www.myvx.com/images/sample.jpg
http://www.myvx.com/images/sample2.jpg
http://www.myvx.com/images/sample3.jpg

Posted by: leftcoastdave

Long story follows -

Prior to acquiring my hd10-250, I had an RCA DTC100 connected to the Video 3 port of my Pioneer Elite 620HD via a 15 pin VGA/RGB connector. The picture was fabulous. I later installed an Expressvu 6000 which could be connected to the Pioneer either by component or VGA. It too delivered a superb picture.

Since I thought it would be simpler to operate, I connected both the DTC100 and the BEV 6000 to a Kramer VP211 VGA switcher which in turn was connected to the VGA port on the Pioneer. I experimented with both component and VGA output on the 6000 and saw little difference so for the convenience mentioned above, I used them both in VGA mode.

I then programmed my universal remote to switch between the two with a pair of macros that effectively toggled the video output on the DTC 100 and I simultaneously switched the optical audio on my Pioneer VSX-09TX using a brand X optical switcher. The pictures from each HD receiver were virtually identical and required no adjustment in the Pioneer's contrast, color levels, or black levels as I switched between them.

When I got the HD 10-250, I knew I would have to connect the unit to the Pioneer via one of the two component video inputs because there is no VGA option. When I did this, to my horror, the PQ went in the tank as the black levels were too low and the contrast was too high compared to the picture I previously had on Video 1.

Initially I thought this might be due to the cheap component cable included in the box, but by replacing it with a Monster 2 HDTV cable and another component cable I had at the house, I decided it was not the cable, but it was just the nature of the output signal coming from the 10-250 device (maybe).

By tampering with the black levels and contrast on the Pioneer, I was able to get a pretty good picture. One that was close to what I had been seeing on the DTC100 and what I still see on the BEV 6000.

The problem is I have to share the video 1 port with another device and the video settings to get the HD Tivo picture to its best levels are different than the ones for the shared device. I find it sort of annoying to have to go in and reset the user settings each time I switch between the HD Tivo and ReplayTV, but that is the only choice I have if I want to share the video 1 port.

I tell you this because I think I might be in the market for the Component to VGA transcoder you guys are talking about - which I think is this one: http://store.yahoo.com/hometheaterw...dikdopbox2.html

My question to you is once the transcoder is in place, do you folks believe the resultant signal will be sufficiently high and clean enough so that I can go back to VGA switching as I did before Mr. HD Tivo came into my life? Or will I end up facing the same settings problem when I switch between the HD Tivo and the BEV 6000?

Any of your thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Dave