Look for RCAx3 to coaxial conversion cable

[come_mon]

Hi,

My friend gave me a workable cable TV channel selector. At his home,
the cable connection was shown as below:

The channel selector accepts coaxial TV aerial cable input and has RCAx3 output only to television.

I use a TV card installed at my PC to view TV programmes.
Unfortunately, my TV card has only one coaxial TV aerial input
available for TV signal (the other being AV In & S-VHS In interface).
I would like to ask does RCA plugx3 to coaxial TV aerial cable exists because I want connect the video / audio output from channel selector
box to my TV card directly (remark: the channel selector box has only
RCA output available for connecting TV set input).

I have asked the shop keepers at a electrical appliance shop near my house but they said they don't have cable supplied.

[SLK001]

I'm sure that that adapter exists somewhere, but it won't work for you. The output of the channel box is BASEBAND VIDEO/AUDIO. This should work with your A/V input of your card (or, plug the RCAs into your AV input jacks).

[Richard_G]

The three RCA plugs will probably be coloured yellow, red and white. Yellow goes to the composite video in on your TV card and the red and white are stereo audio . These need to go to the line in on your soundcard.

You can get an RF modulator to convert from composite and audio to RF signal to go into your TV card. But the TV card then converts back from RF to composite video and audio with a resultant loss in quality.

[Roundabout]

Wal-mart sells such a device, and there are many other places you can find a "RF modulator" (search on Google for more). Here's a link to the Wal-mart one: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2181628&cat=107048&type=19&dept=...%3A3964%3A4537
Richard G is correct, however - you are much better off to hook it to the Audio/Video line input of the PCI card, because the signal will be degraded from being demodulated and remodulated and then demodulated again. Not a good idea if you can avoid it.

[SLK001]

But his card already has an "AV In" port. The output of your channel selector is "AV Out", which should be compatible.

[Roundabout]

slk,
Exactly right, if we are understanding him correctly. But I'm a little confused too, because he says the card in his PC is a TV card, not a video card. Why would he need to receive a TV signal with an outboard tuner, only to remodulate it and send it into another tuner? Doesn't make sense. Maybe his TV card doesn't have composite video input? Maybe not all of them do. But he still wouldn't need to have an outboard tuner. Just connect the coax directly to the tuner card and receive the signal that way. Unless he has a bootleg cable box, and needs to descramble the signal first, that's the only reason I can think of. Need more clarification from the original poster.

[Nelson37]

_mon - You have one composite video and two audio cables from the box. Connect the video to your AV-in, the two audio to your soundcard - you may need a stereo Y-cable. The RF modulator to coax will seriously degrade quality.

[come_mon]

All,

Thanks all for your comments & advice

Roundabout,

Thanks for your link. It's useful. I'll look for it from shops in my city this afternoon.

Sorry I didn't describe my TV card clearly in my first post.

I used KWorld MPEG TV Station /PCI model KW-TV878-DIM with CONEXANT fusion 878A chipset (www.kworld.com.tw).

The card has one coaxial TV aerial input for TV cable (now I use it to feed my house free TV signal from TV antenna socket output in house).

The card has one Audio out port which I connects it to line in port of my creative live 5.1! for outputting sound.

Accodring to installation reference diagram, the card's AV In port can be connected to composite video (video camera) or web camera. The S-VHS In input for connecting VCR. There is also one remote in input w/ remote sense function (I haven't tested it yet).

The channel selector box will be used to decode cable TV signal feed in. The selector has only one RCAx3 output for A/V signal so I need some conversion hardware to feed that signal back into my TV card for viewing at my computer.

Nelson37,

You mean I need to connect the 3 RCA output lines to 2 different cards ? But I already connected audio out of TV card to line in of the sound card (creative live 5.1!). Will your suggested connection cause conflict ? Will other sound card functions be affected as a result ?

[Roundabout]

Because of the configuration of your PCI card, you will need to just unplug the audio cable coming from the TV card going into the Sound card, and use a male RCA > Male Stereo mini plug adaptor to get audio into the sound card from your outboard tuner. Plug the yellow video plug from the outboard tuner into the composite video in of the TV card. That should be all you need to do. You shouldn't need to buy a modulator at all unless you want to. You will degrade the quality of the signal if you use a modulator, without a doubt. If you only want to watch, maybe it's OK, but if you want to record the signal, I don't recommend using the modulator approach. Save your money and just hook it up as I mentioned, and don't even bother with the TV tuner part of the TV card. Just tune all your programs with the outboard tuner.

[come_mon]

One question, I just swapped my bought RCAx3 - RCAx3 cable by one RCAx3 - RCAx2 cable (the 2 audio L/R signal at RCAx3 side bundled into one signal connection at the RCAx2 side) with the shop because my old home TV accepted only one video in & one audio in connection and I wanted the cable can be used for both the TV & my TV card.

Back to the PC TV card case. If I connect TV antenna (coaxial aerial) to the coaxial aerial input of the channel selector box then connect the RCAx3 cable end to A/V output of the channel selector box. Then I left with the RCAx2 end that can be connected to my PC TV card.

That PC TV card, as mentioned, has one coaxial aerial connection to allow direct feed in of A/V signal from TV antenna (that's my current connection without channel selector). However, I found the video output of the RCAx2 cable (male connector) was too thick that it didn't fit into the TV cable input. What's more, how should I treat the audio output of the RCAx2 cable (also male connector) ? Do I need another converter to combine this audio / video signal ? Does such converter exists ?

[come_mon]

Simple illustration diagram for the RCAx3 to RCAx2 cable for reference.


Video ----\ xxxxxxxxxxxx /----- Video
Audio L ---------------------------- Combined Audio
Audio R ----/

^RCAx3 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ^RCAx2

Remark: All male connector, also, those 'x' has no meaning, just to fill-in blanks to allow above draft picture more viewable.

Image similar to attached one but only 2 ends at one side as illustrated above.

[Richard_G]

That PC TV card, as mentioned, has one coaxial aerial connection to allow direct feed in of A/V signal from TV antenna (that's my current connection without channel selector). However, I found the video output of the RCAx2 cable (male connector) was too thick that it didn't fit into the TV cable input.

You don't get an A/V signal from a TV antenna!! You get a radio signal that needs to go into a tuner on your card to turn it into A/V. The RCA video output needs to go into your composite input on your TV card. The audio then goes into your soundcard INSTEAD of the audio cable from your TV card.

[come_mon]

Tried connecting RCAx2 video out from channel selector box to AV In input of TV card (the illustration diagram shown composite video can be fed in via this input), RCAx2 audio out connected to Line In of sound card. Heard some Zi Zi sound. I seemed channel selector box is doing some channel searching work. But wait long time see no video or audio output from the monitor. Need to ask further information from card manufacturer.

Remark: S-VHS In also tried but still no signal found.

[Richard_G]

It sounds like you're getting close. Somewhere in your TV card software will be the ability to select which input you are using. The options will be tuner, composite and S-Video. You need to select the one you want. If you have the aerial coax connected to the TV card, you will obviously need to select Tuner (which, as this is a TV card will almost certainly be the default). If you have your external channel selector box connected to composite input you will need to select that.

You say that the card manufacturers suggest that you use the composite in for camcorder or webcam. Then find out how they suggest you select it when using it for those purposes. Composite video is composite video, it doesn't matter what is generating it.

I'm slightly confused as to what you are hoping to achieve. You said in your initial post that the channel selector box accepts "coaxial TV aerial cable input". So does your TV card. Unless you have some very strange encrypted broadcast system in use that requires a decoder to view it, you won't get any more channels using the box than you get on your TV card.

[overloaded_ide]

If both your box and TV card have S-video, why are you not using that?

Try getting just one thing at a time

That PC TV card, as mentioned, has one coaxial aerial connection to allow direct feed in of A/V signal from TV antenna (that's my current connection without channel selector). However, I found the video output of the RCAx2 cable (male connector) was too thick that it didn't fit into the TV cable input.

You do have RCA jacks for the TV tuner card right?? You have me a bit confused!! ALL RCA jacks are the same size as far as I know! Your NOT reffering to that threaded bolt like thing with a tiny hole about the size of a paper clip are you?? Sometimes RCA jacks can be a tight fit, but they do fit.

Connect the RCA video out from your box to the RCA video in on your pcs TV card. Do you get a picture? You don't need sound at this point, just a picture! If you are configured to TV cable with your TV card like to select channels, you may/probably will have to change that to composite input instead. Composite input does not have channels
Look for the settings for input in your software.

Once you have a picture, then connect sound! One rca jack to the left audio out and to the left audio in, then do the ones for the right audio. You sould now have Stereo sound. Since you have a cable that runs left and right into one jack, check your tuner cards manual to see which side it should be connected to. Probably reffered too as mono input.

If need be plug your tv card back into the line in again on your sound card. If you still don't have sound, then look in your sound/mixer and check to see if line in is turned down or muted or needs to be selected as recording input.
There is a difference in recording settings and volume settings. You need to select line in for recording most likely and have that volume turned up.

Once you have this part working, then if you want to split the signal to the tv too you can.

OR if your tv can connect to the box, maybe the best thing to do is connect the tv and get the box setup on a working channel! Once you know the box is working correctly to the tv, THEN hook it up to the pc. That way you know it is sending out the channel and should be playing, not searching.

[come_mon]

Yes Richard_G, the TV card software has menu option to allow me select video source from antenna, cable, composite & S-video. Antenna is the source now I used to receive TV signal without channel selector box inserted.

For antenna & cable sources, auto channel scan function is allowed and I've tried them. Of course as I said before I couldn't receive any valid video signal from selector box.

For composite & S-video source options, there is no auto channel scan function so I need to depends on the interface between selector box & TV card. Regretfully the attempt also failed to get video signal.

I've sent e-mail to the card manufacturer (KWorld) about this issue but from my pass experience dealing with them, so far I haven't got any positive reply.

About your last query, may be I state it more clearer. Without the selector box, I could use the TV card to view free TV channels feed from building's antenna. With the selector box, I want to feed the paid cable TV signal also to the TV card. That cable TV signal has been encrypted by the cable TV company and need a set top box to decode before viewing allowed.

overloaded_idle,

My selector box has RCAx3 outputs for video & audio signal, I don't know whether it's S-video as you said. Yes my TV card has S-VHS input.

The RCA plug used was similar type shown in previous reply but the coaxial aerial used was similar to below image.



The thickness of the central 'pin' were different, that of the RCA plug is significantly thicker. I've tried to push it to the TV card but not successful and I'm afraid if I force it to be pushed in, it will damage the coaxial aerial plug of the TV card.

As I replied Richard_G before, I have tried feeding the video to every possible plug in my TV card but I still can't get any video signal.

This selector box has been tested functional by my friend who bought it for me and did connect it to a real TV with RCAx3 input (he called it AV channel). He told me that once he selected the 'AV channel' and connected to selector box to this channel, the selector box do the rest channel selection process.

I have also tried connecting the selector box to my TV set via RCA input. Unlike my friend's TV, mine only has RCAx2 input so I use a RCAx3 - RCAx2 cable. After hard trial & error I did able to get back the original free TV channels but not the paid cable TV channel.

Sidetrack:

In some TV model, there is one function button named TV/AV while in others (like mine), no such TV/AV button exists. Instead a function named TV/Video exists which allow selection of signal from cam recorder, etc. I would like to know if the TV/AV button & TV/Video button are functionally the same ? That is, they are just named differently in different TV models ?

[overloaded_ide]

I know all this can be confusing to many people, so I certainly do not want to sound rude or insulting.

I think you might need to read about various connectors and learn what they are and what they do though. Also the various formats of video and types of signals. Also could depend where you are, I am in USA so maybe some things are reffered to differently if your in a different country. Also of course my experiance is with equipment in the USA plugs may be different in other countries also.
You have me confused somewhat on your cables and how your trying to connect them by the terms you use. I don't know if I read what your saying wrong or if your doing something wrong.

First, Composite video is the rca jacks. Only one jack is for video!
Looks like some stereo speaker cables! Actualy you can use Stereo cables because they are the same thing basically. Though picture quality may not be as good, stereo audio cables do work! I have used them!

Cable companies use coxail cable. Normally Black(could be white) with a end that screws onto a little bolt on the back of a TV. Some better cables may have plugs that just push onto the bolt intead of screwing but it still looks like a bolt!
The bolt has a little hole about the size of a paper clip. The cable has a bare thin hard copper wire in the center of the plug. (That is the only type I ever saw a cable companie use, though I never had digital cable, so that might be different)

Those two ARE NOT THE SAME! If you had the TV antena or normal cable company cable connected to that plug, it is NOT the one you connect the composit video RCA plug to. As far as I know, ALL RCA plugs are the same size! I wire up tons of hardware all the time, I never saw but one size!
I think your problem is you cannot fit that plug onto that jack because it DOES NOT belong on it!

The thickness of the central 'pin' were different, that of the RCA plug is significantly thicker. I've tried to push it to the TV card but not successful and I'm afraid if I force it to be pushed in, it will damage the coaxial aerial plug of the TV card.

I think what you reffer to as coaxial aerial plug is what I am reffering to as the Antenna or cable companie cable plug. That's not the composite plug.

Composite video does not have channels! It is one signal and that is all!
If you have any instructions that show how to connect composite video from anything to your card, do that! Camcorder, VCR, DVD player, channel box, it does not matter, composite video is the same.

If you have an option to change channels or search channels when trying to view your video, you are not using composite video as a source! Change your input source in your software to composite.

S-VHS is a tape format not a video conection. S-video is a video cable connection. I think S-video is what you meant, and it IS what I meant.
If you have S-video plugs on both your channel box and your TV card I would use that if I could. Supposedly you get a better quality picture with S-video than composit. Again, if you use S-video you will have to change you software most likely to S-video input and you will not have options to change channels, if you do you have selected the wrong source.

If your building has an antenna, I would connect that back on to the PC TV card. You do not need that connector for anything else, and then you can change your software to TV antenna/cable and get those channels anytime you want! So if your watching one channel on TV with the chanel selector box, you can still tune in the free ones from the antenna on the pc if you want.
Then if you want the cable company channels, just switch your software settings back to composite and you have the channel box again.

As for getting the cable channels on your TV with composite input from the selecter box, look at your remote control and see if it has a button to push to select input! My TV and VCR remotes both have a button labeled input! That is how you can select composite input on the TV from the channel selector box. If you have your TV manual, look to see what composite in is, or just push the input button to change sources. One of them should have a picture. Again, you can just leave your building antenna connected to the tv also since you do not need that conector for anything.

Both My TV and VCR have several inputs to choose from. TV (antenna/cable), input 1, input 2, and I think a third also on the vcr.

It can get confusing because I have a cable conector, front input (composite), Rear input (composite), S-video, and the vcr also has input for a video source that uses sperate colors on 3 cables. I also have a DVD player conected to this!!

Again as I said before, don't worry about the audio till you get a picture!
RCAx3 and RCAx2 is confusing, and you only need RCAx1 to get a picture!
Only one cable is for video, the other one or two is sound and doesn't really matter till you get the video working. Then it should be easy as just pluging them in, if not then get help on the audio once the video works

Also for best sound on the PC you should be using the RCAx3 anyway. Then just connect a Y cable to the tv. One plug goes to the TV audio in, and the other two plugs go to your two audio cable plugs.

Basically what you are doing is running 2 stereo channels into one Mono channel for your tv which is not stereo! So on your PC you will be running one mono connection in and the pc will play it on both speakers, but it will not actually be stereo! For stereo on the PC you need both audio cables, L and R.

If you still need help and post again, try posting a picture showing all the connections on the back of your TV card in the PC! That would help alot more than pics of the cables I think.

One last thing! Of course makes sure you are using the same cable on both ends
I have seen people often hook up the red on one device and the white on the other then wonder why it didn't work. Older stuff was not color coded like the newer stuff is. Make sure you connect the plugs for the same cable on both ends.

If you get it working let us know, if not try posting a picture of your card.

[bottle-necked]

.....?

[come_mon]

Sorry for late update !

Problem finally fixed.

1. The channel selection box doesn't work at my house because I found it cannot choose the channels I expected as I connect a real TV set to it (Konka K1439H1).

2. Use the RCAx3 - RCAx2 cable to connect my Konka TV (RCAx3 end connected) to my MPEG TV card (RCAx2 end). I connect the video signal to AV In input, audio signal to Line In of my sound card. It worked ! I mean the TV A/V signal can be output to my computer screen as I turn on the MPEG TV station software came with the card and choose composite input from software menu instead of antenna. Unfortunately, I loose channel change function as well.

3. Now I use TV set & MPEG TV card when want to view 2 channels simultaneously.