S-Video to Component cabling

[puzzledbytech]

I recently installed a component cable through the ceiling to a wall plate. I can now connect my DVD player to a (fairly old) Dell video projector and have quite a good quality (and relatively inexpensive) large screen system.

I'd also like to connect the signal from my cable TV box to the projector via the component cable. I'm not expecting miracles with regard to image quality - just want to use the component cable to carry the image from the cable box to the projector.

The cable TV box has an S-video output.

Is there an inexpensive S-video to component cable/adapter that will do the trick or would I need a box to convert the signal at a minimum? I've seen posts here about using a DVD player as switcher/converter but I wondered if the sort of cable I've seen advertised for an Infocus projector (S-video to component cable) would work for my purposes.

Thanks

Mark

[BJ_M]

just get a Cable HD box instead would be the best method ..

to do s-video to component conversion is going to cost you about the same or more

[edDV]

I agree. Get the component cable box.

There is no quality advantage converting S-Video to analog component and the complexity is high. You are essentially decoding NTSC in the converter rather than in the projector.

[jagabo]

S-video to component cables are not for standard 4 pin s-video devices. They are for devices with 7 pin DIN connectors where the extra pins already carry the component video signals, the cable simply converts to RCA connectors. Unless you have one of those devices the cable will be useless.

[edDV]

If your problem is moving S-Video over 3 coax this is easily solved. Send Y on one coax and C on a second.

Here is one that splits S-Video into Y and C with BNC connectors. They probably have one with male or female RCA.

http://store.haveinc.com/Ebus30/Parts/Part.asp?Part=30S418H

[jagabo]

You could also use ethernet CAT5 cabling and a pair of these for up to 1000 feet:

http://www.svideo.com/svaudiobalun17.html

Is it possible you are confusing component and composite?

[BJ_M]

if he does have component - any such 'converter' (s-video to two bnc) or s-video to component will require the use of (not only the cost of the converter) , but also the cost of a switcher - as he only has 3 coax going to the projector ... even with a HD cable box - he would need a switcher or receiver with component switching ....

[BJ_M]

You could also use ethernet CAT5 cabling and a pair of these for up to 1000 feet:

http://www.svideo.com/svaudiobalun17.html

Is it possible you are confusing component and composite?

i use these quite a bit for HD compenent .. "up to a 1000 feet" is not quite true without some reservations ...

old cat5 cable works better than cat5e and both work better than cat6 .... this is due to skew (timing delays in the signal) .. there is also AV rated cat5 made for this purpose by Belden and Liberty (and others I suppose) which is also called "LOW SKEW" Cat5.

[puzzledbytech]

Thanks to everyone who replied.

My posting relates to a purely functional matter: needing to run a signal from cable box to projector. The cabing is 3 wire component, but the box has s-video output. Hence the need for a some sort of converter. (BTW I used the three coax RGB plenum cable from http://www.youravcablestore.com. The whole cable has a small diameter and I needed to hide it under a cover strip running along a beam in the family room).


I thought there wouldn't be an easy solution and it seems the best I can do is to get an HD cable box with component outputs.

I appreciate the help.

Mark

[edDV]

if he does have component - any such 'converter' (s-video to two bnc) or s-video to component will require the use of (not only the cost of the converter) , but also the cost of a switcher - as he only has 3 coax going to the projector ... even with a HD cable box - he would need a switcher or receiver with component switching ....

I was assuming he has S-video in at the projector.

[BJ_M]

oddly enough (or not) , most projectors no longer have svideo

[jgrant83]

If you're happy with the quality and the projector isn't that great then it seems a waste of cash to get an HD box just for that purpose. But I guess if you really don't want to run a long svid cable then there aren't many options that are cheap.

[jagabo]

If the projector has an s-video input you could use your existing component cabling with a pair of s-video "breakout" adaptors:

http://www.avcable.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SVHSB&Category_...=S_VIDEO_CABLE

http://www.hometech.com/techwire/coaxconn.html (near the bottom of the page)

[SingSing]

For regular analog TV, composite video is almost the same as s-video.

You can try a X-10 wireless video sender for $49.00 a set. NO messy wiring.

[puzzledbytech]

Thanks again

Both of the last two suggestions seem practical.

The projector does have an s-video (and composite and DVI) inputs so a pair of break apart adaptors sounds like the answer. I wasn't aware of this possibility.

I was given a wireless transmitter/receiver set and was using it to send the signals from the DVD and cable box to the projector but there seems to be a great deal of interference (my house or the neighborhood?) and the overall picture quality was poor. It didn't even meet my low standards! Apart from a loss of definition and distracting lines on the screen, I couldn't get a good color balance (reds were very washed out) nor could I get the desired contrast (blacks almost disappeared on a white screen). Has anyone seen a wireless setup that gives reasonable quality?

That's why I went for the cabling and what a difference it has made. I'm sure life was easier when we only had one type of coax connector to cope with!

Mark

[edDV]

Thanks again

Both of the last two suggestions seem practical.

The projector does have an s-video (and composite and DVI) inputs so a pair of break apart adaptors sounds like the answer. I wasn't aware of this possibility.

That is what this does, referenced above. Make sure you get the one that splits S-Video into Y and C. Most will sum the outputs to composite which is a step backwards in quality.

http://store.haveinc.com/Ebus30/Parts/Part.asp?Part=30S418H

[puzzledbytech]

Thanks edDV

I understand the difference ('sum the outputs' is a useful phrase!) between the plug adaptors and these breakout adaptors.

I'll have to add a female BNC to male RCA adapter/coupler for each of the wires because my inputs/outputs connectors on the component cable are female RCA plugs.

Do you know if this cable - seen on ebay - would be an effective substitute (described as s-video to component)?
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-S-Video-M-To-Component-3-RCA-F-Adapter-for-INFOCUS_W0QQitemZ32...QQcmdZViewItem


Mark

[jagabo]

I'll have to add a female BNC to male RCA adapter/coupler for each of the wires because my inputs/outputs connectors on the component cable are female RCA plugs.

My second link earlier led to small adaptors (HT720) that go straight from s-video to female RCA. They might be easier to deal with.

Do you know if this cable - seen on ebay - would be an effective substitute (described as s-video to component)?
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-S-Video-M-To-Component-3-RCA-F-Adapter-for-INFOCUS_W0QQitemZ32...QQcmdZViewItem

That does not convert s-video to component video. It's for use on some InFocus projectors that have s-video ports with three extra pins for component video.

[edDV]

Thanks edDV

I understand the difference ('sum the outputs' is a useful phrase!) between the plug adaptors and these breakout adaptors.

I'll have to add a female BNC to male RCA adapter/coupler for each of the wires because my inputs/outputs connectors on the component cable are female RCA plugs.

Do you know if this cable - seen on ebay - would be an effective substitute (described as s-video to component)?
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-S-Video-M-To-Component-3-RCA-F-Adapter-for-INFOCUS_W0QQitemZ32...QQcmdZViewItem


Mark

No That cable has Y on the correct pins but adds pins for PbPr. All cable boxes that I've seen use the 4 pin standard S-Video connector. Only certain display cards have the non-standard multi-pin version.

The other site has one with female connectors. Note this is 4 pin Y/C to separate Y and C female BNC.
http://store.haveinc.com/Ebus30/Parts/Part.asp?Part=30S417H&Material_Code=CURRENT

[puzzledbytech]

I think I've got it!

Thank you

[edDV]

I think I've got it!

Thank you

Also, you can't plug a multi-pin version plug into a 4 pin S-Video connector but you can plug a standard 4 pin S-Video cable into a multi-pin display card connector.

Of course if you rent a HD version cable box, you will have analog component 480i/480p YPbPr connectors that could feed your projector.

[BJ_M]

you could also plug your DVD into the front panel plugs on a HD cable PVR box and then just use the same component to the projector