Cheap S-video splitter?

[sincostan]

I have a capture card that I use to capture video from S-video sources but recently I tried to split the signal so I could have it on my TV and in my video capture software at the same time. (Only seeing it in my capturing software while capturing and unplugging the cable from my TV and into my capture card was getting really annoying.)

So, I bought something like this off of Ebay:



I figured that since coaxial cables could be split with no noticable difference, why should it matter with S-video? Well, apparently, it does matter because what happens is that I lose A LOT of color and brightness on my television (stands to reason, since the luma and chroma signals are getting split in half), but I don't notice a difference in my capturing software. (I guess the capture card or the software automatically adjusts the picture.)

After this failed experiment, I did some research, and "blunt force" S-video splitters are bad news. I'll need something that requires a source of power to keep both outputs from losing too much signal. I found this one...

http://www.vpi.us/vsplt-sv.html

...for $35, the cheapest I could find. (Others were absurdly expensive.)

So, my questions are these:

Does anybody know of where there is a power-driven S-video splitter that is cheaper than this?

If not, is there anything that I should be worried about with this splitter? (It gives the specs on the page.)

I appreciate any advice anybody can give me, and thanks in advance!

[dnix71]

I've bought from Cables2Go and they aren't 'cheap' but the quality was good. If you want no signal degredation this one http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=2402&sku=41064

is powered and $150. You don't seem to want to spend much. They also have a passive splitter (y pigtail) for $18 plus shipping.

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=2009&sku=29164&cm_mmc_o=-p8ByplCjCiIC7R...FTyKOAodjyuLVA

The ones that are "absurdly expensive" are designed to send s video over cat5 100's of feet.

[sincostan]

Thanks for the links. I'd have to say that at $150, I would expect no signal degredation. That site also had a review that said it sent a signal down a 100ft cable without degredation.

However, you are right that I don't want to spend much since all I want to do is split the signal into two 6-ft cables to avoid the annoyances of switching between my TV and capture card and having to watch what I'm capturing in my software. I mean, spending that much just to make things a little more convenient seems kind of extreme.

And I did try a passive splitter, but it made the image on the TV screen look like hell.

So I mean, if I could find something that's not sophisticated (I only want to split the signal into two cables and they're only 6ft long) and not expensive, that would be great.

One thing that I find interesting is that all these things really do is split the signal and amplify it, and yet there so expensive!

Actually, $35 is about as much as I'd like to spend, so if those specs seem OK, I'll go ahead and get it. So if I could get some feedback on that, that would be great, thanks!

[videobread]

Probably nothing but, I my old SVHS days I found that quality cable were essential. I had to buy all Canaire brand cables from Markertek. My Panasonic editing system would not work without them. The picture would show all sorts of noise.