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OT: VGA to AV cable (needed for live show)


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I need to out put from a laptop to standard analog AV (Red, White, Yellow RCA) connectors. This is for running a video, pictures and sound out of a laptop into a projector and PA system durring a live show (so it's not completely off topic). Anyone have any idea how I can do this? I've found break out component cables that go from VGA to RBG out (both RCA and BNC). Anyone got some ideas. I'd even make the cables if I had to, as long as I can figure out how. Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

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Oh no, I do not think this is possible grasshopper...

 

VGA is essentially a component video sognal (RGB) and there is no audio on it at all.

 

The VGA would go directly to the computer (VGA in, or broken out to an RGBYC) and audio would be handles seperately off the line output, through a suitable passive DI box or two. You really do want to use the TRANSFORMER isolated passive DI's to eliminate hum and buzz in both the audio and hum bars and noise in the picture. As soon as you add external video, you add another guaranteed path for groundloop noise to develop.

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The standard 3 RCA jacks are:

Yell=Composit Video

Wht= L ch Audio (usualy -10 Db nominal)

Red= R ch Audio (usualy -10 Db nominal)

 

The VGA connector is Video only (although it's seperated up as Red, green, Blue and sync on different pins).

 

Here is a device that should work for you http://www.mittoni.com.au/avermedia-averkey-100-pro-pc-to-tv-converter-p-2285.html

 

There are many devices like this on the market. If you want to look for others the search is for "VGA to Composit Video".

 

Keep in mind that composit video (Video delivered via a single RCA jack) is pretty low resolution so whatever you convert is probably going to be dithered down to a much lower resolution (most desktops are almost unreadable at standard NTSC (composit) resolution). A high res projector that has "component video" video inputs (3 RCA jacks RGB) will do a much better job (you can get convertors for VGA to Component video as well).

 

Hope this helps.

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If your laptop has S-Video out, which many of them do, this should work just fine for you.

 

For audio, just tape this to whatever video cable you're using. Plug one end into your headphone out jack on the laptop, and the other end has the dual RCA jacks.

 

If not, it does get more complicated. It's really tough to find a VGA to Composite cable for some reason, which is what you're looking for.

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Ed -

I'm an IT guy for a public school system in NJ, which means I'm also an "AV setup guy" and amateur sound engineer, on occasion... :p The setup you describe is a common one, at least in the school setting - most laptops nowadays have a video out port that is designed to do exactly what you are looking to do - run it into a projector.

 

But audio is a completely different signal - nothing to do w/the video signal - run that directly to the PA - a cable w/1/8" mini-DIN into the the laptop's headphone output jack, running to RCA's on the other end of it. Plug the RCA's into the mixer directly (CD/Tape/Aux In jacks) or put little 1/4" converter jobbies on them and run into a standard stereo channel... boom! you're all set. :thu:

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If your laptop has S-Video out, which many of them do,
should work just fine for you.


For audio, just tape
to whatever video cable you're using. Plug one end into your headphone out jack on the laptop, and the other end has the dual RCA jacks.


If not, it does get more complicated. It's really tough to find a VGA to Composite cable for some reason, which is what you're looking for.

 

 

We couldn't get the S-Video out to work last time we tested it. This would clearly be the way to go, and we actually could go right in using S-Video (but we'd have to put the laptop else where in the venue, it's a very strange set up). If the laptop's video card has a TV mode feature then we're set and we actually have the right cable. I can't get to my partner's house till tomorrow to test it out, but at least now we have some options. Thanks.

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Ed -

I'm an IT guy for a public school system in NJ, which means I'm also an "AV setup guy" and amateur sound engineer, on occasion...
:p
The setup you describe is a common one, at least in the school setting - most laptops nowadays have a video out port that is designed to do exactly what you are looking to do - run it into a projector.


But audio is a completely different signal - nothing to do w/the video signal - run that directly to the PA - a cable w/1/8" mini-DIN into the the laptop's headphone output jack, running to RCA's on the other end of it. Plug the RCA's into the mixer directly (CD/Tape/Aux In jacks) or put little 1/4" converter jobbies on them and run into a standard stereo channel... boom! you're all set.
:thu:

 

So how do you get the laptops at school to go from VGA to Composite Video? Or do you use S-Video? Someone tried to tell me you can get a USB to Composite Video adapter, but I don't see how that can be with out some sort of conversion somewhere, and a program telling the USB to output video.

 

Maybe you'll know, there's also a way we could use a DATA port with CAT-5. I read something online about using sheilded CAT-5 to run component video to an eithernet type port (not sure the actual name, I think it's RJ45 or something). Anyone know anything about that?

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most laptops nowadays have a video out port that is designed to do exactly what you are looking to do - run it into a projector.

 

 

I agree with this. Of all the laptops and projector setups I've worked with/seen lately, all have had 15 pin d-sub connectors for the video both on the projector itself and the laptop. This should be no more complicated than a VGA cable for video and a Y cable (from the 1/8" output) into DI boxes (or even just 1 DI if you dont need stereo) for audio. Unless you've got an old laptop. It would really help if you told us exactly what connectors you have to work with on the laptop and the projector.

From your original post it looks like you have a composite (yellow RCA) out on the laptop (never seen this on a laptop myself) and component (which might be RGB or YPbPr) input on the projector, but its not clear. Usually theres more than one option for input on the projector end.

 

Steve.

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So how do you get the laptops at school to go from VGA to Composite Video? Or do you use S-Video? Someone tried to tell me you can get a USB to Composite Video adapter, but I don't see how that can be with out some sort of conversion somewhere, and a program telling the USB to output video.

Oh, ok, sorry. You posted while I was posting (guess I'm slow tonight).

 

So you need a composite output from a laptop? Ok, thats a bit of a wierd one.

I did find this however : http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/PC-TV_video_adapter.html

 

Which looks like a neat little tool if you're messing about with AV stuff a lot. You'd have all your bases covered with it anyway. Maybe you can find something cheaper with the power of google :)

 

Good luck

 

Steve.

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I agree with this. Of all the laptops and projector setups I've worked with/seen lately, all have had 15 pin d-sub connectors for the video both on the projector itself and the laptop. This should be no more complicated than a VGA cable for video and a Y cable (from the 1/8" output) into DI boxes (or even just 1 DI if you dont need stereo) for audio. Unless you've got an old laptop. It would really help if you told us exactly what connectors you have to work with on the laptop and the projector.

From your original post it looks like you have a composite (yellow RCA) out on the laptop (never seen this on a laptop myself) and component (which might be RGB or YPbPr) input on the projector, but its not clear. Usually theres more than one option for input on the projector end.


Steve.

 

 

 

The Laptop has VGA out and S-Video out. We couldn't get the S-Video working the other day, but the VGA was working when plugged into an HDTV.

 

The Projector isn't directly accessable. The venue was set up by Clair Bros and when they set up the video access points they made a real mess of it all. At one box by the screen you've got S-Video, DATA (ethernet), BNC and something else I can't remember right now (there might also be a VGA but I'm not sure). Then up by where the FOH mix position is, there's are DATA and BNC jacks only, but we've got a BNC to RCA adapter. In the control room there are S-Video ins, but I didn't see any VGA anywhere. The DATA ports around the venue are available to be patched in somehow, and there are BNC jacks. Now we also would like to be able to control the laptop from FOH and run the audio through our PA system instead of the venue's sound system (the venue's system is behind the screen which will be behind the bands.

 

The venue told us when they've used camcorders they just use the composite video out to the composite video/bnc adapter to the input on the snake box and it works. We're trying to utilize this since we have no idea how the DATA stuff is wired, and we can't get our S-Video to work on the laptop.

 

It's pretty complicated, but if the laptop has a TV out function using the VGA then we're set, otherwise we have to get the S-Video working and get the right adapters.

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It's a PC, and as I said it's not my laptop so I'm not 100% sure what works and what doesn't, we tried the S-Video the other day and couldn't get it working. If I can get more info tomorrow I will and hopefully we can get this thing up and running. Worst case we can put it all on a DVD, but then we lose the ablity of controling it really. We'll have to pre-program the slide shows, the digital banners, and the 2 video commercials. I guess we can worry about that when we've exhausted the other options. Thanks again everyone.

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It's a PC, and as I said it's not my laptop so I'm not 100% sure what works and what doesn't, we tried the S-Video the other day and couldn't get it working.

 

Most laptops have a function key (usually silk-screeend w/blue letters or something) that allows you to send the video "out" of whatever ports it has (VGA, S-video, etc...). I have a Dell Latitude D510 in front of me - on this one, you press the "Fn" key (lower left, betw. the Ctr. & Windows key) and the F8 keys together (F8 also has the ltrs. "CRT/LCD" silk-screened in blue on it). There is an S-Video out on the back of this laptop as well (though I've never used it, just used the VGA out) - so it's got to be accessible somehow.

 

If there's an S-video out on the laptop and that's what you need and the Fn key isn't doing it for you (as described in paragraph above) - call up Dell, HP, Gateway... whoever the mfg. is and see if you can find out how to make that S port work for you - that'd be my next move. :thu:

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Maybe packaging the whole thing on DVD is a better and less technically stressful solution?

 

Suggestion, DVD-R format is more universal, but in case you do not know what you are walking into, record one disc as -R and a backup as +R, do not use dual layer mode and minimal compression, but you might try several compression options. Most DVD players wantto see close to commercial format discs.

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I need to out put from a laptop to standard analog AV (Red, White, Yellow RCA) connectors. This is for running a video, pictures and sound out of a laptop into a projector and PA system durring a live show (so it's not completely off topic). Anyone have any idea how I can do this? I've found break out component cables that go from VGA to RBG out (both RCA and BNC). Anyone got some ideas. I'd even make the cables if I had to, as long as I can figure out how. Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

 

 

 

If all you've got is the VGA output connector, you can use a scan converter to get your composite video outputs.

 

The best solution is to run VGA to the projector if it is possible. Getting off track...It is also preferable, IME, to use a switcher/scaler to handle the input and scaling functions so you are not using the projector to switch inputs, which can be a control nightmare.

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