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Author Topic: Tivo and stuff Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2005 05:36 PM                        Thanks Paul I talked to a local manufacturer of a DA and he said the same thing. Learn something everyday It's hard to know what's important in a DA. Some of them are adjustable, some powered others not. I suspect the unpowered ones are just switches. I have a Radio Shack "switch", and the DA guy said it wasn't so bad as each of the outputs are terminated when not in use so there's no impedance mismatch. Does that sound right?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-25-2005 06:02 PM                     Greg, Proper cable loading and impedance matching is key. There is no good way to do a passive distribution system with video. The signal degrades even as it runs along the wire (shorter wires are always better)...when using a passive "splitter" they will try to match impedances to have the sources "see" the 75-Ohm load but it is very dependent....like is the box you turn off no longer a 75-Ohm load? If not...there goes your impedance matching. A DA is indeed the best solution to split a signal into 2 or more copies. The cheapest Extron S-Video DA is a 1-in, 3-out and lists for $190.00 your price will vary (and be lower) but it will be over $100 smackers. Extron 1x3 S DA Kramer generally makes good stuff for the money. They make many little boxes that do nifty things. In the case of S-Video...there is the PT-102S by Kramer that is a 1X2 DA...it goes for a little under $100.00. Kramer 1x2 S DA The switcher part of your scheme isn't as critical so long as it is well made. Passive should work though every connector the signal goes through (including the switch) will have a measurable affect on the signal...odds are you won't notice it with NTSC video.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 02-25-2005 06:04 PM                        Oops, Steve said it better while I was editing this.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-25-2005 06:16 PM                     Looks like I'm still in the same boat from about a year ago when I last started researching this. I am looking for an HD solution (Dish or DirecTV, I don't care) with an HD DVR that has some way to archive on D-VHS tape after the DVR captures it. Right now I can archive all I want in standard definition to any video format, but not in HD thanks to my favorite person's ranting, right?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 02-25-2005 06:34 PM                        And as I'm sure you've read, they are gonna start a certain flag in a few months that supposedly won't let you record any HD content ever. Or at least that's the way it seems. Current or older equipment supposedly ignores this flag. God I hate the entertainment industry. Having recording on SD didn't kill them. Why in the world do they think having recordings on HD will kill them? It just doesn't make any sense. This stubborness just MAKES me want to pirate stuff.  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-25-2005 06:37 PM                        The Panasonic claims to do HD recording. This is where I got mine http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/Product.asp?ProdTypeList=&Sku=PNDMRE95HS It also takes firewire in as well as dig camera cards. And will burn all that stuff to DVD Thanks Steve, I'll have to start reading. The "Y" connector I bought was only $10 so I guess I'll just order a DA. Of those you listed do you have a favorite?  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 02-25-2005 07:28 PM                     Something is wrong with that Panasonic model Generally you get 1 hour of recording per gig. The Panasonic has a 160gig hard drive, yet claims 300 hours! Your recordings are being recompressed and as such it is losing quality. EDIT - Ok I found out that apparently the 300 hours is in "EP" mode, so hopefully it has a setting which doesn't recompress the original stream. Also, whether it can record HD or not (I couldn't find any info on that), burning to DVD kills it. I need a firewire to D-VHS solution.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-26-2005 06:51 AM                     Brad, if you have HD Cable access....Motorola has a line of set-top boxes with HD DVR in them. They output over DVI and HD-Component lines http://broadband.motorola.com/dvr/dct6208.asp There is even a dual tuner version the dct6212 (for recording one thing while watching something else). Steve  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 02-26-2005 06:57 AM                        But that does not allow for archiving.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-26-2005 09:17 AM                     You will still need an HD recorder...Brad was talking about outputting to a D-VHS...this thing will output both DVI and analog Component (analog is not a bad word) As to the DAs...I haven't used enough of different varieties to have a "favorite" yet. Extron tends to have top notch customer support so favor them on the products they offer. Their DAs are as good or better than any. I believe the Kramer product has adjustable gains on Y and C....which is nice, if you have test generator and a scope or waveform monitor to properly calibrate it. Steve  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-26-2005 10:07 AM                        Thanks for the helps Steve, I just bought the Kramer unit http://www.ritzav.com/Online_Store/KRAMER%20STUFF/kramer%20Tools.htm  |  IP: Logged Chase Taylor Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Troy, Alabama, USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 02-26-2005 12:25 PM                        As far as I'm aware of there is no way to record HDTV from a dvr to a D-VHS deck. You can however find a HDTV Tuner that has a fire-wire output on it (sorry don't have any model numbers but if I remember right it was a samsung). Chase Taylor  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 02-26-2005 06:02 PM                        Steve, D-VHS can only record HDTV from its firewire input, thus rendering the entire D-VHS format obsolete.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-27-2005 11:26 AM                     Shows what I know about D-VHS. How dumb. Well, I guess you will just have to get a Panasonic D-5 or perhaps a Sony HDCAM...(of course you will need to convert the signal to HDSDI). Nice news Greg...enjoy.  |  IP: Logged Greg Mueller Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1687 From: Port Gamble, WA Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-06-2005 01:34 PM                        Got and installed the Kramer unit and it works just fine. It's very small, smaller than the power supply that comes with it. It has one in and two outs and is sort of like an active "Y" cable. It has adjustments for the outputs, to bring up levels should you need to. I didn't monkey with it. I did adjust the plasma display to get the best results, bringing up the "Sharpness" and "Picture" until I started to see what looked like little black pin holes in some scenes and then backing off a notch. Now I don't have to turn on the DVR to watch TV, but it is still "in line"  |  IP: Logged

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