Sony FX1 and PAL Widescreen

[philip b]

I'm not certain I'm in the right forum, but here goes. I have been advised by Keene Electronics that the component output from the Sony FX1 can be feed through one of their converters into the RGB scart socket on my Sony widescreen television. The device is an Aptus 2, I think, which converts component to RGBs. I may be paranoid, but is this the case? I'm an amateur and do not know too much about connections, but I'm worried that since the component output of the FX1 is HDV, will I not experience a conflict with the PAL workings of my TV?

[harlequin]

does the tv have svideo ?
i can't see the advantage of feeding component to rgb , which costs money for the convertere , when you will get a good picture from svideo , as the output will have to be downconverted if you aren't using a hdtv anyway.

Alan etc will no doubt put me right , if i'm wrong.

[Ed Stradling]

As Gary says, I'm pretty sure you won't be able to see the benefit of the HD signal on your standard TV, so there would be no point in going through component.

The best way to view DV pictures on my TV is to feed the DV deck into the DVD recorder via firewire and watch the output on RGB.

[philip b]

Gary

Thanks for getting back so quick. In my naivity, what I thought I could do is output HDV component, pass it through a whizzo device and input into my TV as RGB at the maximum resolution I can get. The TV highlights the limitations of DV. Yes, my TV does have svideo, but that would mean downconverting to DV. Presumably what I thought I might be able to do isn't possible?

[philip b]

Ed

I could do the same, I just thought that way might degrade the picture, going through another Mpeg conversion. Funnily enough, I tend to watch my own DVDs through the s-video input, because it looks sharper than through the RGB input. I have a Philips 890.

[harlequin]

Originally posted by philip b:
Gary

Thanks for getting back so quick. In my naivity, what I thought I could do is output HDV component, pass it through a whizzo device and input into my TV as RGB at the maximum resolution I can get. The TV highlights the limitations of DV. Yes, my TV does have svideo, but that would mean downconverting to DV. Presumably what I thought I might be able to do isn't possible? it would mean downconverting ( by the camera , not on tape ) to sd to view on a sd tv.
You have no real options beyond that if you don't have a HDTV.

The footage captured can still be HD , all that happens is you see a percentage representation on the SD device.

[philip b]

Gary

Looks like I'll have to wait to see my HDV footage in all it's glory, as I don't think I can persuade authorities of the benefits of upgrading a perfectly good TV! Thanks for your help.

Phil

[Alan Roberts]

Hi guys, I've been away for the weekend, only just spotted this.

The FX1/Z1 makes compinent output in analogue, selectable on the same connector. The signal is in the Y' Pb Pr form (you might see it described as YUV). Very many of the big-screen displays around now, and quite a few ordinary sized ones, will accept the input without further conversion (all moderately recent projectors, lcds, plasmas will take it either as SD or HD).

There is no SCART input configuration for component, only for composite, RGB and S-video. Of these, the best route into a display for component signals is RGB, no argument. The reason is that composite PAL has pretty small colour bandwidth, so you'll get poor colour resolution (about 1.5MHz if you're lucky). The component signals should have at least 2.7MHz colour resolution, so colour edges will always look sharper. Not only that, but going into S-video incurs PAL subcarrier modulation, which, when devcoded in the display, can look pretty nasty on diagonal patterning.

If I had a FX1/Z1 and a display with RGB SCART and bo component input, I'd not hesitate to connect via a component-to-RGB box. There will be no filtering in it, only the decoding matrix, so it'll preserve the colour resolution perfectly.

[RayL]

Hi Alan

Several of my CRT computer monitors have an RGB input on BNCs. Would a component-to-RGB box work with these - I'm thinking particularly of my 21" which would give a usefully-large HD display if it worked.

Ray Liffen

[Alan Roberts]

Yes Ray, it'll work. If the input is just RGB, you need to be sure that the box adds syncs to at least G. If there's a separate sync input socket, you need to be sure that the box will supply a separate sync feed. Either way, you'll get picture that are lots better than either composite PAL or s-video.

[RayL]

Thanks, Alan, what excellent news. Large-screen CRT monitors are very cheap these days. They need a bit of room, of course, but are mature technology and have front-panel switching between D-sub and BNC, making them usefully dual-purpose.

Ray Liffen

[Alan Roberts]

My views entirely. If you need help on this, call me, I'm not far away.

[philip b]

Alan

You're not the only one that's been away, so have I. Trouble is, my trip was for business and not enjoyment, as I expect yours was! It is Friday afternoon, and I am pretty dense at the best of times on these issues, but I'm taking that what you are saying is yes to the idea of feeding the FX1 component output throught the Keene Aptus 2 and into the RGB scart on the back of my widescreen. Is that right? If so, yippee, as my trusty Sony TV does show up the limitations of DV.

[philip b]

Alan

My apologies, I've read your posts again, and you are saying what I thought you were. Many thanks, I'll be phoning Keene on Monday to place my order.

[philip b]

Alan, thanks for the advice. I have eventually got round to shooting some footage and playing back through the Keene device to the RGB socket of my Sony TV. The images are all I could hope for on this TV, and look like top end broadcast, although I realise they're not. Certainly better than outputting from the camera and inputting to the TV via the S video route.
One day I'll get an HD ready TV but until then this is as good as it gets!

Phil

[Alan Roberts]

Good lad, well done. You know it makes sense :D