I just need to get serato video from my mac book pro into composite or component or both.

I use one from startech.com. Not sure exactly which model (its installed at the club) but it works perfect.

please show me which one from here:

startech.com.

Its all jiberish to me Pbrdbeberbrbrihho

Yea it's called PRO GEAR!

Look at either www.extron.com or www.kramerelectronics.com don't cheap out on a scaler. Both of these are broadcast quality.

clicked both of your links and typed in Pro Gear. got nothing. is there anyway you or somebody else can link me directly to the product i need. ive been searching sites and seeing what i think in need an choose wrong every time. i have techs at company who make this crap telling me on the phone that what i want doesnt exist. I'm really frustrated with this.

Effin' lazy thick wavie.

www.kramerelectronics.com

www.kramerelectronics.com

Just to let you know, when you scale down from VGA or DVI to composite it looks like ass.

Thanks Dragon.... I wasnt being lazy at all. I see on the second link u sent me has a composite out, but ive been looking at tons of scalers the last two weeks and dont see any component outs. i dont see them on your links either. Am I missing something? Arent component outs supposed to be the three red,green, & blue looking RCA's?

also,

the down scale to composite...is it soo ass looking that i shouldnt even buy it?

I was joking *lol*

Yes component is R G B cables, but computer video has H V (horizontal and vertical sync,) so don't even bother. Let me help you.

Usually you want to scale UP to the best signal quality, not down.

What are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to get you PC video into TV's?

It's sooooo ASS that you will hate yourself for trying.

Thanks again! One of the clubs i dj at has a splitter box in the dj booth that runs all of their hd tvs. The inputs on that box is all component. My macbook pro's video out is DVI or VGA. Last week i did video on their wall with a friends projector. I need to get on their tvs. They dont know shit and neither do i. How can i get into that component input? The place i dj at has a composite splitter running all of their tvs.... from what u say, it wouldnt even be worth getting into the composite splitter.

Is it really a video splitter, or a box that uses Coax cable (RF Modulator box) to each TV then they select a TV channel to show that video on the TV. HDTV is a farce, but that's for another thread.

What would help is if you can get me a a list of the video gear in the booth, brand name or model number. And I can help you guaranteed.

All MacBook Pros are can internally convert to composite/s-video, all you need is the right adapter: store.apple.com

It's only $20 because it's just a wiring adapter, all the work is handled by the graphics card. No other external hardware is required.

As far as component goes, there are adapters like this one: www.gefen.com

Again, also just a wiring adapter, your laptop's graphics card must be able to output component over its DVI-I pins. I was unable to find a clear answer if the MacBook Pros can do that, so you'll have to experiment. Remeber, component video is not just Red Green and Blue over 3 cables, it's actually YPbPr, where Y s the luma, Pb is the difference between blue and luma and Pr is the difference between red and luma, so again, NOT RGB.

JeeZ i cnat believe i slept on this. thank you!!!!!!

I hate to beat a dead horse, but how about DVI to composite from a PC?

I just got a DVI to compnent box also. I think it was around $300

That's absolutely correct - I have one myself. But be warned - the quality is TERRIBLE.

Presumably the internal converters are of a very poor quality. Either that or the small amount of additional analogue signal path introduced by the adapter is poorly shielded or just plain crap.

I have a 3 year old Toshiba laptop that has a built-in s-video output and the picture quality is vastly superior when playing identical files.

I doubt you'll find this option suitable if you have even the slightest concerns about the quality of your video output.

The current MBPs, made after Oct 2008 can not do this. Apple does not make a simple adapter, you will need to use the VGA adapter then a converter box to give you composite or s-video outputs. This will run $50-$80+

I have the current MBP with a vga to a converter box then the composite/svideo/ yellow rca video. It looks like crap.. I want to go from DVI to Composite.. is there a simple cord to do this or will i need to buy a scaler like talked about before?

or i could use this cord and get a hdmi to composite converter
which one would be a better choice???
i.gizmodo.com

DVI -> composite
DVI->HDMI cable -> composite

Both of these equal same quality. The DVI->HDMI cable is full quality, there is no signaling change or translation of the video when going from DVI to HDMI so it's full quality.

okie so i got the old macbook pro(i believe with the dvi)
what do i need ?
somebody send me a link
i was just visiting the apple website and i definately dont have the new one..

im trying to go to s-video. or rca video

i guess im going from dvi to svideo( is what im saying LOL)

go to the apple store and get the DVI to video adapter. it's $20. you can also get it online at the apple store, or Frys, or Bestbuy or macmall.com or just about anywhere. They are not hard to find.

Okay sorry wrong wording i need to have a dvi or vga to COMPONENT. haha i get them always confused. the blue green red cable. is there a cable or will i need a converter box and which will look better

guess you missed my post dawg.

www.markertek.com

the thread is here:

scratchlive.net

by the way, i searched the forums with "hdmi component" and "dvi component" and my thread was right there in both.

my unibody macbook pro will do vga or dvi-D (with the help of the expensive apple adapter). there is an minidisplay port adapter to hdmi coming out in march.

i bought a vga adaptor and then got this box-
www.microcenter.com
and now the club is running the wire for Component video (red blue gree). which this will do just fine. but i feel like the quality isnt there.

Is the only way to run dvi (which is a digital signal, which i think would look better, but i believe Component is analog) is to get the box you suggested?? i wasnt trying to spend $250 if there was a cheaper way to just get a cable or is an converter box necessary for this as well. plus the box u suggested is only a hdmi input and that would require me to wait till march to get the cable from the link.

a DVI to HDMI cable is $10. its the same signal so the cable is cheap.

and that box is VERY reasonably priced for what it does. you could easily spend $500 or more on a quality box. i was kind of worried that the box would not be high enough quality cuz honestly $250 is very cheap for a box like that. however, the quality is outstanding, i can't see even a hint of conversion artifacts and all screens look very sharp in the club.

also the spot pays me more than that for one nights work and i am there many nights a month. making my money back for the box in one night makes it well worthwhile.

ah perfect...

is there a huge quality difference between using vga and dvi?

This exact problem has taken countless hours of my free time. The bar I mainly dj at runs all component. (I run on older Mbook Pro) I'm currently so frustrated trying to find a solution after the 90$ signal converter I bought didn't work, i'm running videos off just one of the three flatscreens with a 40 foot VGA. I'm not about to spend $300+ to run vids and i'm not sure I could suggest the bar do it because i'm the only one who can run videos. Vicious circle

I got a box from AudioAuthority. It does DVI -> Component video. It's pretty awesome - it scales to different resolutions, refresh rates, etc. It cost me I think $250, and it was worth every penny.

c'mon man, one night's pay right? you should be making at least that much, maybe double. step ya game up.

ChrisD --->

I'm also running on a Toshiba laptop. Can you PM me to tell me your specs and how your VSL is setup? Just wondering. I have a newer Toshiba and really need to tweak it.

Attention A-swift or anyone else who is knowledgeable of my situation i'll desribe again below, I will put 20$ into someones paypal account if they can tell me something that makes it work w/o telling me something I already know

I bought the box A-swift recommended and now am running...

MBOOK-Pro (2nd newest generation) ---> DVI to HDMI ----> ExtenHD (HDMI to Component converter) ----> component input (one input linked to 3 flatscreen HD TV's)

We used an ipod with a video to the component input and it played on all 3 tv's. Apple store said i might need a signal amplifier to help push it through to all the tv's meaning the signal is too weak.

I should read above but let me ask a few questions before I do.

What is the distance between your laptop and the nearest TV?
Are you feeding 3 separate signals or are you feeding all 3 TV's in series?

we just had a 3rd party service rewire everything to make one input from the dj booth that connects to all 3 HD's which are as close as 10 feet and as far as 50 feet away.

TV TV TV
I I I
I I I
I I
I
I
(DJ BOOTH; 3 COMPONENT PLUGS 2 RCA)

All i get is a black screen on all the TV's..

OK so you are running series then. That means that IF the TV's have a suitable pass-thru then the longest run you have would be less than 50 feet. More likely 25 feet.

You could have several issues.

1) Shield Effectiveness

Did they lay any of these cables next to power lines?
Were the cables shielded adequately?
Are they all the same length? (this leads to timing issues)
Are you using a 22 AWG center conductor or larger for any run over 20 feet?

All of these should be non-issues since you had a 3rd party company come in, but I wanted to check the obvious first.

well i don't have an answer to those questions, but like I said the ipod videos were running just fine on all the T.V.s right before i set up my TTM57

Well if your iPod was running fine then I doubt you need a signal amp. Waht doe shte signal look like when you are using your 57?

Wow, I need to quit drinking while I am typing lol sorry about that, fat fingers this evening.

There is no signal, when it's on the same mode as the one it was on when the ipod was running, it just comes up black on all the tv screens, when i believe it should show the backround of my laptop on the extended display.

connect the mac up and then restart it. It should "find" the secondary display then

did that, didn't work. It's recognizing the display, it's just not making it to the TV's

i have the other display running 1920 by 1080 60 hz. as recommended

does it matter that it's 256 colors, thousands or millions for the display prefs?

what display resolution do you have your mac set to for the DVI port?

I had another post going... but Ill just stick it in here...you guys are all chomping at the same bit:

"So, this could be gearded to any project.
but for me in this instance its with SSL VSL.

the club I do saturdays has some nice screens/projections.
and I had often bitched about the quality of my videos on them.
figured If was just "my" videos.
but now that I have my conversions down, and I saw my videos on a straight
dvi to dvi connection and saw how amazing they look.
I started snooping around the wiring...

I was baffled.

heres my question.
how much effect does having, for lack of better terms, a "daisy chain" of converters and adapters have on the video quality.
Im sure it has some....

heres what I am runnin

Dvi out > dvi to vga adapter> 2 channel vga switch> vga converter box> cal-rad40-88 unit(not entirely sure Ill double check this week on what it is)
thats 4 devices that I see in the booth alone!

all that crap goin on has to KILL my signal right?

is this standard...or did the "installation" guy just jerry-rig everything.

Brady, what can you take out of the chain and still get to the TV's? Also when you run the iPod are you using the exact same equipment in the chain?

Joshua,

When you did your dvi to dvi connection what were you using for a monitor? The same ones that you are using in the club or something else?

What is killing your signal is probably the VGA converter box AND the fact that you are doing some scaling from your initial video size to the final display size. Also the cable run can effect it and about 100 other things.

my dvi to dvi was at home.
I have a commercial pioneer 50", so it has dvi rather than hdmi
(though I use component for my TV/360)

yes, some of those TVs are over 50ft away.
I know they dropped some serious coin on the system, but looking at the booth
it looks like a rats nest.

lol Booths often do. I had to completely strip my last residency booth and re-wire the entire thing.

DVI to DVI at home is much different than sending out to multiple screens. My guess is that it is a combination of several of the items I mentioned about. A signal booster might work, but if the signal is crap to begin with you are just boosting that crap.

I would start with re-wiring the booth, using commercial grade cabling and go from there.

thanks alot man,...Ill see what I can have them do.
my influence is sadly limited, if theres something on the screen, and something
coming out of the speakers they are content.
which drives me crazy

a-swift- I don't know if the display for the DVI port you're referring to is the same as the extended monitor that comes up when I attach the DVI->HDMI converter, but that is set at 1920 by 1080 60 hz as recommended. The main one I use is 1440 X900.

Justin- I can't remove anything from the chain to reach the tv. And when the IPod is running, I AM NOT using the same equipment. He runs an ipod composite cable directly into the plug that was installed at the dj booth.

related question: extron or kramer? I'm going from VGA to composite

i bought a crappier $100 scan converter and it.... sucks. no auto-image stuff and its constantly bugging up and resetting (plus it doesnt have setting memory so a reset = 5 more minutes of image adjustment)

I'm leaning towards the extron but if someone tells me kramer can do the exact same job for cheaper- i'm there!

Extron they are the standard

Thank You