VGA cable good for XGA projecor?

[Silence Seeker]

Greetings,

I recently bought a projector (BenQ PB6200) that has a VGA input (in
addition to an S-video input and the inferior RCA composite input).

I was told by the sales rep that best picture quality (using this
projector) can be achieved by hooking up my DVD player's component
video output (Y-Pb-Pr) to the VGA input using a STRAIGHTWIRE
Media-Link VGA-RCA like this:

http://www.dvdcity.com/video/sw-media-vga-rca.html

So far so good, and given the *existing* hardware that I have, I
understand that while there are probably "more perfect" types of
connections (digital? which I have neither in my projector nor in my
DVD player), the Y-Pb-Pr is better than S-video and certainly better
than the legacy composite RCA.

Now... my problem is that the projector sits actually at the wall
opposite to where the DVD player (and VCR and receiver) is located.
So, I need a 25 feet extension cable. Once again I consulted with the
sales person and he told me that the following cable will solve my
problem:

http://www.extron.com/product/product.asp?id=vgac

I tend to accept what he told me, but then I realized that this cable
is labeled as a *VGA* cable, while I am sending *XGA* signal from the
player to the projector.

My questions is, based on your experience, expertise and/or knowledge:
Will this extron "VGA cable" make a good extension cable for my
system? Or should I look for a 25' extension cable that specifically
says "XGA cable"?

Thanks in advance,
Sam

[BigD]

Hi Sam,

I don't think that this is the right cable for your component connections. I don't know what connectors are on the rear of the BenQ projector but I would have expected the component video input to be three female coloured RCA's labelled 'Y-Pb-Pr'. You will certainly struggle to find the correct component termination for this cable at the player end.

I am familiar with that particular type of cable for use as a RGB cable or in simple terms, as an extension cable from the screen output of your laptop to the RGB input of a data projector for running Power Point presentations.

The VGA / XGA identification is of no consequence and really indicates that the cable is intended for computer data use rather than component video. The type of connectors at each end along with the designation of either Component or RGB for the projector input is crucial.

Should your projector only accept the RGB input I understand that there are convertors out there that go from component to RGB or reverse. Foxtel digital users have to convert from RGB should they wish to use component for example.

For the long component connections to my projector I had a loom made up of three single 75 ohm professional grade coax cables and have BNC > RCA adaptors on each end. This is a far better and more economical solution to buying component cables off the shelf and my cables run 20m with no appreciable loss.

I hope that this makes some sort of sense but the main message is check it out properly before buying this cable - it is most probably the wrong type for your stated application - BenQ owner please correct me if I am wrong.

Good luck with it.

[JamieWilson]

Sam,

The term "VGA" is used to describe any 15 pin analogue monitor cable. It
stands for Video Graphics Array.

You won't find an "XGA" cable or "SVGA" for that matter. These terms are
used only to describe the resolution of the monitor.

Using a good quality VGA cable will work fine. Although not knowing your PJ,
and how the VGA input works in regards to the internal scaler, I would think
that a HTPC running at the PJs native resolution (1024x768) and set up right
would yeild a far better picture than your DVD player.

Regards
Jamie Wilson
"Silence Seeker" <silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:bf93a49a.0410040806.2a672069@posting.google.c om...
> Greetings,
>
> I recently bought a projector (BenQ PB6200) that has a VGA input (in
> addition to an S-video input and the inferior RCA composite input).
>
> I was told by the sales rep that best picture quality (using this
> projector) can be achieved by hooking up my DVD player's component
> video output (Y-Pb-Pr) to the VGA input using a STRAIGHTWIRE
> Media-Link VGA-RCA like this:
>
> http://www.dvdcity.com/video/sw-media-vga-rca.html
>
> So far so good, and given the *existing* hardware that I have, I
> understand that while there are probably "more perfect" types of
> connections (digital? which I have neither in my projector nor in my
> DVD player), the Y-Pb-Pr is better than S-video and certainly better
> than the legacy composite RCA.
>
> Now... my problem is that the projector sits actually at the wall
> opposite to where the DVD player (and VCR and receiver) is located.
> So, I need a 25 feet extension cable. Once again I consulted with the
> sales person and he told me that the following cable will solve my
> problem:
>
> http://www.extron.com/product/product.asp?id=vgac
>
> I tend to accept what he told me, but then I realized that this cable
> is labeled as a *VGA* cable, while I am sending *XGA* signal from the
> player to the projector.
>
> My questions is, based on your experience, expertise and/or knowledge:
> Will this extron "VGA cable" make a good extension cable for my
> system? Or should I look for a 25' extension cable that specifically
> says "XGA cable"?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Sam

[Scratch2k]

Greetings,


I was told by the sales rep that best picture quality (using this
projector) can be achieved by hooking up my DVD player's component
video output (Y-Pb-Pr) to the VGA input using a STRAIGHTWIRE
Media-Link VGA-RCA like this:

http://www.dvdcity.com/video/sw-media-vga-rca.html
Sam

I have a 15m version of this exact cable connected to a PB6100 and it works fine, I suggestion that rather than using a VGA extension (as in your second link) try and source a single cable length in the same configuration as your first link (which would be the cable I have).

I got mine from eBay, here's a link to a 10m version but I'm sure Doug's guys can sort you out with whatever length you need:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32862&item=5723279787&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Failing that, I don't see a reason why the first linked cable plus the secone linked one wouldn't work with your PB6200.

[Heych]

Greetings,

My questions is, based on your experience, expertise and/or knowledge:
Will this extron "VGA cable" make a good extension cable for my
system? Or should I look for a 25' extension cable that specifically
says "XGA cable"?

Thanks in advance,
Sam

VGA cable suits all resolutions, including XGA.

Regarding the BenQ 6200 projector, I am considering purchasing one myself. Can you please post a review once you get it going.

Cheers,

h.

[Silence Seeker]

Heych <Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au> wrote in message news:<Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au>...
> Regarding the BenQ 6200 projector, I am considering purchasing one
> myself. Can you please post a review once you get it going.

Thank you all for your replies. They were very helpful and clarified
some confusions (and some ignorance) I had.

Still, after posting my question I discovered that there is the option
of sending component video over cat5 using Intelix baluns. The specs
of the Intelix solution are remarkable as it boasts bandwidth of
0-60MHz, Insertion Loss of less than 3 dB per pair over the frequency
range and max distance of 250 feet ( ~76 meter) for XGA resolution.

I emailed Extron to see if their extension cable has comparable
specifications, but got no answer (which probably means it doesn't
even come close to the cat5 solution). Do you happen to know anything
about the specs of this kind of cable?

As for your question Heych, I haven't tested my projector thoroughly
yet, but so far I am very happy with my purchase which seems BY FAR
the best bang for the buck.

Here are links to reviews that are much more detailed that anything I
could have written:
http://softwareforhomes.com/HDTV-Home-Theater-DLP-Projector-Review.htm
http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq_pb6100_pb6200.htm
http://www.hometheatermag.com/frontprojectors/904benq

Regards,
Sam

[Rod]

The balun solutions come in two different flavoours - active and
passive. You will find that the active ones go further and have
higher resolution than the passive ones. Magenta Research have one
that will send 1600 x 1200 some 1500 ft. In my experience the passive
Cat 5 solutions will never have the same quality over a given distance
as the RGBHV coax solutions - given that you are using the appropriate
cable. The passive Cat 5 solutions have limited bandwidth. 60MHz is
not very good when it comes to high res signals.
Extron, Altinex and others have varying grades of cable - the
variation is in things such as bandwidth, attenuation, skew etc.
I think that Extron have a paper on cable quality on their web site.
http://www.extron.com/technology/archive.asp?id=cableselect
If I had the choice I would always use a coax solution.

Rod

silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com (Silence Seeker) wrote in message news:<bf93a49a.0410080852.5aa558d3@posting.google.com>...
> Heych <Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au> wrote in message news:<Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au>...
> > Regarding the BenQ 6200 projector, I am considering purchasing one
> > myself. Can you please post a review once you get it going.
>
> Thank you all for your replies. They were very helpful and clarified
> some confusions (and some ignorance) I had.
>
> Still, after posting my question I discovered that there is the option
> of sending component video over cat5 using Intelix baluns. The specs
> of the Intelix solution are remarkable as it boasts bandwidth of
> 0-60MHz, Insertion Loss of less than 3 dB per pair over the frequency
> range and max distance of 250 feet ( ~76 meter) for XGA resolution.
>
> I emailed Extron to see if their extension cable has comparable
> specifications, but got no answer (which probably means it doesn't
> even come close to the cat5 solution). Do you happen to know anything
> about the specs of this kind of cable?
>
> As for your question Heych, I haven't tested my projector thoroughly
> yet, but so far I am very happy with my purchase which seems BY FAR
> the best bang for the buck.
>
> Here are links to reviews that are much more detailed that anything I
> could have written:
> http://softwareforhomes.com/HDTV-Home-Theater-DLP-Projector-Review.htm
> http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq_pb6100_pb6200.htm
> http://www.hometheatermag.com/frontprojectors/904benq
>
> Regards,
> Sam

[Silence Seeker]

Rod, thanks for your reply. I read the link you provided but didn't
understand what are the "type A" and "type B" cables Extron was
referring to. Are they comparing their coax based cables to cat 5
cables? Of course a cable with -2dB loss is better than one with -6dB
(over 100ft) - but which one is which???

Also, you mentioned RGBHV coax solutions, but all I have going out of
my DVD player is component video output (Y-Pb-Pr). Are these
essentially the same?

And last question: Why is 60MHz not very good when it comes to hi res
signals? What is the minimum frequency cutoff for a 1024x768 signal
((Y-Pb-Pr)?

Thanks again!
Sam

rodlg000@yahoo.com (Rod) wrote in message news:<4152aa81.0410100214.f6ee084@posting.google.com>...
> The balun solutions come in two different flavoours - active and
> passive. You will find that the active ones go further and have
> higher resolution than the passive ones. Magenta Research have one
> that will send 1600 x 1200 some 1500 ft. In my experience the passive
> Cat 5 solutions will never have the same quality over a given distance
> as the RGBHV coax solutions - given that you are using the appropriate
> cable. The passive Cat 5 solutions have limited bandwidth. 60MHz is
> not very good when it comes to high res signals.
> Extron, Altinex and others have varying grades of cable - the
> variation is in things such as bandwidth, attenuation, skew etc.
> I think that Extron have a paper on cable quality on their web site.
> http://www.extron.com/technology/archive.asp?id=cableselect
> If I had the choice I would always use a coax solution.
>
> Rod
>
> silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com (Silence Seeker) wrote in message news:<bf93a49a.0410080852.5aa558d3@posting.google.com>...
> > Heych <Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au> wrote in message news:<Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au>...
> > > Regarding the BenQ 6200 projector, I am considering purchasing one
> > > myself. Can you please post a review once you get it going.
> >
> > Thank you all for your replies. They were very helpful and clarified
> > some confusions (and some ignorance) I had.
> >
> > Still, after posting my question I discovered that there is the option
> > of sending component video over cat5 using Intelix baluns. The specs
> > of the Intelix solution are remarkable as it boasts bandwidth of
> > 0-60MHz, Insertion Loss of less than 3 dB per pair over the frequency
> > range and max distance of 250 feet ( ~76 meter) for XGA resolution.
> >
> > I emailed Extron to see if their extension cable has comparable
> > specifications, but got no answer (which probably means it doesn't
> > even come close to the cat5 solution). Do you happen to know anything
> > about the specs of this kind of cable?
> >
> > As for your question Heych, I haven't tested my projector thoroughly
> > yet, but so far I am very happy with my purchase which seems BY FAR
> > the best bang for the buck.
> >
> > Here are links to reviews that are much more detailed that anything I
> > could have written:
> > http://softwareforhomes.com/HDTV-Home-Theater-DLP-Projector-Review.htm
> > http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq_pb6100_pb6200.htm
> > http://www.hometheatermag.com/frontprojectors/904benq
> >
> > Regards,
> > Sam

[Rod]

Sam,

Extron were actually refering to two different grades of RGBHV cable.
RGBHV cable is normally five runs of cable similar to component cable,
but normally capable of higher resolution. As a matter of interest,
Belden cable designed for high resolution signals is sweep tested to
3GHz for compatibility to HD signals. Another information site is
www.belden.com/college>cable training>Technical Papers. There is an
article on video over UTP that I have not yet had time to read. I
spoke with Steve Lampen, the author of this article when he was in
Australia some months ago, and found him very approachable, and his
email address is in the article for followup.
When I was testing some of the Cat 5 solutions some two years ago,
both passive and activer, I found great variability in performance,
and general discussions with various contractors and consultants
would tend to reinforce this. Cable choice is very important if using
a Cat 5 solution, as issues such as skew are critical for RGB
transmission. I strongly suggest you "try before you buy". Note that
a passive RGBHV Cat x balun will also carry component quite happily.

What is your run distance? If your run is under 20 metres (as an
arbitrary limit choice) I would go for a high quality coax unless
there was some other factor, such as difficulty in installing a large
cable. We recently used a Cat 6 solution for switching and
distribution of RGBHV computer screen signals due to the lack of
space. We used the magenta Research products (active baluns and
switchers) that worked exceptionally well. However, each balun end
was about $500.

Rod

silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com (Silence Seeker) wrote in message news:<bf93a49a.0410110614.5957f522@posting.google.com>...
> Rod, thanks for your reply. I read the link you provided but didn't
> understand what are the "type A" and "type B" cables Extron was
> referring to. Are they comparing their coax based cables to cat 5
> cables? Of course a cable with -2dB loss is better than one with -6dB
> (over 100ft) - but which one is which???
>
> Also, you mentioned RGBHV coax solutions, but all I have going out of
> my DVD player is component video output (Y-Pb-Pr). Are these
> essentially the same?
>
> And last question: Why is 60MHz not very good when it comes to hi res
> signals? What is the minimum frequency cutoff for a 1024x768 signal
> ((Y-Pb-Pr)?
>
> Thanks again!
> Sam
>
> rodlg000@yahoo.com (Rod) wrote in message news:<4152aa81.0410100214.f6ee084@posting.google.com>...
> > The balun solutions come in two different flavoours - active and
> > passive. You will find that the active ones go further and have
> > higher resolution than the passive ones. Magenta Research have one
> > that will send 1600 x 1200 some 1500 ft. In my experience the passive
> > Cat 5 solutions will never have the same quality over a given distance
> > as the RGBHV coax solutions - given that you are using the appropriate
> > cable. The passive Cat 5 solutions have limited bandwidth. 60MHz is
> > not very good when it comes to high res signals.
> > Extron, Altinex and others have varying grades of cable - the
> > variation is in things such as bandwidth, attenuation, skew etc.
> > I think that Extron have a paper on cable quality on their web site.
> > http://www.extron.com/technology/archive.asp?id=cableselect
> > If I had the choice I would always use a coax solution.
> >
> > Rod
> >
> > silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com (Silence Seeker) wrote in message news:<bf93a49a.0410080852.5aa558d3@posting.google.com>...
> > > Heych <Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au> wrote in message news:<Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au>...
> > > > Regarding the BenQ 6200 projector, I am considering purchasing one
> > > > myself. Can you please post a review once you get it going.
> > >
> > > Thank you all for your replies. They were very helpful and clarified
> > > some confusions (and some ignorance) I had.
> > >
> > > Still, after posting my question I discovered that there is the option
> > > of sending component video over cat5 using Intelix baluns. The specs
> > > of the Intelix solution are remarkable as it boasts bandwidth of
> > > 0-60MHz, Insertion Loss of less than 3 dB per pair over the frequency
> > > range and max distance of 250 feet ( ~76 meter) for XGA resolution.
> > >
> > > I emailed Extron to see if their extension cable has comparable
> > > specifications, but got no answer (which probably means it doesn't
> > > even come close to the cat5 solution). Do you happen to know anything
> > > about the specs of this kind of cable?
> > >
> > > As for your question Heych, I haven't tested my projector thoroughly
> > > yet, but so far I am very happy with my purchase which seems BY FAR
> > > the best bang for the buck.
> > >
> > > Here are links to reviews that are much more detailed that anything I
> > > could have written:
> > > http://softwareforhomes.com/HDTV-Home-Theater-DLP-Projector-Review.htm
> > > http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq_pb6100_pb6200.htm
> > > http://www.hometheatermag.com/frontprojectors/904benq
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Sam

[Andrew Parris]

Hey Rod
We changed over to using Cat5 runs earlier this year and haven't looked
back. We are in the hire game and the fragility and cost of decent 5 core
coax cable and connectors has always been an issue. We use the Magenta gear
and never bother running VGA or RGBHV over coax for anything over 15m. When
the Cat5 cable gets damaged we throw it away.



"Rod" <rodlg000@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4152aa81.0410111212.5aeaa607@posting.google.c om...
> Sam,
>
> Extron were actually refering to two different grades of RGBHV cable.
> RGBHV cable is normally five runs of cable similar to component cable,
> but normally capable of higher resolution. As a matter of interest,
> Belden cable designed for high resolution signals is sweep tested to
> 3GHz for compatibility to HD signals. Another information site is
> www.belden.com/college>cable training>Technical Papers. There is an
> article on video over UTP that I have not yet had time to read. I
> spoke with Steve Lampen, the author of this article when he was in
> Australia some months ago, and found him very approachable, and his
> email address is in the article for followup.
> When I was testing some of the Cat 5 solutions some two years ago,
> both passive and activer, I found great variability in performance,
> and general discussions with various contractors and consultants
> would tend to reinforce this. Cable choice is very important if using
> a Cat 5 solution, as issues such as skew are critical for RGB
> transmission. I strongly suggest you "try before you buy". Note that
> a passive RGBHV Cat x balun will also carry component quite happily.
>
> What is your run distance? If your run is under 20 metres (as an
> arbitrary limit choice) I would go for a high quality coax unless
> there was some other factor, such as difficulty in installing a large
> cable. We recently used a Cat 6 solution for switching and
> distribution of RGBHV computer screen signals due to the lack of
> space. We used the magenta Research products (active baluns and
> switchers) that worked exceptionally well. However, each balun end
> was about $500.
>
> Rod
>
> silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com (Silence Seeker) wrote in message
news:<bf93a49a.0410110614.5957f522@posting.google.com>...
> > Rod, thanks for your reply. I read the link you provided but didn't
> > understand what are the "type A" and "type B" cables Extron was
> > referring to. Are they comparing their coax based cables to cat 5
> > cables? Of course a cable with -2dB loss is better than one with -6dB
> > (over 100ft) - but which one is which???
> >
> > Also, you mentioned RGBHV coax solutions, but all I have going out of
> > my DVD player is component video output (Y-Pb-Pr). Are these
> > essentially the same?
> >
> > And last question: Why is 60MHz not very good when it comes to hi res
> > signals? What is the minimum frequency cutoff for a 1024x768 signal
> > ((Y-Pb-Pr)?
> >
> > Thanks again!
> > Sam
> >
> > rodlg000@yahoo.com (Rod) wrote in message
news:<4152aa81.0410100214.f6ee084@posting.google.com>...
> > > The balun solutions come in two different flavoours - active and
> > > passive. You will find that the active ones go further and have
> > > higher resolution than the passive ones. Magenta Research have one
> > > that will send 1600 x 1200 some 1500 ft. In my experience the passive
> > > Cat 5 solutions will never have the same quality over a given distance
> > > as the RGBHV coax solutions - given that you are using the appropriate
> > > cable. The passive Cat 5 solutions have limited bandwidth. 60MHz is
> > > not very good when it comes to high res signals.
> > > Extron, Altinex and others have varying grades of cable - the
> > > variation is in things such as bandwidth, attenuation, skew etc.
> > > I think that Extron have a paper on cable quality on their web site.
> > > http://www.extron.com/technology/archive.asp?id=cableselect
> > > If I had the choice I would always use a coax solution.
> > >
> > > Rod
> > >
> > > silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com (Silence Seeker) wrote in message
news:<bf93a49a.0410080852.5aa558d3@posting.google.com>...
> > > > Heych <Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au> wrote in message
news:<Heych.1dmsn1@no-mx.forums.eyo.com.au>...
> > > > > Regarding the BenQ 6200 projector, I am considering purchasing one
> > > > > myself. Can you please post a review once you get it going.
> > > >
> > > > Thank you all for your replies. They were very helpful and clarified
> > > > some confusions (and some ignorance) I had.
> > > >
> > > > Still, after posting my question I discovered that there is the
option
> > > > of sending component video over cat5 using Intelix baluns. The specs
> > > > of the Intelix solution are remarkable as it boasts bandwidth of
> > > > 0-60MHz, Insertion Loss of less than 3 dB per pair over the
frequency
> > > > range and max distance of 250 feet ( ~76 meter) for XGA resolution.
> > > >
> > > > I emailed Extron to see if their extension cable has comparable
> > > > specifications, but got no answer (which probably means it doesn't
> > > > even come close to the cat5 solution). Do you happen to know
anything
> > > > about the specs of this kind of cable?
> > > >
> > > > As for your question Heych, I haven't tested my projector thoroughly
> > > > yet, but so far I am very happy with my purchase which seems BY FAR
> > > > the best bang for the buck.
> > > >
> > > > Here are links to reviews that are much more detailed that anything
I
> > > > could have written:
> > > >
http://softwareforhomes.com/HDTV-Home-Theater-DLP-Projector-Review.htm
> > > > http://www.projectorcentral.com/benq_pb6100_pb6200.htm
> > > > http://www.hometheatermag.com/frontprojectors/904benq
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Sam

[Silence Seeker]

Wow! This is very educating and you seem so knowledgeable. Thanks
again, Rod. It will take me some time to read the article you
mentioned, but I would like to get your learned opinion on this very
narrow choice I have. It is "narrow" because cost is certainly a
factor and given the fact that my run is no more than 50 feet (15.25
meters) spending 2 x $500 on a solution is not in my budget. Therefore
I narrowed down my options to the ones I mentioned in my original
post:

Option 1:
---------
50 feet VGA extension cable (I already have 2 meter VGA-RCA Component
Video Cable). The Extron 26-112-02 seems to be a good candidate for
that. List price is $94, although I saw it at http://tinyurl.com/3t8ga
for $57).

Pro: High quality coax solution, VERY low price.
Con: Difficult to "fish" inside the wall.


Option 2:
---------
50 feet VGA-RCA Component Video Cable, which seems a higher quality
solution since the Y-Pb-Pr coaxes are probalby of higher grade and the
extension connector is saved. A 6 meter STRAIGHTWIRE cable costs
$119... An ALTINEX

Pro: Highest quality coax solution?
Con: Difficult to "fish" inside the wall.
More expensive than Option 1.
Where do I get a 50 feet such cable???


Option 3:
---------
http://www.intelix.com/library/Product_Lit/V3_TechSpecs.pdf
2 Intelix V3 Baluns, plus a 50 feet cat5e cable, plus two short cables
from Baluns (BNC-to-VGA and BNC-to-RCA). I can have this solution for
about $120.

Pro: Much easier to "fish" inside the wall.
Con: Two many connectors.
Lower quality than Option 1???
Is signal quality a factor at all in such a short distance???
==>>> Rod, this is exactly where I stumble. I would have chosen this
solution for ease of installation, but if the signal quality is a
factor even at this relatively short distance (50 feet), I will make
the extra effort and attempt to "fish" the bulky coax through the
wall. What do you say, Rod?


Option 4:
---------
http://www.intelix.com/library/Product_Lit/VGA2_TechSpecs.pdf
2 Intelix VGA2 Baluns, plus a 50 feet cat5e cable, plus the existing
VGA-RCA Component Video Cable.

Pro: Much easier to "fish" inside the wall.
Better quality than Option 3 (less connectors).
Con: Still more connectors than Options 1 and 2.
Lower quality than Option 1???
Is signal quality a factor at all in such a short distance???
VERY expensive (a $300 solution)


Rod, as you can see, I did some "homework" considering reasonable
options for my home system (considered "low end", but I would like to
exploit the maximum I can get from this system - for a reaonable price
of course).

What is your recommendation? If you can also explain why, that would
be super.

Thank you very much!
Sam



rodlg000@yahoo.com (Rod) wrote in message news:<4152aa81.0410111212.5aeaa607@posting.google.com>...
> Sam,
>
> Extron were actually refering to two different grades of RGBHV cable.
> RGBHV cable is normally five runs of cable similar to component cable,
> but normally capable of higher resolution. As a matter of interest,
> Belden cable designed for high resolution signals is sweep tested to
> 3GHz for compatibility to HD signals. Another information site is
> www.belden.com/college>cable training>Technical Papers. There is an
> article on video over UTP that I have not yet had time to read. I
> spoke with Steve Lampen, the author of this article when he was in
> Australia some months ago, and found him very approachable, and his
> email address is in the article for followup.
> When I was testing some of the Cat 5 solutions some two years ago,
> both passive and activer, I found great variability in performance,
> and general discussions with various contractors and consultants
> would tend to reinforce this. Cable choice is very important if using
> a Cat 5 solution, as issues such as skew are critical for RGB
> transmission. I strongly suggest you "try before you buy". Note that
> a passive RGBHV Cat x balun will also carry component quite happily.
>
> What is your run distance? If your run is under 20 metres (as an
> arbitrary limit choice) I would go for a high quality coax unless
> there was some other factor, such as difficulty in installing a large
> cable. We recently used a Cat 6 solution for switching and
> distribution of RGBHV computer screen signals due to the lack of
> space. We used the magenta Research products (active baluns and
> switchers) that worked exceptionally well. However, each balun end
> was about $500.
>
> Rod
>

[Rod]

Considering the run length, and the signal type is only baseband
standard def video, any of the solutions should give you decent video
quality. The specs on the Intellix baluns appears to be OK for what
you need, so if the installation is easier I cannot see any reason not
to use them.
However, read the Belden article and yoou will understand some of the
limitations of the technology.

Rod


silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com (Silence Seeker) wrote in message news:<bf93a49a.0410112215.4b9bd41e@posting.google.com>...
> Wow! This is very educating and you seem so knowledgeable. Thanks
> again, Rod. It will take me some time to read the article you
> mentioned, but I would like to get your learned opinion on this very
> narrow choice I have. It is "narrow" because cost is certainly a
> factor and given the fact that my run is no more than 50 feet (15.25
> meters) spending 2 x $500 on a solution is not in my budget. Therefore
> I narrowed down my options to the ones I mentioned in my original
> post:
>
> Option 1:
> ---------
> 50 feet VGA extension cable (I already have 2 meter VGA-RCA Component
> Video Cable). The Extron 26-112-02 seems to be a good candidate for
> that. List price is $94, although I saw it at http://tinyurl.com/3t8ga
> for $57).
>
> Pro: High quality coax solution, VERY low price.
> Con: Difficult to "fish" inside the wall.
>
>
> Option 2:
> ---------
> 50 feet VGA-RCA Component Video Cable, which seems a higher quality
> solution since the Y-Pb-Pr coaxes are probalby of higher grade and the
> extension connector is saved. A 6 meter STRAIGHTWIRE cable costs
> $119... An ALTINEX
>
> Pro: Highest quality coax solution?
> Con: Difficult to "fish" inside the wall.
> More expensive than Option 1.
> Where do I get a 50 feet such cable???
>
>
> Option 3:
> ---------
> http://www.intelix.com/library/Product_Lit/V3_TechSpecs.pdf
> 2 Intelix V3 Baluns, plus a 50 feet cat5e cable, plus two short cables
> from Baluns (BNC-to-VGA and BNC-to-RCA). I can have this solution for
> about $120.
>
> Pro: Much easier to "fish" inside the wall.
> Con: Two many connectors.
> Lower quality than Option 1???
> Is signal quality a factor at all in such a short distance???
> ==>>> Rod, this is exactly where I stumble. I would have chosen this
> solution for ease of installation, but if the signal quality is a
> factor even at this relatively short distance (50 feet), I will make
> the extra effort and attempt to "fish" the bulky coax through the
> wall. What do you say, Rod?
>
>
> Option 4:
> ---------
> http://www.intelix.com/library/Product_Lit/VGA2_TechSpecs.pdf
> 2 Intelix VGA2 Baluns, plus a 50 feet cat5e cable, plus the existing
> VGA-RCA Component Video Cable.
>
> Pro: Much easier to "fish" inside the wall.
> Better quality than Option 3 (less connectors).
> Con: Still more connectors than Options 1 and 2.
> Lower quality than Option 1???
> Is signal quality a factor at all in such a short distance???
> VERY expensive (a $300 solution)
>
>
> Rod, as you can see, I did some "homework" considering reasonable
> options for my home system (considered "low end", but I would like to
> exploit the maximum I can get from this system - for a reaonable price
> of course).
>
> What is your recommendation? If you can also explain why, that would
> be super.
>
> Thank you very much!
> Sam
>
>
>
> rodlg000@yahoo.com (Rod) wrote in message news:<4152aa81.0410111212.5aeaa607@posting.google.com>...
> > Sam,
> >
> > Extron were actually refering to two different grades of RGBHV cable.
> > RGBHV cable is normally five runs of cable similar to component cable,
> > but normally capable of higher resolution. As a matter of interest,
> > Belden cable designed for high resolution signals is sweep tested to
> > 3GHz for compatibility to HD signals. Another information site is
> > www.belden.com/college>cable training>Technical Papers. There is an
> > article on video over UTP that I have not yet had time to read. I
> > spoke with Steve Lampen, the author of this article when he was in
> > Australia some months ago, and found him very approachable, and his
> > email address is in the article for followup.
> > When I was testing some of the Cat 5 solutions some two years ago,
> > both passive and activer, I found great variability in performance,
> > and general discussions with various contractors and consultants
> > would tend to reinforce this. Cable choice is very important if using
> > a Cat 5 solution, as issues such as skew are critical for RGB
> > transmission. I strongly suggest you "try before you buy". Note that
> > a passive RGBHV Cat x balun will also carry component quite happily.
> >
> > What is your run distance? If your run is under 20 metres (as an
> > arbitrary limit choice) I would go for a high quality coax unless
> > there was some other factor, such as difficulty in installing a large
> > cable. We recently used a Cat 6 solution for switching and
> > distribution of RGBHV computer screen signals due to the lack of
> > space. We used the magenta Research products (active baluns and
> > switchers) that worked exceptionally well. However, each balun end
> > was about $500.
> >
> > Rod
> >

[vrrr]

Have you tried something like this?

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/vgacable.html

It will only cost you about $20. And this should be enough for 10m or so of
CAT6. I made up one today. $1.50 for rca plugs, $6 for 5m CAT6 cable, and $5
for the 15pin HD housing/connector.

I would give this a go before outlaying more $$. Im actually looking for a
projector too and am reading up on them. I was interested in the Benq 6110
DLP which goes on sale early Nov. According to the Benq tech I spoke to the
only addition is a monitor out and someother thing which I forget now. I
asked if brightness/contrast would be different to the 6100 but he said no
(??) Seems like overkill to bringout a new model with only monitor out.

hth


"Silence Seeker" <silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:bf93a49a.0410040806.2a672069@posting.google.c om...
> Greetings,
>
> I recently bought a projector (BenQ PB6200) that has a VGA input (in
> addition to an S-video input and the inferior RCA composite input).
>
> I was told by the sales rep that best picture quality (using this
> projector) can be achieved by hooking up my DVD player's component
> video output (Y-Pb-Pr) to the VGA input using a STRAIGHTWIRE
> Media-Link VGA-RCA like this:
>
> http://www.dvdcity.com/video/sw-media-vga-rca.html
>
> So far so good, and given the *existing* hardware that I have, I
> understand that while there are probably "more perfect" types of
> connections (digital? which I have neither in my projector nor in my
> DVD player), the Y-Pb-Pr is better than S-video and certainly better
> than the legacy composite RCA.
>
> Now... my problem is that the projector sits actually at the wall
> opposite to where the DVD player (and VCR and receiver) is located.
> So, I need a 25 feet extension cable. Once again I consulted with the
> sales person and he told me that the following cable will solve my
> problem:
>
> http://www.extron.com/product/product.asp?id=vgac
>
> I tend to accept what he told me, but then I realized that this cable
> is labeled as a *VGA* cable, while I am sending *XGA* signal from the
> player to the projector.
>
> My questions is, based on your experience, expertise and/or knowledge:
> Will this extron "VGA cable" make a good extension cable for my
> system? Or should I look for a 25' extension cable that specifically
> says "XGA cable"?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Sam

[Silence Seeker]

Excellent idea!!!

In fact, I thought about this several years ago when I tried to
distribute *audio* throughout my house, using cat5e wired inside the
walls.

Alas, the result was catastrophic - mainly due to ground loops. Not
only there was a significant "HUUUMMMMMMMM" in some audio equipment
that "agreed" to work properly - some equipment (like my DENON DRA
325-R receiver) went berserk (played loudly without the ability to
control its volume). Some troubleshooting revealed that there was
several volts difference between the source ground and the destination
ground...

Fortunately, none of the equipment was permanently damaged and I
solved the problem by inserting Intelix audio baluns at each end. Nice
but expensive - ouch!

Now... if distributing *audio* (20Hz-20KHz) is problematic using the
vgacable you mentioned, I can only imagine what it would do to
component video, which is much more demanding (in terms of bandwidth
at least)...

I believe you when you say that it worked for you. However, every
house is different in terms of its grounding problems and you may have
just lucked out (or maybe I am the one with bad luck).

Coming to think of it, this grounding problem can occur with the most
expensive coax cable as well... Which brings me to the conclusion that
in my particular situation the best solution is using baluns over cat
5e/6 (expensive, ouch!).

BTW, here is a link to a nice article about grounding problems:
http://www.smr-home-theatre.org/Ground-Loops

Sam


"vrrr" <alpha@nowhere.com.remove.me> wrote in message news:<4173a79d$1@news.comindico.com.au>...
> Have you tried something like this?
>
> http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/vgacable.html
>
> It will only cost you about $20. And this should be enough for 10m or so of
> CAT6. I made up one today. $1.50 for rca plugs, $6 for 5m CAT6 cable, and $5
> for the 15pin HD housing/connector.
>
> I would give this a go before outlaying more $$. Im actually looking for a
> projector too and am reading up on them. I was interested in the Benq 6110
> DLP which goes on sale early Nov. According to the Benq tech I spoke to the
> only addition is a monitor out and someother thing which I forget now. I
> asked if brightness/contrast would be different to the 6100 but he said no
> (??) Seems like overkill to bringout a new model with only monitor out.
>
> hth
>
>
> "Silence Seeker" <silenceseeker2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:bf93a49a.0410040806.2a672069@posting.google.c om...
> > Greetings,
> >
> > I recently bought a projector (BenQ PB6200) that has a VGA input (in
> > addition to an S-video input and the inferior RCA composite input).
> >
> > I was told by the sales rep that best picture quality (using this
> > projector) can be achieved by hooking up my DVD player's component
> > video output (Y-Pb-Pr) to the VGA input using a STRAIGHTWIRE
> > Media-Link VGA-RCA like this:
> >
> > http://www.dvdcity.com/video/sw-media-vga-rca.html
> >
> > So far so good, and given the *existing* hardware that I have, I
> > understand that while there are probably "more perfect" types of
> > connections (digital? which I have neither in my projector nor in my
> > DVD player), the Y-Pb-Pr is better than S-video and certainly better
> > than the legacy composite RCA.
> >
> > Now... my problem is that the projector sits actually at the wall
> > opposite to where the DVD player (and VCR and receiver) is located.
> > So, I need a 25 feet extension cable. Once again I consulted with the
> > sales person and he told me that the following cable will solve my
> > problem:
> >
> > http://www.extron.com/product/product.asp?id=vgac
> >
> > I tend to accept what he told me, but then I realized that this cable
> > is labeled as a *VGA* cable, while I am sending *XGA* signal from the
> > player to the projector.
> >
> > My questions is, based on your experience, expertise and/or knowledge:
> > Will this extron "VGA cable" make a good extension cable for my
> > system? Or should I look for a 25' extension cable that specifically
> > says "XGA cable"?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Sam