BNC to VGA

iamgenius

Senior member
Jun 6, 2008
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Don't know if this really goes here but we have a video receiver unit that has external video port and its type is BNC. Its screen is small and we want to hook it up to a a larger screen. So what do you use for this? A BNC to VGA/DVI/HDMI cable will do the trick or does it have to be a converter? like in here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_ANpTJBKVI


http://www.supplierlist.com/photo_images/115911/BNC_Video_to_VGA_converter.jpg

or something like this will do:

http://www.securitycamerasearch.com/...-converter.jpg

http://ded.zenblue.net/FW900/Python_BNC.jpg


It has to be a converter I think...........I'm not sure.
 
Last edited:

JAG87

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
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If you want VGA as your output, the cable will do great. I have one, it works.

You can't go to DVI/HDMI from analog BNC without A/D conversion.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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How many BNC connections are on the device?

Do you have a link to the actual unit?
 

iamgenius

Senior member
Jun 6, 2008
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Touche', I forgot to ask if his output is composite or component :p

It is a single BNC connector. So that means it is a composite, right? Can you please explain to me the difference between composite and component?

I don't have a link to the device but I'll try to post a pic of it. The problem is that the unit is not with me. So I'll make my guys take a shot of it.

If I remember what they told me correctly, EXT video is written next to the BNC connector.


Thanks for the help.
 

Patranus

Diamond Member
Apr 15, 2007
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It is a single BNC connector. So that means it is a composite, right? Can you please explain to me the difference between composite and component?

I don't have a link to the device but I'll try to post a pic of it. The problem is that the unit is not with me. So I'll make my guys take a shot of it.

If I remember what they told me correctly, EXT video is written next to the BNC connector.


Thanks for the help.

There is really no way of knowing unless you look in the tech specs.

It sounds like it is composite (yellow RCA connector) if there is only one BNC jack. Could also be something proprietary.

If it is composite you can always just get one of these...
bnc-rca.jpg
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
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Also important is what type of inputs your larger screen has. Is it VGA only?

If the EXT video is indeed composite video out with a BNC connection, an adapter like Patranus linked to, a regular RCA-ended M/M Composite video cable, and a cheapo TV with composite input would do the trick.

If your proposed monitor is VGA only, it might be cheaper to just find a cheap TV off craigslist instead of using a converter box.
 

iamgenius

Senior member
Jun 6, 2008
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Also important is what type of inputs your larger screen has. Is it VGA only?

If the EXT video is indeed composite video out with a BNC connection, an adapter like Patranus linked to, a regular RCA-ended M/M Composite video cable, and a cheapo TV with composite input would do the trick.

If your proposed monitor is VGA only, it might be cheaper to just find a cheap TV off craigslist instead of using a converter box.

Let's say it has VGA, but it could have some other input formats. I'm sure it has. I'll try to find out from them.

I understand your first part.............but how do I know if it is composite?

As for this part:


>>>If your proposed monitor is VGA only, it might be cheaper to just find a cheap TV off craigslist instead of using a converter box.

I don't really get it. Why converter box if I can use the method in your first part?

I'll try to get in touch with my colleagues to get more info for you.


Thanks everybody for all the help.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
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I don't know much about CC video systems. I assume a single BNC connection means composite video out.

The connector type does not guarantee this though. For example, I believe a single BNC connection is also used for SDI video output. I'm not saying that I suspect it's and SDI video output (that would be really weird), but before you proceed further, it would be a good idea to confirm that the BNC output is sending a composite video signal. I'll assume it is.

Composite video is a standard signal type for TVs, VCRs, Gaming systems, etc.

Computer monitors usually cannot accept a composite video signal. Some monitors have this capability built in, but it's not typical.

If your display has a composite video in, then you're almost ready to go. You just need to convert the BNC connection to an RCA connection.

If your display is a typical computer display, it will not accept composite video. You'd need a converter box to accomplish this. I don't know what the cheapest one out there is, but expect to pay maybe $30?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10114&cs_id=1011407&p_id=4722&seq=1&format=2

So, VGA only on your display means you're out $30 or so for the converter box.

On the other hand, instead of buying a converter box, you might be able to find a cheaper TV off craigslist. If you have room for a CRT, people are practically giving them away. If you can find a cheap CRT TV with a composite video input, you would not need a $30 converter since it would accept the signal as-is.

Then you don't have to waste a high-resolution computer monitor to display 480i video from this system. You can use it for something else and out of pocket cost to you might be similar.

I could get a 32" Sony Trinitron TV off craigslist for $35 for example.

(Just giving you an alternative option than getting a composite to VGA converter box)
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
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Who makes the receiver and what is the model number. Most of the BNC stuff is probably SDI and if it is just one connector it is either composite or SDI.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

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iamgenius

Senior member
Jun 6, 2008
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There is no cheap way to use that with a off the shelf displays.
The output is SDI and without a decoder there is no way to display that on a consumer display. The very cheapest thing that I could locate that would do it is this for $384
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...I_to_HDMI.html

How do you know it is SDI, and if it is SDI............can't you just use the converter I linked in the first post?

It is not worth it to pay 384 $ for what they are trying to do!

Thanks
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
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Not really. What they gave me is :

Mobile receive unit 12345678


Couldn't find anything about it in the web.

I suspect that 12345678 isn't a useful number for us :p

Ok, if it were me, this is what I would do:

I'd hope that one of the two video outputs was in composite format. I've looked at a few camera units on amazon and such, and it seems that a video output format of composite is not unusual.

I'd get a BNC to RCA adapter for cheap (Like the one Patranus pictured) and then bring in some existing display that has a composite input. Connect the video output to the adapter plus and RCA cable to the TV / VCR / whatever you brought that has a composite video input. If you can view the video output with this device (or confirm that recording worked with a VCR), then you know that the video output is in composite format and you can continue planning.

EDIT:

Of course another route all together would be to find out the brand of the unit and then call the company and ask ;)
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
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I don't know much about these systems. How can you tell that both outputs are SDI?

From the photo the jacks that are visible are raw video, ext video, RX1 . That combination is normal on broadcast equipment. Ext video is the main output for something like editing or capture devices which contains the SDI based signal , RX1 is the clock to maintain sync, Raw video is the video source being input into the current device before any processing.

Raw video will not show any changes that are made to the video . On something like a device designed to control chroma you would have an input source coming in, the devices dedicated monitor which would display the changes, and raw video for viewing the input source locally. Using a monitor connected to raw video just shows the input source, not what is being sent to the rest of the boxes.

Home users would just split the input and connect another monitor, but cable runs in broadcast setups normally run box to box, no splitting or adapting in the path which is why they put jacks like this on boxes rather than just using something like a splitter on the input.