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DVI to HDSDI [message #315001]

Tue, 22 April 2008 00:34

Karl P(eterson)
Messages: 1155
Registered: April 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA

Has No Life

I am looking for a reasonable cost way to move DVI to genlocked HDSDI. The source is mac mini's.

I am aware of the MXO for mac, but it doesn't work on Mac Minis,

I am aware of the Miranda DVI-Ramp2, which would work, but at 6K a pop is more than a little pricey.

I am aware of the Gefen box http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4208 which at 1500$ is perfectly reasonable, but I am not sure if it works or what the quality level is.

Does anyone here have any experience with the gefen unit or any others like it? I would really like to be in the 1~2K range. I will need 3 or 4 channels of it.

Thanks!

Karl P

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Re: DVI to HDSDI [message #315010 is a reply to message #315001 ]

Tue, 22 April 2008 01:26

Clayton Luckie
Messages: 856
Registered: April 2005
Location: Austin, TX

Has No Life

We have a Gefen unit, but don't use it at HD resolutions. It scales our computer (Dell) to get into the Echolab switcher on SDI. It looks better than any scan converter I've used (I haven't used them all), but its not perfect. Some of the quality issues could be with using it as SD output. HD could look fantastic for all I know...

I have had to reset it a few times at the beginning of a Sunday morning, but we've run it for 1.5 years or so of Sundays and have yet to have a problem with it during the service. I trust it (to the extent that I trust any gear).

There is no genlock input on my unit (I don't have the "plus" model), so I use the framesync built in to my switcher. It looks like the "plus" has quite a few more features than the regular, so it could be a good deal.

cl

Technical Ministries Associate
First Evangelical Free Church
Austin, TX
www.fefc.org

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Re: DVI to HDSDI [message #315807 is a reply to message #315001 ]

Wed, 23 April 2008 22:23

Ken Freeman
Messages: 1260
Registered: April 2004
Location: San Diego

Has No Life

Hey Karl,

Yeah...

Trying to make a $500.00 graphics unit co-exist in a professional HD environment will run you into some costs someplace. I use an Barco Imagepro HD when we pull display machines into out systems.

Ken

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Re: DVI to HDSDI [message #315881 is a reply to message #315807 ]

Thu, 24 April 2008 01:04

Karl P(eterson)
Messages: 1155
Registered: April 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA

Has No Life

I have no problems with the imagepro hd. I too use them as the default "anything to HD" box. The issue here is I don't want to pay for all the capabilities of a wonder box when I am trying to do a much more defined task of take a DVI output and turn it into HDSDI.

While I understand the economics of "Pro HD" as well as anyone, the task of converting DVI to HDSDI should be relatively straight forward. Delaying it to the genlock timing definitely adds more cost, but this should all be accomplishable in a 1~2K box. The ImageProHD box is obviously at a very different price point because of its very different (and many) capabilities.

I could use the miranda box which gives me 2 channels for that 6K, and it is a broadcast quality box, I just wanted to know if anyone here used the gefen and if it was relatively stable. I also wanted to know if there was any other cost effective options I should look at for this important-but-not-really-mission-critical task.

Thanks!

Karl P

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Re: DVI to HDSDI [message #316367 is a reply to message #315881 ]

Fri, 25 April 2008 09:34

Ken Freeman
Messages: 1260
Registered: April 2004
Location: San Diego

Has No Life

Here is the next step down...Genlock is a little fussy on all these, if they have them at all.

http://www.aja.com/html/products_converters_HA5.html

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4112

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4203

http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=4208

Ken

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Re: DVI to HDSDI - Found Solution [message #316592 is a reply to message #316367 ]

Fri, 25 April 2008 21:13

Karl P(eterson)
Messages: 1155
Registered: April 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA

Has No Life

Just to finish up this thread I talked with gefen about their boxes today and both their plus and pro boxes will genlock and framedelay. The boxes need a "very clean" black burst or tri level sync. If the signal is blackburst, the box will operate in SD mode, if it is tri-level it will operate in HD mode. The firmware _MUST_ be configured so that the output mode matches what the unit is seeing on its genlock port.

They also seem to be happy to take the unit back if it doesn't fit in my scenario.

All in all, while I would rather use the MXO, and I would not hesitate to pick up the miranda or Barco/FSR boxes for more critical tasks, this box looks like it will do what I need to do and get halve a dozen background media players into my HDSDI system.

They also note that with their RGBHV -> DVI converter in tandem with the above, you can go from RGBHV to HDSDI. They did recommend turning the scaler off in the RGBHV->DVI box and let the DVI -> HDSDI do all the scaling - for obvious reasons.

Thanks for those who commented, and I hope this helps someone else later on down the road.

Karl P

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