Video labels:

You can get VHS labels that you can print from your inkjet. Just check out your local office supply store or a CompUSA perhaps. If you need a mass printing, you could always farm the job out, less hassle.

Exactly the info I needed! Coax won't be stereo but maybe I'll run through my monitors too (on the other side of the room) and get "surround sound" : )
Thanks Sr C,
Randy

Hi Randy,

It is no big deal to run baseband video & audio 35 or even 100 feet. Looks (and sounds) *a lot* better than RF.

HTH, MPH

If the modulator's audio input is stereo, and the TV is stereo then you should get stereo audio through the coax. No different really than recieving stereo signals through coax via your local cable company. -Shon

I've run line level A/V signal through 150' cables without too much loss. The grade/quality of the cable makes a lot of difference though. I got some nice foam-core pure copper stranded shield from the local studio supply store that carries signal from the balcony in the back of the church up the back wall over the ceiling and down to the LCD projector (about 150') and the picture is still just as clear as the monitor TV on a 6' cable. It was about 80 cents a foot though! I've run audio through the same cable and that's worked well too. Coax from RadioShack (not RF cable) seems to hold up 30 to 50'. Give it a try and see if it's acceptable.

Even if you end up using RF for the picture, you might still be able to run the stereo audio separately through good shielded pair cable.

My 2 cents:
Running composite video and stereo audio requires three cables, but if that's not an issue for you, the results will be better. The video cable should be RG-59 or RG-6 with RCA plugs. You can also run long lengths of S-Video cable with little problem.

The RF Converter route is OK, but not as sharp and the reds will bloom more. Very few of these modulators have MTS stereo output, and they are more expensive.

Look on eBay for your VHS labels. They are considerably less expensive in bulk than at office supply stores.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! Marty, como que "baseband" ?
TIA,
Randy

Hi Randy,

"Baseband" refers (generally) to your garden-variety composite video signal, and/or separate audio signals. As compared to RF; which is a modulated signal combining audio and video into a lower-quality signal that can be transmitted or carried via coax and de-modulated at a TV receiver.

For broadcast applications or areas where interference signals are strong, you might consider a double-shielded cable like Belden 8281 or a comparable Canare cable. Not cheap, but cheaper than re-doing work because some microwave signal or taxi radio got into your cables.

For monitoring, usually single-insulated coax is adequate.


HTH, MPH

Gotcha.
Thanks again,
Randy

(( I would like for my clients to be able to view projects in progress on 31" TV in my living room/studio which would take about a 35' cable (preferrably audio too or they will be hearing audio behind them)to reach. ))

I believe that the key here is that you want “clients” to view the projects. That means the best quality possible within budget.

My 31” TV set is away from my editing station and I demo videos to clients on it. Same situation you are in. I tried 50’ of S-Video cable but that was a disaster, probably because of the cable quality. Solution was:

50’ of RF coax with F-connectors on both ends that I bought from Radio Shack.
Two F to RCA adapter connectors from RS. About $1 each.
One 50’ stereo audio cable with RCA connectors on both ends from RS.

The picture quality is great and I honestly can’t tell the difference between running video from a DV player via composite out or moving the player to the TV and using a 6’ S-Video cable. My 31” TV set does have a good comb filter to separate the color from the video so that may be why it works so well. TV sets without good comb filters tend to smear colors a bit when input is from the composite connector rather than S-Video which is already separated.

Hope this helps.

Thanks MKS,
I'll visit my local RS on Monday.
Thanks again,
Randy

(( I'll visit my local RS on Monday. ))

The beauty of it is that everything can be returned to RS for a full refund if it doesn't work for you. Check with the RS salesperson how long you have to return it but I'm confident you will be pleased with the quality. Don't forget to stop by your local hardware store and buy a few boxes of coax cable guides that can be nailed to the wall. The plastic things with about a 3/4" nail on them that are nailed about every 18" or so. Forget what they call them. You will need them for both the coax and the audio cable so count how many you need before leaving the house.

Happy Holidays,
Mike

Forgot to mention:

Be sure to buy the plastic cable guides with nails. Don't try to take the cheap way out and pound regular finishing nails and bending them over the cables. When/if the coax is deformed by bending nails over them, it changes the impedance and causes reflections (ghosting) in the cable. The plasic guides do not deform nor affect the impedance.

Mike

Out of all the suggestions here (even mine) I would go with MKS's idea. I used coax with those exact adapters once for a long composite run and it not only maintains very good quality but is also very convienent.

If you subscribe to cable TV service, then just stop by your local cable office and ask if they have a 50' length of cable. They most likely do and will probably give it to you for free. Not to mention, the F-connectors will probably be pre-cut. Not only will this save you money but their cable will be about 2000 times better quality than any coax you will find at RS. I've worked in the Cable TV industry for about 8 years now and we have always given out precut lengths of cable to customers, not only as a courtesy, but also to guard against any unwanted ingress that is caused from store bought coax. They don't have to know that it is not for your CATV service. -Shon


"The plastic things with about a 3/4" nail on them that are nailed about every 18" or so. Forget what they call them. "

Roka Clips

Went to RS and got the RG-6 coax,adaptors and stereo RCA audio cables and it's exactly as you guys described. I configured as follows. Camera with firewire (will be buying Canopus converter when Santa gets paid off), a/v out of cam running to VCR, coax w/ adaptors out of VCR to TV, RCA stereo cable from TV to an aux out on my audio mixing board (so that I can preview audio also on the 31" TV). One more question: I'd like to not have to be switching out cables from my preview monitor TV to the 31" TV (on camera) so I hooked up a coax (because the only other video out of the VCR is S video and RGB composite of which my little 13" TV has neither)from my VCR to the preview monitor TV but it no worky; shouldn't it?
Thanks for your patience,
Randy

Hi Randy,

If you are asking if you should be able to use the RF and video-out of the VCR at the same time, in most cases you should.

You are trying... Vegas>camera>VCR>big TV (via baseband) & little TV (via RF)?


Methinks should worky.

MPH