JVC HD200u Output Connectors

[Jeremy Colin]

I would like to connect a JVC HD200u to a Datavideo SE-500KIT switcher (Datavideo | SE-500KIT Digital Video Mixer | SE-500 KIT -NTSC). What type of cables do I need?

I was hoping to run the 3 BNC cables to 1 BNC cable via some sort of adapter. Is this possible?

[Justin Ferar]

The HD200 has composite out. It's an RCA but all you need is a "bullet" - which is an RCA to BNC adapter. Radio Shack has them.

I'm assuming the mixer won't take component in.

[Carlos Rodriguez]

composite video out to composite video in. The switcher looks like it doesnt for the RCA connector you will need a RCA to BNC adapter such as:

http://www.altex.com/Assets/ProductI...ndard/8110.jpg

your mixer does not have component in.

EDIT: Jinx Justin, ya beat me.

[Jeremy Colin]

Originally Posted by Justin Ferar

The HD200 has composite out. It's an RCA but all you need is a "bullet" - which is an RCA to BNC adapter. Radio Shack has them.

I'm assuming the mixer won't take component in.

Great! I'll pick one of these up! Is the quality from this output reasonably good?

[Christopher Glavan]

Composite offers the lowest quality signal, followed by s-video, then component.

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Colin

Great! I'll pick one of these up! Is the quality from this output reasonably good?

I just spent 4 days switching two cameras live (both 200u's) at a convention using the composite out. It's adequate. Component would be better but finding a switcher that accepts component and then the 3 cable runs to each camera to make it work... your call if it's worth it for your application.

[Jeremy Colin]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

I just spent 4 days switching two cameras live (both 200u's) at a convention using the composite out. It's adequate. Component would be better but finding a switcher that accepts component and then the 3 cable runs to each camera to make it work... your call if it's worth it for your application.

This would be for a church service to be edited to a weekly television broadcast.

Any suggestions on a switcher that would be better suited for this camera? Quality was one of the main reasons for choosing these cameras and I don't want a noticeable degradation because of the switcher's inputs

[Paul Pelalas]

Hi, ok so I run into this all the time. I have a HD100 and do lots of IMAG work. Every time I show up to a venue, they ask me for a composite out, which I know looks like crude. I ask to see what mixer I am hooking into. If component is not an option, and Svideo is, I have a DVD recorder, that has component in, and component/composite/svideo out. I use a mini VGA cable with the 5 BNC breakouts on both ends. I take the red , green, and blue out of camera and go into the component of the dvd recorder.
From the recorder I send s video via a 2 bnc breakout cable, into another 5 bnc VGA cable, and the composite out from the recorder, into the one of the bncs on the vga.
This VGA I send to the mixer, and they take the 2 bnc's with the svideo, use a bnc to svideo adapter, into the mixer, and the composite one is if they want a separate feed to monitor.

This may sound like much to go through, but having seen my beautiful images muddied on big screen projection, and not having an s out on the camera , the image difference is night and day.

Datavideo I think at one time made a portable Digital to Analog box ,that had component ins and outs, so you would output component from the cams, into the boxes, and have 3 outs to work with simultaneously ( component / s / composite.)

[Shaun Roemich]

Ok, if it's for broadcast (and you DID mention editing), first question I have is why are you switching? Are you providing a video feed to screens and the editing for broadcast OR are you looking to streamline the process prior to edit?

If you don't need the Live Out, I'd roll tape in the cameras, switch them live to tape, calling the show, with Timecode info from each of the cameras displayed on the switched feed to give yourself an edit reference and then go back to tape, capture and edit, according to your Timecode burned lived switched tape.

If you DO need the live feed, I'll still do the same but take the Timecode burn out of the mix.

I've had multicam shows of mine, switched using composite go to national broadcast but I'm never happy with the quality.

The other option is run component cables from the cameras to a component enabled switcher like the Edirol V440HD switcher but that switcher MAY be a little pricey for your application at over $12k.

A little more info on what EXACTLY you need would help us give you better insight.

[Jeremy Colin]

Originally Posted by Shaun Roemich

Ok, if it's for broadcast (and you DID mention editing), first question I have is why are you switching? Are you providing a video feed to screens and the editing for broadcast OR are you looking to streamline the process prior to edit?

If you don't need the Live Out, I'd roll tape in the cameras, switch them live to tape, calling the show, with Timecode info from each of the cameras displayed on the switched feed to give yourself an edit reference and then go back to tape, capture and edit, according to your Timecode burned lived switched tape.

If you DO need the live feed, I'll still do the same but take the Timecode burn out of the mix.

I've had multicam shows of mine, switched using composite go to national broadcast but I'm never happy with the quality.

The other option is run component cables from the cameras to a component enabled switcher like the Edirol V440HD switcher but that switcher MAY be a little pricey for your application at over $12k.

A little more info on what EXACTLY you need would help us give you better insight.

The switcher is mainly for a live feed that is broadcast over a projector. I'd prefer to bypass tape and go directly into final cut pro from the switcher, but I realize that I'd be sacrificing quality in doing this.

I called B&H today to return the se-500 and I picked up an SE-800 instead, which has the BNC composite connections for the cameras. Now my only challenge is figuring out how to run the cables to the cameras, which are about 30-50 ft away from the switcher and tape deck.


A little more information:
The cameras are two HD-200u's, connected to one power supply. The cameras will connect into the se-800 switcher, which will output to a few different monitors around the church and mainly two projectors. The switcher will also output (via firewire) into a Datavideo DN-300 hard drive recorder for editing in fcp. The switcher will also output to a dvd video deck for realtime recording of the video streams. I

I'd appreciate any helpful suggestions on improving this setup.

[Shaun Roemich]

Thanks for the further clarification on your needs.

You CAN switch composite from the cameras to run to a capture device (I PERSONALLY don't consider FCP a mission critical on-the-fly capture solution. I'd run tape or something as a backup) and output for broadcast from there. Again, I'd probably run tape or hard disk recorders on the cameras and do the broadcast cut from a component source (tape is captured component as is hard disk over Firewire OR analog component out to record devices). But again, only you can tell what "good enough" is for your scenario. Direct to DVD? Live switched composite feed is plenty good enough. Broadcast? Maybe show the broadcaster a sample before committing to a live switched composite workflow.

Regarding cable: I do 100' runs all the time on good quality BNC cable. Just make sure you have GOOD QUALITY cable like Belden or a number of others. As well, you want RG59 cable, not RG6 for video. RG6 is best used for satellite runs as it has different bandpass characteristics that make it less appealing for video. Get compression fit BNC ends if you can as opposed to crimp on or screw on ends.