Tuesday 15 March 2011

Using the VS-1 with different Video sources

I designed the VS-1 in 1985/6 and we are still making it 27 years later, for a product with a 27 year life we have not sold a great number, probably about 10 a year, and not that many now.

I have been asked a number of times to upgrade the VS-1 to work with HD video. My problem has always been which format? The market size will not finance a big development project. Here are some interim alternative solutions.


SD Component,
If setup for syncs on green, insert the streamer on the Green line

VGA
I have tried the Startech VGA to composite converter, this works well and is a cheap solution but the resolution is not as high as I would like. Kramer and TV One make more expensive boxes but I have not compared their resolution. 

S-Video
Insert into the Luminance line

Software Solutions
There are a number of cheap software solutions available but I find them jerky, possibly I need a super computer!

One way forward without investing a large amount of time would be to design a system for VGA, but with computers now using DVI, HDMI and SDI is this a viable approach?

Let me know your ideas