Do I need a signal amp?

We are currently installing our first projection system in our
sanctuary. The projector will be about 125 ft. from the
computer at the sound booth, we are planing on running
a scaler (TVOne) for all our inputs then run a small DA prior
to sending to the projector. My question is should I run
a VGA cable all the way to the projector or should I use
RGBHV??? The Extron DA we are looking at is available
with both type outputs.
Any help would be appreciated.
R.C.Ellwood

I would like to ask you a question. You were at our church in Pennsylvania back in September for the Church Growth Seminar.

One question I have is how can I take the feed from my computer for the second monitor, and split it so it can go to a monitor, and to the projector so that they both are getting the same image. The problem we have is not being able to see what's on the projector and if we had a monitor displaying the same thing it would be helpful. Is there a way to do this, and could you let me know how to go about implementing this.

Thanks again for coming out in September. The seminar was a huge help for our program.

Jeff Bogaczyk

Posted by Jeff Bogaczyk on Oct 21, 2000.


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Great to hear from you! What you need is a splitter/amp. It has one input and five outputs, so you could run one to your projector, one to your monitor and still have three left over. It also acts as an amplifier and gives your signal more stength.

Check them out at www.tvone.com. We can order one for you if you are interested.

Tim Eason
ChurchMedia.net
Posted by Tim Eason on Oct 21, 2000.


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Depending on how you are set up (ie. where your projector is located, and the plugs available on your projector), a lot of projectors have an RGB out plug on them, so you could plug your monitor into the projector so it could receive the same signal.
Posted by Jim Fergusson on Oct 23, 2000.

What kind of an amplifier do I need to boost a composite video signal across 150 ft of coax cable?
We currently send a composite video (tv) signal to our projector. It allows easy mixing of mutliple sources: video, camera, computer (using a scan converter).

We recently split the signal on the stage to add a couple of TVs as video monitors. It works, but the signal is weak. Suggestions? Thanks.
Posted by Don Wuebben on Jan 11, 2001.


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The Kramer Tools 123V is a quality line amp which provides three outputs with gain and EQ pots. The unit would cost about $240.00 CAD (x 0.67 for USD).

Hope this helps,

Dave Hooker
Tech Ministries
Faith Baptist
St. Thomas, Ontario
Canada
Posted by Dave Hooker on Jan 13, 2001.


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Don,

Luckily, coax can go the distance. If you can't invest in a higher-grade amplifier (recommended), a Radio Shack amp will help some. Don't tell anyone I referred you to RS, though. My reputation as a consultant is important to my livelihood .
Posted by Tim Eason on Jan 15, 2001.

I'd like to send an XGA signal from a (new) laptop to a projector through 100 feet of cable. Someone's trying to sell me on a signal amp to go that distance. Is it really necessary?
Posted by Chris Nafziger on Dec 13, 2002.


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Have you tried running your signal through the signal yet?? How does it look?

Maybe ask him / her to bring in the signal amp and see if it improves the quality. If you can tell a big difference in quality, go for it!
Posted by Dane Horner on Dec 14, 2002.


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Man...I need some sleep. Let's try that again,

Have you tried running your signal through the cable yet??
Posted by Dane Horner on Dec 14, 2002.

I want to get an S-Video signal to several different T.V.'s is there a splitter for S-Video? If not am I doomed? Thanks
Posted by Eric on Dec 14, 2001.


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Yes, there are s-video d/a's. We carry one for $89.

Goto www.churchmedia.net/go.mv?ID=VACC-SB3709-TV1 and check it out!
Posted by Tim Eason on Dec 14, 2001.


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You are not doomed!!! The unit you want is called an S-Video Distribution Amplifier. They come in various input/output configurations. i.e.1 input 2 output, 1 input and 4 output etc. There are many companies that sell this type of product. Although they are alittle expensive, InLine and Extron have excellant products.
Posted by Greg Beroldi on Dec 14, 2001.


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I saw an S-video distribution amplifier in Radio Shack just last week for about $29 (1 to 4). While Tandy products are not always top of the line, for the average work, this might be all the solution you need.
Posted by Steve Goad on Dec 14, 2001.

I have seen Distribution Amplifiers with level and EQ controls.
See http://www.kramerelectronics.com/group1/vp200dxl.html

I have also seen others with none.
See http://www.extron.com/product/produc...lus&subtype=32

Who out there is using a DA to amplify VGA cable runs of around 100' to 150' and did you find that you needed a DA with level and EQ controls to adjust the amplifier to your exact cable length?

The extron unit is much easier to find, and cheaper, and goes up to 250' of cable, but I am thinking that it must be set to amplify a certian length / resistance of cable best and anything other than that will be less than optimal.

KK.

Well, since nobody answered my question, I guess I will answer it myself.

I ran 150 ft of vga cable from a Mac G3 laptop to a Sharp Notevision projector. The cable was made up of a 100 ft and a 50 ft cable bought off ebay for $75 total.
Initial test was great. Picture looked clear, colorful, and bright.

I then hooked up the extron unit.
No difference.

I switched back and forth, back and forth, and had others look at it also. I tried different landscape backgrounds with different colors. No difference. The extron unit didn't do a thing to the quality of the image as I could perceive it.

I may keep the unit around though, as it was only $50 new on ebay.

KK.

Having just gone through the same thing KK. I would have to say I am not so sold on amps but I am keeping mine 'cause I am wanting to use it for splitting purposes in the future and it is not always my PB that is used. I don't want to have somebody plug their computer in and find that the signal output is just not quite good enough to push down the line, though so far that hasn't been an issue either. I went with a Kramer for what it's worth the VP-300, 1 in and 3 out.

I agree with KK and JN. I was at a Methodist camp about 4 weeks ago and ran my Compaq laptop through a S-video/composite adapter to thinwire and back to composite adater at an Epson projector. The total cable length was 185 feet. Since their scan converter died when we plugged it in, this was the only choice we had. Later on, someone else wanted to use their laptop (Gateway) because they had a completed presentation on the system; wouldn't you know it, we couldn't get a signal to the projector.

Moral of the story, it may work today but don't bet on tomorrow...

Get an amp and have everything in place for the worst case scenario.

KK,
I basically found the same thing, I'm running a 100' VGA to
our FOH projector and a 50' VGA to our projector on the
back wall using a FSR CDA-2 ( 1 in 2 out ) splitter/da.
I can't tell any difference with it in or out of the line!!
We hooked up a laptop from a visiting music evangelist a
couple of weeks ago to the 100 footer to the FOH without
the DA and it worked great.
Rodney

ours is hooked up going from the computer to the video switcher to a spitter, (one side as a monitor to the computer operator, then on to the projector connected via composite input on the projector, and the other side to the recorders. we are please with the outcome and even movies look good on this connection... the video switcher has a video amp in it that comes in handy to compensate the weak signal...

[Roger Noar]

Hi,

Our church just got one of the great new Benq PB8260 3500 Lumen DLP projectors.
It has built-in wireless, however the wireless bandwidth is OK for presentations, not sufficient for movies.

So we're using a 100 foot VGA (VG10-HD) cable bought at SFCABLES online. I tried the 100' cable and then switched in the standard 6' cable and saw "NO" visible difference in the display quality. You can pay 5 times as much for this type of cable, but I looked up the specifications and the SFCABLE is made out of the same double-shielded mini-coax as the monster priced brands. So I'd expect that you'd see about the same results with your 125 foot run.