3 RCA -> BNC thingmabob?

[cswan]

Not exactly sure if this was the right forum, but I figured some of the folk around here might know the answer:

I'm wiring my home, and was going to have two coax video feeds--one for normal CATV, the other bus for output from my G400's TV/Out. Because I'm such a dipshit, I already ran the coax and then said "Oh...how do I connect this RCA connector?"

Now, the problem is that I need to run BOTH the audio and the video over the coax line. Since CATV can run over this stuff, I assume the video and audio data can be encoded onto the same RG6 cable in a manner that a VCR/TV can understand at the other end of the line. I believe I would be able to run all three sources (video, audioL, audioR) each over a RG6 line with the RCA->BNC connectors, but I _really_ don't feel like running 3X the number of coax lines I already have.

So here's what I'm looking for:

Some cute little box/adapter that will take all three signals and shove them onto the line. Now, would a cheap VCR work for this? Send the G400's TV/Out into the VCR, and the audios, and take the RCA cable coming from the output of the VCR and use it?

Alternatively (and no doubt more expensively), is there some other solution that would allow me to take all three of the signals and 'encapsulate' them inside of the CATV line on a separate frequency? So that I could tune it to whatever frequency would correspond to 'channel 99' and use that as my broadcasting station for my computer output?

[wkulecz]

Try www.x10.com

They have a 2.4GHz "video sender" wireless link. You can hook the three RCA plugs from the Marvel's composite and stereo outputs to the sender. Position the reciever near your cable and hook its RF out to your cable -- presto! Marvel ouptput on channel 3 or 4 depending on how you set the switch on the bottom. You may need a "distribution amp" if your cable run is long or you have splitters (more than one target), if you've just "daisy chained a "bus" expect very poor quality.

A cheap stereo VCR should work too but then you've and extra set of wires running from the BOB to the VCR and to the wall. The video sender thing lets the computer be anywhere within about a 100' radius of the reciever.

Only real problem is mine goes nuts if I use the microwave! In my fiancee's apartment it goes nuts if the neighboors use their microwave. You can use up to four of these since there are four switch selectable channels for each sender/reciever, Other than the microwave oven RFI, beats the hell out of pulling cables.

--wally.

[wkulecz]

Only the RF output of the VCR has encoded video and audio. The three RCA cable are baseband video and L&R audio. Either you "mix" them like a TV station or you run two more cables for the audio.

I'm not 100% sure the X10 reciever puts stereo on the RF it ouputs to the "TV" it may just mix it to mono.

--wally.

[cswan]

I guess I should have mentioned that I already have one of the X10 sender+receivers...I'm trying to get away from that thing, because I'm not pleased with its inability to deal with microwave ovens. 2.4Gz networking stuff operates in the same band, and it doesn't seem to have problems dealing with microwave ovens...so I dunno what the issue is with the X10 unit.

Yes, I could just set the X10 units 1" apart from each other and use them--but again, that's a suboptimal solution. I don't want to have to deal with any interference, or loss of quality, when the unit transmits to itself. Maybe I'll gut the units and see if I can just run a wire betwixt the two, elimating the antenna portion of the units.

I realize I'd be using the RF output of the VCR...and I'd be fine buying an amp, if the signal loss is unacceptable.

I've tested it in the past, and the X10 unit does transmit in stereo.

[rvangorp]

The device you are looking for is called a TV modulator. Multiple web sites sell them. They take in baseband video and audio and output the composite signal at RF on a TV channel of your choice.

[cswan]

Thanks man--exactly the thing I was looking for. Now I just need to find a nice, stereo one.

Thanks.

[wkulecz]

Yes finding a nice stereo RF modulator is your real problem. I don't think I've ever run across a stereo RF modulator, everything I've found has been mono but I haven't looked for one in quite some time. Since I don't use the microwave oven much, the X10 thing has solved my problem.

I've seen "hifi" VCRs at Best Buy for <$80 they have seperate L & R audio I/O so I assume they are stereo. Might be your least hassle solution.

Since you already have the X-10 dodad, have you tried putting both the reciever and transmitter inside a small "Faraday cage" (grounded metal box or conductive screen screen enclosure, shoebox wrapped in aluminum foil and grounded perhaps?) to block out the microwave oven interference? I've not evaluated it, but it might instead be AC line conducted noise messing with the X10 link when the microwave oven is on. You could try running the reciever and transmitter from 12V batteries to see if the problem goes away, and if it does a better power supply for the X10 stuff might do the trick.

If you find a good stereo RF modulator please let me know the brand and vendor. TIA.

--wally.

[cswan]

Boy, I'm looking, but you're right--I'm having a tough time finding one that does stereo that's under $200. However, I did find this--it's not a TV Modulator, but since I did run a separate coax line this looks like it would work properly:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/videoware/svideocoax.html

Note that it says that it takes an Svideo input, but it doesn't--it has a converter to change the Svideo to RCA first.

Good idea about the Faraday cage--I might just try that and see how it works. Definitely worth a shot.

FWIW, my understanding was that microwave ovens futzed with the signal of the X10 unit because of the magnetrons in microwave ovens--they oscillate at 2.3Ghz, and there is some bleed into other frequencies. This bleed into the 2.4Ghz band is what messes up the X10 unit. Since the X10 unit does not use the house wiring (it transmits), I can't imagine it's noise induced on the A/C line--if so, man, I don't think microwave ovens would be legal.

Ah, well I'll be damned--I think Ratshack has the thing I'm looking for:
http://www.radioshack.com/ProductCat...501244,00.html

Someone has a picture of it on ebay, and it appears to have stereo inputs. Cool:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...item=327932634

Hmm...guess I'll need to find one of those filters that will kill channel 3 on the CATV so I can use this thing on the same wire, though.