LCD computer monitor and A1

[Brent Graham]

I'm trying to monitor my Canon A1 with a widescreen computer LCD.

I've got a component to RGB cable plugged into the component out of the A1 but it doesn't kick on the monitor as having a signal.

The LCD monitor is widescreen 1440x900 native. It is designed for computers and has no tuner built-in.

Anyone know what needs to be done?

Thanks.

[Bill Busby]

My guess... page 98 in the manual. You may have a 1080i monitor & have the A1 set to 480i in the Signal Setup/Comp.Out

Bill

[Doug Davis]

The resolustion of your footage should be 1440x1080... Not sure but that may have something to do with it... Have you tried to hook up any other HD devices to it via the component cables? Maybe like a PS3 or Xbox 360? It may be the adapter?

[Bill Ball]

Unless you have a monitor especially designed for it, you cant use a passive cable to run component into RGB. You need a transcoder of some sort. Just because you have the cable doesnt mean the signal will be correct.

[Rusty Rogers]

For field monitoring I'd suggest DV Rack. More than just another TV.

Rusty

[Richard Hunter]

Originally Posted by Brent Graham

I'm trying to monitor my Canon A1 with a widescreen computer LCD.

I've got a component to RGB cable plugged into the component out of the A1 but it doesn't kick on the monitor as having a signal.

The LCD monitor is widescreen 1440x900 native. It is designed for computers and has no tuner built-in.

Anyone know what needs to be done?

Thanks.

Hi Brent. Computer monitor RGB has separate Hsync and Vsync signals, so you would need to check whether your cable is providing that, or whether it is RGB sync-on-green. If you have a link to the specs for the cable I could try to help you check it.

Richard

[Boyd Ostroff]

I think Bill is correct. In another recent thread, someone mentioned this product which might do what you want.

http://www.x2vga.com/product

Probably better to buy a monitor which also has component inputs though...

[Neil McLean]

I managed to get a PAL 720x576i output in the DV mode from the A1 using the component cable supplied by Canon and hooking the component output into my HD Ready LCD television component inputs.

Even though I filmed the event in 1440 x 1080i, I can't seem to get an HDV 1440 x 1080i to display on my LCD television.

Whilst I understand the 1440 and the 1.3333 pixel ratio aspect giving final delivery of 1920, I was rather hoping to see video playback on my HD Ready LCD television in either 1440 x 1080i or 1920 x 1080i and not SD 720 X576i.

[Brent Graham]

Richard ~ I have no info on the cable. I bought it at my local computer parts store and the packaging had no info.

I have in the past built home theater systems and basically did the following:

Component video out from Amplifier unit (controls switching, so basically equivalent to component out from DVD)

I then connect this component DVD out to my projectors VGA input port with a common "component to vga" cable.

This seems like all I should need to do.

We ought to figure out a cheap 'good' way of monitoring our work in the field. I am not worried about color correcting out there, just framing.

I'm now leaning toward a video RCA output from the A1 into a portable DVD player...

[Larry Vaughn]

I have a Dell 2405 monitor that has lots of inputs including component. I use the component video cable that came with the XH-A1 and plugged it into the monitor. I then pushed the button that flips through the inputs and the camera HDV image popped up, full screen.

If you consider this monitor, I should mention that it has a very high pitched whine that I hear late at night when it is very quiet. It starts after the monitor has been on for awhile. I send a new one back but this one has the same problem.

Maybe they fixed it with the 2407 model. Or not, I don't know. I think the 30" has the same inputs.

[Jerome Marot]

Originally Posted by Brent Graham

Richard ~ I have no info on the cable. I bought it at my local computer parts store and the packaging had no info.

I have in the past built home theater systems and basically did the following:

Component video out from Amplifier unit (controls switching, so basically equivalent to component out from DVD)

I then connect this component DVD out to my projectors VGA input port with a common "component to vga" cable.

This seems like all I should need to do.

For that to work, your display device (projector, computer screen, etc) needs to be designed to accept an interlaced signal with sync on green (which is what the A1 sends). Most projectors can do that, most computer screens can't.

What this means is that the A1 sends line 1, 3, 5,... 1079 in the first 1/60s then line 2, 4, 6... 1080 in the next 1/60s (for NTSC). The computer screen expect lines 1, 2, 3, 4...1080 every 1/60s (or between 1/50s and 1/100s since they are multisync). If it would synchronize (this happened with old CRT computer monitors), you would see 2 distorted half pictures, one on top of the other.

[Simon Dean]

Originally Posted by Neil McLean

I managed to get a PAL 720x576i output in the DV mode from the A1 using the component cable supplied by Canon and hooking the component output into my HD Ready LCD television component inputs.

Even though I filmed the event in 1440 x 1080i, I can't seem to get an HDV 1440 x 1080i to display on my LCD television.

Whilst I understand the 1440 and the 1.3333 pixel ratio aspect giving final delivery of 1920, I was rather hoping to see video playback on my HD Ready LCD television in either 1440 x 1080i or 1920 x 1080i and not SD 720 X576i.

A couple of things;
Is the cam. in the right output mode? (Signal Setup, Comp. Out setting)
Is the TV in the right mode? Don't know your particular model, but maybe it's not auto detecting?