Outputting into my SD 4x3 monitor, please advise.
 

I'm renting an HVX200 this week and I need to clarify the video signal outputs I can get from this camera. Hope someone can help.

Shooting HD. Would like to output to my good old Sony 4x3 standard def monitor if I can. It's just for my needs... no client present.

Will this camera convert HD to SD and output a "squeezed" 16x9 image into a 4x3 signal. That is, give me full width 16x9 on my 4x3 monitor (with black bars top and bottom) using the composite input?

Thanks!

I'm not sure on the SD side, but when you're in P2 mode, you can change the Video Out from 1080i, 720p or 480i. That will let it send an SD signal over composite or component to your monitor.

I don't think it can tell your monitor to go 16x9 though. Is it a sony production monitor? If so, those have 16x9 buttons, mine does.

No need. Just plug a composite cable into the HVX202 and that's it. Camera can be recording in HD - the composite signal is always in SD.

But the HVX200 doesn't have aspect ratio conversion on its SD output. When you shoot HD, you're shooting 16:9, so the downconverted output will also be 16:9. When displayed on a 4:3 monitor it's going to look stretched out. If you have a 16:9 switch on your monitor, you're good to go. If you don't have a 16:9 switch, you're going to see it stretched.

Agreed. It all depends on the capability of his existing SD monitor - my SD monitor can go either 4:3 or 16:9 - so, it can be used as stated (output via composite through HVX202).

My monitor has no 16x9 switch... 1984 vintage.

When you say stretched you mean top and bottom, correct.

The left and right sides will still be within the borders of the monitor's frame... I will see the entire width, correct?


BTW: This is the HVX-200... not 202 as some are referring to.

Actually, "squeezed" should be the more appropriate way to describe the image. No black top & bottom - the HVX202 don't generate that. It just assume the monitor is able to show 16:9 correctly (the natural perspective of HD). On my BTLH80W, if I set it to 4:3 - the picture is truncated left and right - only the centre portion is shown. I doubt your LCD monitor is able to do that.

I don't think there is a difference between HVX202 and HVX200 as far as HD is concerned. The 202 is PAL version, whereas 200 is NTSC. Only when you film in SD - then the difference between the models will be apparent.

My monitor is a tube (CRT)... 1984.

I just added a switch to make it 16x9 top and bottom. Simple resistor across the Vertical Size pot pulls the height in top and bottom. With a cross hatch signal you see horizontal blocks instead of squares (4x3).

If I need to pull in the left and right I can do that similarly with the Horizontal Width pot but my factory Underscan switch may be enough. Don't think I will need to as this older monitor does not see 16x9 as anything different (can't see the flag in the signal).

Will test when I pick up the camera this afternoon.

Okay - you let us know the results in that case. Just remember to connect the video to the composite signal output of the HVX200 then. Flag in the signal is only generated by a DVD player. The camera does not do that.

Connected the rental 200 to my 8" Sony 4x3 CRT monitor via the composite output from the camera and, presto, my poormans 16x9 switch works like a charm!

Top and bottom are pulled in to render round items (1600' film reels in this case) round. The slight cropping from the plastic frame of the monitor matches exactly the safe area markers in the viewfinder.

If I select Underscan on the monitor I get the full width left and right with about a 3/16" border. I can live with that.

New life for a 24 year old reliable friend.

Thanks for the help.

Heh George, very happy to hear that. Good for you then.