1. Home
  2. General Electronics
  3. How feasible to add composite video or s-video to late '90s tv?

How feasible to add composite video or s-video to late '90s tv?

Bought a 27" RCA television in the mid to late '90s, but it was a cheaper model without a composite or s-video input.

Now as the number of video gadgets piles up I'm wondering whether it would be feasible to add a video input to this set.

Disclaimers: I've got a reasonable amount of electronics experience, understand high voltage (especially after getting belted with a bolt from an operating big old console set I was working on 25 years ago) and am just wondering whether there is information out there that would make this a feasible project or not.

thanks (email address is valid, been "dont" on the net since before there was spam)

Reply to
Don Taylor
Loading thread data ...

In article , snipped-for-privacy@agora.rdrop.com mentioned...

You can buy a RF modulator at Rat Shack for $30, and it has both the composite and s-video input jacks. You may also need to buy cables, so it may cost a bit more.

I've been dinking around with the RF units from old VCRs. All you have to do is put one inline with the antenna input of the TV, and put your video and 5VDC supply voltage on it. Most of them have simple pinouts (5 pins), and take 5VDC. Older ones may take a higher voltage. Of the three or four that I've connected to the TV, they all have decent picture quality and are free, if you can find an old VCR. The best ones will pass thru the antenna when off, and disconnect the antenna and enable the RF on Ch. 3 or 4 when on.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with connecting a video jack to the TV internally, but why bother when you can do it with an RF modulator.

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS?   Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted.  *All* email sent to it 
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the 
Subject: line with other stuff.  alondra101  hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers.  Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com  You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
Reply to
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dar

Seems unlikely as most of those receivers were likely designed with "hot chassis" since they didn't have to bring any electrical connections to the outside (save the antenna which is transformer-coupled).

Reply to
Richard Crowley

Someone who I thought was pretty competent in the electronics business told me that the old "hot chassis" risk went away when cost cutting in television power supplies for tubes led to hot chassis then changed over to cost cutting in televisions led to everything being done with a couple of ic's that only used 5 volts.

True? False?

Thanks

Reply to
Don Taylor

Not in any TV receiver/monitor I've ever seen inside of. Plenty of high voltages and minimalistic power supplies that run directly off the power line.

Reply to
Richard Crowley

All the PSes I've seen recently are SMPSes, and they are well insulated from the incoming AC line. I see grooves or slots cut into the PC board in such places as between the hot side and the chassis side of the optoisolator. They take isolation seriously, with hipotted transformers, etc.

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS?   Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted.  *All* email sent to it 
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the 
Subject: line with other stuff.  alondra101  hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers.  Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com  You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
Reply to
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dar

I think the best solution would be an RF modulator that had multiple inputs. MCM Electronics makes a 4 input device for $39.95, part # MOD-41.

spam)

Reply to
Patch

Dunno about YOU, but I surely don't feel like putting Mr. Taylor's life and limb at risk on the *chance* that he *might* have a "safe" model. (Which seems unlikely given its vintage.)

He is asking about something that even professionals find so risky that they will virtually always find a workaround (like an RF modulator). Advising an amateur to "go for it" is highly irresponsible IMHO.

Reply to
Richard Crowley

I agree; point taken. As far as I know, there are regulations governing this, so it's wise to check first before risking the chance of shock.

--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS?   Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted.  *All* email sent to it 
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the 
Subject: line with other stuff.  alondra101  hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers.  Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com  You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
Reply to
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dar

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.