How are You Playing Digital Video on Vintage TV's??
 

I love my Predicta Princess for watching old movies, ect, but feeding from the DVD player kind of limits me as I have lots of movies in digital files on my computer. So I'd like to find out what others are using to do this???

I use an XMBC server feeding a Raspberry Pi running an XMBC client. The data between the server and client goes over the network like any other data traffic. From there, the Raspberry Pi produces analog video out. PAL or NTSC, colorburst on or off. This is fed to a BT modulator connected to a dipole cut for that frequency.

Thus when I want to watch something, I load it on the client, connect rabbit ears to the set I want to watch, turn the set to the correct channel, start the video on the client, and away we go.

You mean, like "Pong?":smoke:

I use a laptop computer feeding VGA output to an Extron VSC200 VGA to NTSC scan converter, and then onto a BT agile modulator for broadcast.

Thanks, OK, closer, yet, but I'd still like to feed off my desktop PC.... I'll have to check if I have an unused VGA (monitor) output I can use.....the Extron unit is available cheap enough, for sure!

I'm doing OTA with either the rooftop or a double bow tie set top antenna out here in the sticks. Different sets get different antennas. 25 miles to the towers and in a deep valley. I had a cheap OTA tuner/SD card recorder which was just a giant audio buzz in the Zenith porthole. Now using a vintage Samsung SIR-T165 OTA tuner on the bow tie fixed all of that. Great viewing with no buzz.

I have also used a HDMI to composite converter via RF modulator with good results. They are usually under $50. Even RS still sells one.

What's the advantage of using this device over a cheaper VGA-to-composite video converter?

Just curious.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

I notice on the Extron converter there only seems to be video outputs....
how do get the audio?? ....I gotta be missing something here:

Build quality, and stability/standards compliance of output. I tried a few of the cheap units, and was disappointed with the results. See thread here:

http://videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=263602


Run the audio line out direct from laptop to audio input on the modulator.

I have a pivos android set top box, feeding an HDMI2AV converter. I also have a Samsung blu Ray player with a composite output. Both of these feed audio and video into an RCA selector/modulator, which is connected in turn to the predicta princess. The Samsung is predominantly used for Netflix, and the occasional disc. The pivos is for streaming movies/tv shows/YouTube, etc.

With this setup, getting the correct aspect ratio can be an issue, especially with the pivos. The Samsung occasionally will put out a signal encoded with macro vision at its composite output, so sometimes I have to plug it into the HDMI converter too.

What I would like to get my hands on is an affordable device which can change the aspect ratio of the signal going to the predicta.

I prefer the android set top box to using a computer simply because it's small and quiet, and my computer isn't located near the TV. I do admit though that a computer would be easier to use and more flexible.

I'm using an HDMI to composite converter with Chromecast.

And when I saw Mark's screen caps, I immediately got an HDMI converter as well. My computer has two HDMI ports, so the TV display is connected like a second monitor which allows me to find whatever i want to watch in the conventional way, then just drag it over and full screen it. What I like best about the converter is that it does not letterbox 16:9 content. Well, not entirely anyway. On most sets the overscan is such that the tiny black strips at the top and bottom are not visible.

Do you get to select the luma only, without the chroma (R-Y and B-Y, Pr and Pb, and such)? With pre-color standard TV sets (before around 1953) the TV probably will give you a full 4MHz of picture resolution. Later B&W sets would low pass filter the video to remove the chroma subcarrier (and higher resolution luma) and make a softer image.

I've got a c2002 TOTL 64-bit Dell with a graphics card that has S-video, VGA, and DVI on it, running windows 7. I feed my HD CRT Sony off the DVI, and my NTSC transmitters off the S-Video. With the correct display drivers, and VLC media player I can run any digital video format I want through it.

I've also got a few other methods at my disposal.

The Dell has had it's second cap change and keeps having stuff on it die or become crappy....I'm going to keep an eye out for a better rig to run my video card in. That Dell lives for now, but I don't expect it to outlive my other computers or the tube TVs it drives.

Personally, i use a free software DVD Authoring program on my PC to create DVD's that can be played back on any DVD player. i just use a cheap DVD player connected to a R.F modulator connected to my vintage sets.
Many of my digital video files were downloaded from You-Tube & i have complete seasons of many classic TV shows & movies that i DL'd off of You-Tube & other sources.
the best thing about doing it this way is that the formatting is preserved, especially regarding the 4.3 aspect ratio. also, by doing it this way, you do not have to come up with convoluted methods to hear the audio.
if you don't have a DVD writer on your computer, it is very easy (& cheap) to add / replace one.