HDMI to F connector-what setup to use?

[Jon1967us]

I have tried an HDMI to component adapter into an RF modulator but this is not producing a picture at all.

Either the equipment is faulty or I’m missing something here.

Can someone whose done this successfully clue me in on what equipment/setup works? I’m just trying to pipe my computer onto my old 50s sets. Thanks.

[Electronic M]

I've done this on a much more complicated scale (integrating HDMI devices into a rack that has lots of old analog sources.

Since you already have the gear it's time to troubleshoot it. Have you made the TV work with a different RF source or do you have a different TV?
Do you have a different known working composite video source (such as an older DVD player, VCR DTV converter box, old video game console) to test the RF modulator?
My first step would be to connect a known good composite source to the RF modulator and see if it will display on the TV. If it won't then either something is misconfigured (wrong channel on one or both or bad RF cable) or the TV or modulator is bad... confirm by trying the modulator on a different TV or a different modulator on your TV.

If the modulator will pass a known good composite video source to screen then your modulator is good and it becomes a question of whether the problem is in the HDMI TO COMPOSITE converter, the computer or the hand shake between the two.
To troubleshoot the converter try a different HDMI source with it like a Blu-ray player. If that doesn't display the converter box is bad, the system isn't properly configured or HDMI-HDCP is blocking you.
Some HDMI converters support selecting either PAL or NTSC output... toggle between the two and see if it works (some default to one setting and you have to toggle the switch to make it work), play with other settings on the box too, and try changing resolution and aspect ratio in the menus on your Blu-ray player (you probably want 4x3 480i).
If that doesn't work it may be an HDCP issue... basically the Blu-ray or computer will ask the monitor or HDMI converter to identify it's self and if the ID it gets back isn't a valid TV/monitor code it assumes your trying to make an illegal copy of a Blu-ray and refuses to send valid video. Some HDMI to composite converters have valid HDCP IDs and some don't...there are HDMI splitters (device to make one player drive 2 monitors) that circumvent HDCP and I can recommend some if you want.

If your HDMI to composite converter is working but not with the computer there's 2 potential causes HDCP(as discussed above) or incorrect settings on the computer.
It's probably worth while to connect a newer HDMI equipped TV to the computer and see if that works, and if it doesn't I'd make that work (because it temporarily eliminates HDCP and resolution variables) before trying to make the computer work with the HDMI to composite converter.

If the computer is a windows computer (apple or Linux your on your own with Google to help you) right click on the desktop and select "display settings" or "adjust desktop/screen resolution" it will show you the monitor(s) it is currently driving if your HDMI device is not showing up as a monitor click detect and see if it finds it if not you either have a bad graphics card or your trying to use motherboard graphics and a graphics card simultaneously without setting the BIOS up for that.
Once you have the program detecting your HDMI TV select it and decide if you want to extend desktop or duplicate desktop (and configure it to extend or duplicate) and if necessary adjust resolution and such. You should now have video on your HDMI test TV, next swap it for the HDMI converter and repeat the "display settings" process if necessary...

[Jon1967us]

EM thanks for the extensive reply. Those are some good suggestions. I just need to figure out getting some alternate sources of composite and/or HDMI signal to test.

All my TVs work with regular RF from a digital converter box.
The composite to RF box is a powered one, an RCA.
The HDMI to composite cable is an eBay special, which I tested on a newer flatscreen with my MacBook as the source but was a no-go.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Jon1967us

EM thanks for the extensive reply. Those are some good suggestions. I just need to figure out getting some alternate sources of composite and/or HDMI signal to test.

All my TVs work with regular RF from a digital converter box.
The composite to RF box is a powered one, an RCA.
The HDMI to composite cable is an eBay special, which I tested on a newer flatscreen with my MacBook as the source but was a no-go.

You need a HDMI to composite BOX NOT a cable. Those cables are for non-standard HDMI devices.... Basically some early HDMI videogame consoles that wanted to retain composite/component output but wanted only one AV/output connector and thus designed their systems to put composite AV out over the HDMI cable (which was a custom non-standard design)...that cable will only output composite with the specific game console it was made for.

99% of HDMI sources need a HDMI to AV converter box to get valid composite video output...the box contains electronics to handshake with HDCP, decode the HDMIs digital data into AV down scale the video signal and convert it all to analog.

[Jon1967us]

Well that seems to answer why the cable part didn't work. Sounds like you've definitely done your homework:
I've ordered a "box" version off of fleabay. I think it was around $8.

[Jon1967us]

Well, I got the hdmi to component box I ordered from ebay, hooked it up to my component to RF (F) box, both of which were being fed from my Macbook, and Voila!

https://ibb.co/Kx8L1Jj

https://ibb.co/jg6L44X

Thanks again for the info

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Jon1967us

Well, I got the hdmi to component box I ordered from ebay, hooked it up to my component to RF (F) box, both of which were being fed from my Macbook, and Voila!

https://ibb.co/Kx8L1Jj

https://ibb.co/jg6L44X

Thanks again for the info

Happy to help.

Nice GE(or hotpoint badged version) 14T series portable. Those sets were my first step into TV collecting from radio.

[Jon1967us]

Yep, it’s a Hotpoint. I also have a GE version of this model as well. Both are great TVs that seem to have rock solid Horizontal and Vertical lock. A little bit of a pain to remove the chassis from the cab.

Btw, did you convert yours to Solid State rectification? My Hotpoint is Germanium but the GE is still Selenium, but it still works fine.

[Electronic M]

I think my first one had been converted to top hat silicone by its previous owners. I probably converted my other 2 to silicone as well, but I don't remember.

I tend to avoid leaving seleniums connected since I don't trust them.