I need to connect my DVD player to my navigation monitor (BMW X5 '04 model), and the part that does this is ridiculously expensive and bulky:

http://www.gnetcanada.com/factoryint...n-products.htm

So am wondering if you have any pointers on doing this myself.

It basically takes a composite NTSC video, and generates separate RGB and sync signals.

Thanks, Caesar.

 

Easy to find video sync separator, but I'm unsure how to separate the RGB colors from comp signal.

God luck.
STEVE

 

How do you separate the sync out? Can you provide a part list/schematic?

I can use a standard composite video to RGB converter from RadioShack.

Thanks !

 

You don't need to separate the sync, it's almost universal to use the full composite video signal as the sync signal - the monitor itself has a sync-separator which takes the sync off the composite video.

 

Ah I see, that's why they say it's a composite sync :-)

Thanks !

 

hi, i too had a similar problem with some 50" tv's which only have an rgb input, i spent days searching the web for suitable converters, the best one and cheapest one i found was a company in australia converters.tv i think is the address, its about $120 usd but the picture is neary as good as rgb, if anyone has got any ideas how i can make a converter simply please let me know, ive seen loads of designs using the MC13779 chip but its abit over my head as coils and chokes etc have to be used. hope this helps

 

hi, i too had a similar problem with some 50" tv's which only have an rgb input, i spent days searching the web for suitable converters, the best one and cheapest one i found was a company in australia converters.tv i think is the address, its about $120 usd but the picture is neary as good as rgb, if anyone has got any ideas how i can make a converter simply please let me know, ive seen loads of designs using the MC13779 chip but its abit over my head as coils and chokes etc have to be used. hope this helps

 

It can't be anywhere near as good as RGB!, starting from a composite source you can't possibly get any better than the original composite material.

Assuming RGB is 100%, I would probably rate S-Video about 30%, and composite video about 25%. This all depends (obviously!) on the source of the program material, neither professional VTR's or cameras provide RGB quality - probably the only RGB quality transmissions I've ever seen were from the long failed BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting), who actually used RGB cameras for their live studio shots.

It's called a colour decoder - as you already know, it's not terribly simple, although modern chips have simplified things quite a lot. You 'may' be able to utilise the decoder parts from an old TV, but you would need a good knowledge of how it all works, and it would require a lot of work.

__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

 

It's a video decoder. You can find more info here:

http://www.epanorama.net/links/videocircuits.html and
http://www.epanorama.net/links/videochips.html and
http://www.epanorama.net/links/video.html

Also, there is a sync separator chip: LM1881 by national semiconductor. I'm using this to separate out the sync, and the recombine that with the green signal to get sync on green RGB.

The simple composite to RGB video decoder chips have for a long time been discontinued by manufacturers. They've gone digital, so you'll have to look for a video to digital RGB chip, and then a digital RGB chip to analog RGB chip.

oh and BTW, the MC13779 chip mentioned is not a video chip at all. It is a WCDMA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE chip :-)

 

If you think this adaptor is ridiculously expensive and bulky, what do you think about a BMW X5 '04 model?

Ante :roll:

 

I love the car and it's worth every cent

What irks me is the parts of the converter can be had for much less than what it is retailed for. You can get it on the web for a fraction of the price.

Now, the BMW can also be ordered in parts, and you can also put it together yourself, but the total is several times the retail price at the dealer :shock: