RCA to BNC

[Tracy Peterson]

You can get BNC to RCA barrels of any configuration, if you want to connect component BNC to component RCA, though I’m not sure you can connect HDSDI the same way, RCA might not work in that application.

Tracy Peterson
http://www.onetwomany.com

[S. Marcotte]

[Tracy Peterson] “I’m not sure you can connect HDSDI the same way”

How exactly does this apply to my situation? And by “barrel” you mean adapter, right?

[Tracy Peterson]

https://www.svideo.com/bncpigad.html

is a bnc male to rca female “barrel” is what a friend called them in slang. feel free to call them whatever you want.

SDI and HDSDI are types of connections that I can’t confirm will work with BNC to RCA adaptation. Never tried it. Only used this for bnc component to rca component adaptation.

Tracy Peterson
http://www.onetwomany.com

[Sean Donnelly]

I’ve never heard of anyone using SDI with RCA connectors, but I assume Serge is referring to component or composite video, since no one (especially BM) would build a board with RCA connectors for SDI. I’d say go ahead and use whatever adapters you need to, just make sure they’re of decent quality and all of the same type (i.e. don’t use a good adaptor for blue and an old corroded one for red). Radioshack is actually a decent source for these if you don’t have a pro video shop nearby.

-Sean

[S. Marcotte]

[Sean Donnelly] “I’ve never heard of anyone using SDI with RCA connectors”

Let me clarify a bit. Blackmagic’s Intensity Pro capture card comes with a breakout cable that goes to RCA connectors only. Shocking but true. My component broadcast monitor (not SDI) only has BNC inputs (BNC doesn’t necessarily imply SDI – in this case it’s component).

I just need to connect my component card to my component monitor. One is RCA, the other is BNC. That’s all. I was debating between RCA-BNC adapters, vs. a RCA-BNC cable. Which is safer, in terms of quality? Or am I just looking for something to worry about. Serge.

[Tracy Peterson]

Well, there’s always a greater chance that one of four components is going to have a factory defect than one bnc cable (the numbers work against you), but the adapters are cheap and good to have a bunch handy anyway. It’s a matter of personal preference probably.

Tracy Peterson
http://www.onetwomany.com

[Sean Donnelly]

RCA-BNC cables are readily available, but if you can’t find them the adapters work great.

-Sean

[Bob Zelin]

Sean is correct.
Blackmagic built this product, assuming that most users who purchased this model, would be using low cost consumer or prosumer products, like Plasma displays and DVD-R’s that all have RCA video connections. If you had a consumer Plasma display, instead of your professional broadcast Ikegami monitor, you would be using short coax RCA to RCA cables.

If you have 3 RCA VIDEO cables (not audio cables), go to Radio Shack and get 3 RCA female to BNC male adaptors (about $3.00 each). These are the same quality connectors as Markertek sells (I believe called the BF adaptor). They are all made by Chinese companies like AIM Electronics. For your application, this will work fine (provided you are not running these cables 100′ away, for example).

I wish you luck with your used Ikegami Broadcast monitor, as the CRT tube’s in the Iki’s are notorious for going soft. I also question whether this Iki monitor will display an HD-SDI signal via analog component. Any cheapo Wal Mart/Best Buy plasma or LCD will display HD via the analog component connectors, but “old” broadcast montiors like the one you just bought probably DO NOT. To my knowlege, the only “low cost” CRT monitor that would display HD-SDI via analog component is the Sony PVM-20L5/1, and Sony PVM-14L5/1.

Bob Zelin

[S. Marcotte]

Thanks for all the input. I wound up calling out of town for a custom cable. Not one Radio Shack in this one had any adaptors or cables in stock. Frustrating.

To respond to Mr. Zelin, the Ikegami doesn’t take SDI, nor does the Intensity Pro feed it.

[Bob Zelin] “I also question whether this Iki monitor will display an HD-SDI signal via analog component.”

You’re saying: SDI can go through RCA in certain cases? I’m a bit new to all this, but I was made to believe that SDI positively requires a BNC out card (Like the Decklink Studio card, I believe) and a BNC monitor with the proud letters “SDI” printed on the front. Short of that, no SDI.

[Sean Donnelly]

The connector choice is somewhat irrelevant. It happens to be that anything that sends SDI uses a BNC connection (unless it’s a RED), while component devices use either, depending on the price level. I think what Bob was referring to is that the iki may not be able to display an HD signal output by the BM card, because it was never intended to.

-Sean