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Cheaper Component to S-Video Converter

103K views 693 replies 78 participants last post by  kjbawc 
#1 ·
 http://www.svideo.com/appletv2tv.html


For those of you who are boxed in by forced 16:9 letterboxing from your STB via s-video. It looks like converters will become more reasonable very soon.


The converter in the link above was originally selling for $99 but it looks like the price was recently increased - probably because of demand. The converter is often discussed in Apple TV forums. This device may breath new life into DVD recorders that lack component inputs for those that want to record full widescreen 16:9 via s-video from a component source.


I'm guessing in a few months after the dust settles the price will start to come down.
 
#383 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff /forum/post/20137076



I'm serioiusly thinking of purchasing one of these [UR My only concern is if it's made by Lenkeng
if so I'm sure to not like the quality. I'm also leary of the low price, I just can't believe for how low it is that it could be of good quality. The seller has free shipping so I guess if I didn't like it the worst I'd be out would be my return shipping.

The cheaper device makes no such claims and even says since the signal is downconverted to 480i that it doesn't need to be CP'd to be HDCP compliant

I REALLY hope Lenkeng doesn't come out with a HDMI>anything device,cuz if they do it'll probably be a dud.I can just see the new thread name now.

the "Cheaper HDMI>s-video converter" thread. ay yi yi lololol.

I also don't believe the "doesn't need to be CP'D to be HDCP compliant" statement.I'm also
G.
 
#384 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff /forum/post/20137076


I'm serioiusly thinking of purchasing one of these HDMI to S-VIDEO converters. From reading the reviews I believe this is actually what it does(and not the other way around).

Yeah the reviews leave no room for doubt as to which way this converter is designed to work. May be worth a shot. If you get one let us know how it performs jjeff!
 
#388 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff /forum/post/20137076


The cheaper device makes no such claims and even says since the signal is downconverted to 480i that it doesn't need to be CP'd to be HDCP compliant

jjeff,i just read more about the cheaper HDMI>S-VIDEO converter you are thinking about buying. The description reads "PASS SIGNAL W/HDCP DOWNGRADE"(480i).So it is still passing CP. Better keep your Sima close by,sounds like you'll be needing it.


Also note the negative reviews, don't ignore them,there are as many of those as there are positive ones(geez,that seems eerily like the Lenkeng reviews
). If you decide to try one, definitely let us all know how well it performs! G.
 
#389 ·
On my link the following caught my eye:

"Even HDCP encrypted HDMI can legally be converted to analog composite / S-Video AV because resolution will be at 480i." which led me to believe the seller thinks since that since the output is 480i it need not be CP'd
(maybe I'm reading this wrong).

Of course taking it literately HDCP means High Definition Copy Protection so I guess 480i wouldn't need to be HDCP'd but of course it should be CP'd one would think.


I'm getting more leary about the whole HDMI to S-video product and WOW electronics. I have it in my Amazon cart but half the time I look at it it says currently not available and the other half it's another company(SPECIALTY-AV) without free shipping and more money
I think(and I believe you also thought at one time) both companies are one in the same, but why the different prices and switching in my cart I just don't know.


My ultimate component to S-video converter would be this Atlona but it's been discontinued, replaced by this one that lacks component in/out. A similar device with component would be this one this one or this Audio Authority or Amazon sells the discontinued Atlona for $449. $450 is really more than I care to spend but I do like that it had adjustable color, brightness, etc. so if things aren't exactly as I like it can be tweaked. The other ~$200 Atlona converters don't have any adjustments so you're kind of stuck with what you get.

I'm still thinking about the original Svideo.com Apple TV converter which has the limitation of only 480i for a input, all my current devices output 480i but I do know some start at 480p for component in which case I'd be SOL.
 
#390 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff /forum/post/20140189


On my link the following caught my eye:

"Even HDCP encrypted HDMI can legally be converted to analog composite / S-Video AV because resolution will be at 480i." which led me to believe the seller thinks since that since the output is 480i it need not be CP'd
(maybe I'm reading this wrong).

Of course taking it literately HDCP means High Definition Copy Protection so I guess 480i wouldn't need to be HDCP'd but of course it should be CP'd one would think.


I'm getting more leary about the whole HDMI to S-video product and WOW electronics. I have it in my Amazon cart but half the time I look at it it says currently not available and the other half it's another company(SPECIALTY-AV) without free shipping and more money
I think(and I believe you also thought at one time) both companies are one in the same, but why the different prices and switching in my cart I just don't know.


My ultimate component to S-video converter would be this Atlona but it's been discontinued, replaced by this one that lacks component in/out. A similar device with component would be this one this one or this Audio Authority or Amazon sells the discontinued Atlona for $449. $450 is really more than I care to spend but I do like that it had adjustable color, brightness, etc. so if things aren't exactly as I like it can be tweaked. The other ~$200 Atlona converters don't have any adjustments so you're kind of stuck with what you get.

I'm still thinking about the original Svideo.com Apple TV converter which has the limitation of only 480i for a input, all my current devices output 480i but I do know some start at 480p for component in which case I'd be SOL.


I don't know what the seller is trying to say,it's so confusing. HDCP is for digital signal,480i via s-video would be analog.HDCP can't be applied to analog signals can it? That's why Hollywood doesn't like Component video outputs.That's why,starting in 2013 BR players manufactured won't be allowed to have Component video outputs,although players with Component video outputs remaining on store shelves will still be allowed to be sold until 2014.Any CP would be stripped out i think.I don't know where the seller comes up with that statement about the legality of a downrezzed signal,but iv'e wondered about it's legality myself.

I don't blame you for being leery of those converters.And yes,there does seem to be something strange going on with WOW.


Iv'e seen the Component >s-video converters your looking at and i would've liked to have bought one but,i was put off by the price.$450 and up is a little beyond my budget.I sure do like all the video controls those converters have.

I especially liked the Audio Authority 1361 and considered going beyond my budget,but in the end those two old curmudgeons,reason, and logic, set in and i didn't buy it.
G.


PS: The converter that lacks component inputs,the AT-PC-AVS COMP seems to be for computer use not HT.

Also,you might want to stay away from the discontinued Atlona model #AT-HD-AVSC. The one review it has is bad.Apparently there is supposed to be a software cd that comes with the converter that was missing,the reviewer tried to get it from Atlona,but Atlona couldn't find one to send him.They probably couldn't find one for you either.
 
#392 ·
I don't know if jjeff has seen it,but i have.It looks exactly like a Lenkeng converter(rebadged).You can tell it's a Lenkeng by the rounded sides of the housing and by it's general look. Not a good choice. Iv'e seen the Lenkeng converter being sold at a lot of diff. websites for prices ranging from $43 bucks at MP to as much as $125-$150 bucks at some other sites,and they are sold under diff.names,this time it's "svideo". G.
 
#393 ·
Agree, a Lenkeng by any other name is still a Lenkeng


The other giveaway is the 1/8" audio connector on one side and the RCA audio connectors on the other. I'd steer well away


No mention of Made in the USA like the other 480i component to S-video adapter that I believe this company actually makes so my guess is it's made in China like all the rest of the Lenkeng products(and basically everything else in this world)
 
#395 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JMas /forum/post/20142770


I almost got the one from svideo.com, but decided to give the MP one a try since they have a 30 day return.


The MP does get rid of the tint, and the Openbox has adjustments for Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation, so I have been able to get a very satisfactory picture.


The MP converter is actually branded with the Monoprice name, but the model is LKV-7611 and it is made in China.

Good thing you bought from MP,you saved yourself roughly $136 bucks!,and if your satisfied with the performance of that......"converter", then you got a real good deal.Be happy.
The PQ i got from my Lenkeng was less than stellar,in fact it was worse than terrible.
There have been a lot of people who have had issues with the Lenkeng,and there are some who are happy with it.

Whenever you see a model # LKVxxx it'll be a Lenkeng. A few mos.ago i ran across some products that had LKxxx model #. They looked like Lenkeng's because of the rounded sides of their casings,the placement of their in/outputs,and other connections(as jjeff noted),the black piano color,and the overall cheap appearance of the products.G.
 
#396 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by greaser
jjeff, kjbawc has an Audio Authority converter. He was having an issue with it and contacted AA about it,but hasn't reported yet as to what if anything AA will do/has done for him. G.
True, I have an Audio Authority that I bought on eBay for $88. My problem is that occasionally, not always, it will, for a few seconds to a couple of minutes, have a weird horizontal interface line, where the top portion of the picture and the bottom portion don't line up. Sometimes it is jarring, like when it splits someone's head. It's almost like the time synch is off between the two portions of the picture.


Also, even though I have now correctly initialized the converter, when my signal is an SD source, and is letterboxed, the picture doesn't scale properly. I've learned to switch directly from a full-screen SD picture, to the LB picture, and the scaling is correct.


The problem I had with losing picture lock on very small credits on a black background, proved to be an issue with The Sundance Channel, not the converter.


I e-mailed Audio Authority about my problems. They replied quickly, but seemed unfamiliar with the problem. They suggested that it might be a bad S-Vid cable, but I have made certain that this is not true. They will repair it for $75, but I'm a bit skeptical that they will be successful, given the intermittent nature of the problem. But, I have been compiling a DVD to demo the problem, if and when I send it in. Mickinct informs me that there are internal adjustments I might try, but I have not. I'm afraid of making it worse. Right now, sometimes I have to redub to HDD a time or two, to get an acceptable copy.


This converter does deliver a very nice picture, when it has no glitches.


I have a Lenkeng, purchased directly from them. It's not great, but not awful. It's a bit dim, and a bit fuzzy, but just a bit. I use it to archive bits of news programs, and find it acceptable for that.


I bought the Monoprice version, and find the picture significantly better than the one directly from Lenkeng. I use it to copy protected PAL DVDs to NTSC, and then to DVD.
 
#397 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by kjbawc /forum/post/20145899



Also, even though I have now correctly initialized the converter, when my signal is an SD source, and is letterboxed, the picture doesn't scale properly. I've learned to switch directly from a full-screen SD picture, to the LB picture, and the scaling is correct.

Correct. With the makes/models you and i have,we must first feed the converter a full screen pic. For an unattended timed recording i turn the converter on first(actually it's on a timer)then about 2 min.later the Sat. rec'vr comes on,then the DVDR. In the "Timer"section of the Sat.rec'vr,i first enter Fox News HD(for the full screen image)then the channel i want to record from 2nd. I set Fox News to run for 1-2 min. to allow the converter to "initialize",then the tuner changes to the channel i want to record from.If i do things in that sequence,then i don't run in to AR problems except with 2:35.1 AR,that one can be problematic(at times,other times no, i don't know why) for my converter.for an attended recording i can "play"with various settings and capture that AR too. Iv'e been thinking about calling Atlona and asking if they can disable the "auto full screen" "feature" so the converter will always show the correct AR,it would make life a little simpler.


I kinda wish i had bought a higher end converter like maybe the Audio Authority 1361 for the ability to change AR and other video settings at will. But i had to stay within my budget
G.
 
#398 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff /forum/post/20137076


I'm serioiusly thinking of purchasing one of these HDMI to S-VIDEO converters.

Since I got the refund for the Ambrey device, I decided to give one of these a spin. I ordered a few days ago when they had stock (the price was $58.99 delivered). I will of course give you all a report once I receive it! It was dispatched Saturday so should be here before too long I would have thought.
 
#399 ·
Then everyone will get 2 opinions, I just ordered one last night for the same price


I was a little worried about the mention of a restocking fee on Amazon but hopefully if I'm not satisfied and return it like new they'll wave it


If I knew you were looking at it I would probably have waited but like I said it's nice for the board to get two opinions.
 
#401 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KJHarris /forum/post/20157726


I see that the LKV 7611 from Monoprice has a switch for PAL/NTSC. But don't we now use ATSC? So does this converter work with my SA4250 HD cable box?

As long as you have a Component video output it should work. Just be aware that the Lenkeng converter has an "iffy" record of performance. When it comes to the Lenkeng converter, Ya plops yer money down and ya takes yer chance! lol, and if it doesn't work for you,for any reason,even if it's that you just don't like the PQ then you can return it and get your $$ back. G.
 
#402 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KJHarris /forum/post/20157726


I see that the LKV 7611 from Monoprice has a switch for PAL/NTSC. But don't we now use ATSC? So does this converter work with my SA4250 HD cable box?

ATSC is our over the air RF standard(just like QAM is the cable standard), once it's down to baseband video(composite/component/S-video etc.) I believe it's still called NTSC. I think our OTA standard was officially NTSC 3.58 but we just called it NTSC.

I think the PAL/NTSC switch is just for 50 or 60 Hz, 50hz=PAL and 60hz =NTSC.
 
#403 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by greaser /forum/post/20158964


As long as you have a Component video output it should work. Just be aware that the Lenkeng converter has an "iffy" record of performance. When it comes to the Lenkeng converter, Ya plops yer money down and ya takes yer chance! lol, and if it doesn't work for you,for any reason,even if it's that you just don't like the PQ then you can return it and get your $$ back. G.

O.K. Here's why I was considering getting one. I have a Toshiba 430 DVR which has no tuner so I have it connected with s-video to my SA HD cable box. With the Toshiba on I get a real nice picture on my Panasonic 42" LCD TV except of course that it is letterboxed(top and bottom bands only). It records regular channels and HBO, Starz etc. with no problems. When viewing I can get rid of the letterboxing by hitting the TV's zoom function. It makes the picture very slightly less sharp but it's still nice and doesn't seem to cut off anything. When I read about the Lenkeng I thought--I can get rid of the letterboxing permanently without having to hit the zoom. But reading the comments about the Lenkeng, apparently it lowers the picture quality a bit, so I don't gain anything because the zoom does the same thing. So it seems like I would just trading one thing for another with no real benefit. What do you guys think?
 
#404 ·
I like you're thinking
and while I wasn't very impressed with the MP/Lenkeng component to S-video converters quality I would say it's better than letterboxed recording and having to use your TVs zoom function.

To get a noticeable improvement in PQ you'd have to spend $200 or more(for one of the Ambrey type converters). If that's just more than you want to spend then IMO the MP converter is better than nothing.

I would have liked the MP converter to look better but for the price I guess they had to cut corners somewhere. I'd be really PO'd if I had spend $100+ for the Lenkeng that some retailers charge, at least MP is fair on the price.
 
#405 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff /forum/post/20160201


ATSC is our over the air RF standard(just like QAM is the cable standard), once it's down to baseband video(composite/component/S-video etc.) I believe it's still called NTSC. I think our OTA standard was officially NTSC 3.58 but we just called it NTSC.

I think the PAL/NTSC switch is just for 50 or 60 Hz, 50hz=PAL and 60hz =NTSC.

Thanks for the technical info jjeff!!
I didn't know some of that,i just figure that if you've got Component video out,then the converter "should" work,otherwise there would be no need for the output if it didn't pass a usable(NTSC) signal. Simple deduction. And i haven't heard of anyone coming out with ATSC converters,or anything else ATSC, except tv's, and DVDR's,or any other device with a tuner. G.
 
#406 ·
Well, I do appreciate your help but I don't think I will get the Lenkeng after all. I now find out that my SA cable box will not allow its HDMI and Component outputs to be active at the same time, so that's the end of that for me. I'll be content with the letterboxing(or using the zoom to remove it).
 
#407 ·
Ok so my new HDMI to S-Vid/Composite converter arrived yesterday.


The housing is metal and the switches seem solid for such a cheap device (although the switches are quite sharp so watch those fingers!).


Overall I'd say the quality is similar to the MonoPrice converter. I am undecided as to which actually gives the best output. The MP one is still a little softer, but the new one seems like it may be more vivid, at the expense of it being slightly blockier (most noticeable on small on-screen text).


I did take a few minutes to record the same 1080i programming through both converters from my Moto cable PVR to my Magnavox 513. When I have time this weekend I'll put a couple of video clips together and upload them somewhere so you all can see what the output looks like, if you think that would be beneficial.


This could be an interesting device should the 'analog hole' be closed.
 
#408 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KJHarris /forum/post/20163248


Well, I do appreciate your help but I don't think I will get the Lenkeng after all. I now find out that my SA cable box will not allow its HDMI and Component outputs to be active at the same time, so that's the end of that for me. I'll be content with the letterboxing(or using the zoom to remove it).

Some commercial DVDs are/were letterboxed, such as True Lies. If I have to Zoom to watch commercial DVDs it kind of makes me feel it's OK to Zoom my own programs recorded in letterbox. Just one way to look at the situation.
 
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