Has anyone built one of these transcoders before?

[4Aaron GE]

http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/interfaces/diytranscoder.html

And if you want to read the 50+ page thread on how it turned into a commercial product...
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=193919

[BobA]

Looks interesting but at 100 mhz I would worry about PCB layout.  Did not want to read the whole thread.   If all you want is an hdtv signal for your TV from your VGA output on a computer there is probably a simpler way.   Just get a cheap card (you might already have the DVI out) that supports DVI out and get a dvi to component adapter for YPbPr.

[grundle]

Never built one, but I bought the one based on the AVS Forums thread.

http://www.crescendo-systems.com/transcoder.html

Looks like you can still buy it, but it's expensive.  I do remember that he threw in a very nice pen with his company's name on it which I still use.

BTW, I don't think there is really a DVI to Component adapter.  There is an adapter for certain ATI cards that (I'm guessing) take advantage of some unused pins on the DVI connector (of those certain ATI cards).  I'm guessing that the hardware routes a YPbPr signal to the unused pins and the adapter just breaks these out to three RCA jacks.  Just trying to break this myth that seems to be prevalent around here.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

[BobA]

Looks like an adapter that will work.  It does not say only ATI cards but it asks for sync on green.   

Link

Here is a link to a tutorial on how to connect your PC to HDTV

Tutorial

[grundle]

I'm almost 100% sure that that only works with ATI cards.

Alot of Nvidia cards have adapters from an s-video looking connector to component.  The only difference is that ATI was more clever with where they used extra pins.

I've never read a post where someone was able to use one of these adapters successfully with another video card, but many who realized that their non-ATI (and even many ATI) cards were not compatible.

[BobA]

You are probably correct.  It always seems to get back to ATI cards or adapters as some point.  A Radeon 9700 and a $30 adapter is cheaper then a transcoder and a computer needs a video card anyway.  Newer ati card apparently come with a dvi to component cable so no adpater needed if you can get one of those.

[FrizzleFried]

Hell guys...I am selling a VGA to component video transcoder in the BST forum.  It is an Audio Authority VGA to Component Video transcoder...I used it with both ATI and Nivida to convert my HTPC VGA signal component video for my HDTV.

Here is a pic of it...

[segasonicfan]

Sadly, I have....lol.  Check out my website for pics and info.  The schematic listed on Elm Electronics is actually far better for constructing these but I must warn people, this is a painfully tedious and very difficult project.

My site with info:
http://www.freewebs.com/segasonicfan/arcadeworks.htm

-Segasonicfan

[4Aaron GE]

Thanks for the input guys.  As it stands, I may just end up having to find an old radeon to make it work.  turns out that the only place near me to buy components went under last month.  >_<