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- Path: sparky!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken!ptavv.llnl.gov!oberman
- From: oberman@ptavv.llnl.gov
- Newsgroups: rec.video
- Subject: Re: video amplifiers
- Message-ID: <1993Jan21.133028.1@ptavv.llnl.gov>
- Date: 21 Jan 93 21:30:28 GMT
- References: <1993Jan20.130336.7319@hemlock.cray.com>
- Sender: usenet@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV
- Distribution: na
- Lines: 43
- Nntp-Posting-Host: ptavv.llnl.gov
-
- In article <1993Jan20.130336.7319@hemlock.cray.com>, sully@cray.com (Brian Sullivan) writes:
- > I recently wired my whole house for video, resulting in the use of some
- > splitters (two 1-4's to be exact, my conclusion that the tradeoff of
- > longer cable runs instead of more splitters would result in better video
- > quality).
- >
- > Anyway, I recently purchased a JVC HS-6800U S-VHS VCR, and the video
- > played through the VCRs tuner is noticably worse than the video
- > fed directly to the TV (27" Sony XBR). If I eliminate one splitter,
- > the picture going through the VCR tuner is much improved. The same
- > problem existed using my older model Zenith HiFi deck.
- >
- > The questions:
- >
- > 1. Anyone with a recommendation of video amplifiers? Any expectation that
- > this would resolve the problem?
- > 2. Any explanation as to why the same signal fed to the TV looks
- > better than if fed through the VCR input and out through an S-video
- > connector? Is it likely that the tuner sensitivity of the VCR is
- > less than that of the TV?
- > 3. Anyone with a similar experience or a hotshot solution? ;-)
-
- FWIW: I have an old JVC S-1000U and the tuner is a piece of sh**! It is VERY
- noisy. A friend with an identical VCR bought about 6 months later has exactly
- the same problem and he uses an external tuner for recording. I bought a Sony
- R5! No more noise.) I don't know how much better the HS-6800U might be.
-
- Two 4 way splits is a LOT. Assuming they are in series, the connections to the
- first are each down 6dB and those on the second are down 12. That means that a
- tuner connected to the second will have significantly less than one tenth of
- the original signal strength.
-
- I'd suggest an amplifier, probably about 14 dB. 20 would probably be OK. Most
- TV's have AGC's that are really hard to overdrive. Put it as close to the
- cable entrance to the house as possible. If you can afford a good, commercial
- unit (at least $200) that is the best choice. Grass Valley Group makes good
- ones. But a Radio Shack unit will probably do fine (about $20).
-
- R. Kevin Oberman Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Internet: koberman@llnl.gov (510) 422-6955
-
- Disclaimer: Don't take this too seriously. I just like to improve my typing
- and probably don't really know anything useful about anything.
-