Path: rcfnews.cs.umass.edu!barrett From: wblock@rapidnet.com (Warren Block) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews Subject: REVIEW: Panavision Multimedia PC/TV Video Converter Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Date: 12 Oct 1995 14:00:39 GMT Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett Lines: 259 Sender: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator) Distribution: world Message-ID: <45j727$pk@kernighan.cs.umass.edu> Reply-To: wblock@rapidnet.com (Warren Block) NNTP-Posting-Host: astro.cs.umass.edu Keywords: hardware, video, converter, VGA, commercial Originator: barrett@astro.cs.umass.edu PRODUCT NAME Panavision Multimedia PC/TV Video Converter BRIEF DESCRIPTION A device that allows you to view normal composite video and TV signals on a VGA monitor. AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION MANUFACTURER Name: Leader Precision Industrial Co. Ltd. Address: No 20-6 Hsia Kuei Jon Shan Taipei Hsien Taiwan R.O.C. Telephone: 886-2-6235090 FAX: 886-2-6235354 PLACE PURCHASED Name: Dalco Electronics Address: 275 Pioneer Boulevard Springboro, Ohio 45066 USA Telephone: (800) 445-5342 (USA and Canada) (800) 543-2526 Technical Support (513) 743-8042 Fax (513) 743-9251 BBS: (513) 743-2244 Compuserve: "GO DA". LIST PRICE Unknown. Dalco sells it for $274.15. SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS HARDWARE VGA-compatible (31.5 kHz) or multisync monitor. A Commodore 1080 or 1084 will not work. SOFTWARE None. COPY PROTECTION None. MACHINE USED FOR TESTING Amiga 4000, 16M Fast RAM, 2M Chip RAM Idek Vision Master 8617 Monitor AmigaDOS 3.1 INSTALLATION Disconnect the monitor cable from the DB23-to-HDD15 adapter on the back of the A4000. Attach the supplied HDD15-to-HDD15 cable to both the adapter on the A4000 and the video converter, and plug the monitor into the video converter. Optionally, attach audio and other video cables from the Amiga or other devices to the video converter. REVIEW Although it is easy to use, this item combines a lot of complex functions, so I'll start by defining them: Video And Audio Switcher Switch between the computer VGA signal and the other signals plugged into the video converter. Cable Television Tuner Standard cable-type TV tuner. Stereo Amplifier And Speaker Inputs and outputs are stereo, although, since there is only one speaker built into the the video converter, sound played on the video converter comes out mono. Scan Doubler This circuitry lets the video converter display 15 kHz signals at a 31.5 kHz rate. Attached to the video converter, your VGA-compatible monitor essentially becomes a TV. The video converter provides jacks for two composite video inputs, each with its own pair of stereo audio RCA jacks. Also provided are connectors for a VGA input from the computer, a pair of headphones or "computer speakers," a TV antenna or cable, and a five-pin DIN for the video converter power supply. Physically, the video converter is a mini-tower layout, about eight inches high, three inches wide, and ten inches deep. On the front are LED indicators that show what input is presently active. A large Panavision name plate on the top front of the unit disguises the infrared remote sensor. That's right, this unit comes with a remote! With the video converter connected between the monitor and the Amiga, there's no difference in video operation with the computer. As long as the video converter is set to the "PC" (VGA) input, the monitor acts like normal. To select the TV tuner as the signal input, just press the "TV" button on the remote. At this point, it becomes a TV. The remote provides all the standard controls, including channel and volume up and down, input selection, and numeric channel buttons. It is even possible to adjust brightness, contrast, color, tint, sharpness, bass, treble, and stereo balance using on-screen menus. The value of these adjustments are somewhat questionable, as the unit doesn't have any power-off memory, so any changes made are forgotten when power is switched off. I ran an RG-6 coax cable from the RF output of my Monterey satellite receiver to the video converter's antenna input, and set both units to channel 4. The video converter is also used as an audio amp and speaker for both the Amiga and a nearby Pentium system. DOCUMENTATION A five-page flyer describes the unit's connectors, remote control, basic operation, and specifications. It's very light on details, but most people would not need anything more. LIKES The video converter works, and the integration of video and audio functions is a natural. Despite the small size of the speaker, it still sounds much better than any of the so-called "computer speakers" I've heard. If you switch to TV mode, then back to PC, the video converter still plays the TV audio, so you can listen to TV programming while working on the computer. The mini-tower format is nice; the box doesn't take a lot of desk space. An adapter cable is provided to draw power for the video converter from a standard 5.25-inch disk drive connector. Considering that the A4000 power supply is often inadequate for even minor expansion hardware, I use the "wall wart" transformer also provided. Still, it's nice to have the option. DISLIKES AND SUGGESTIONS There is no battery backup for audio or video settings. On power-up, all settings are set to their defaults. Fortunately, these defaults are usually adequate. High-contrast or bright areas in a TV picture tend to bleed, and solid white areas can bleed badly. It doesn't make the picture unwatchable, though. It's possible that this is an artifact of the composite to VGA conversion. Shielding is not particularly good; since there's a TV station broadcasting on channel 3 in my area, the video converter's TV picture was almost unusable on channel 3; channel 4 worked well. The remote control is not recognized for about the first 20 seconds after the unit has been turned on. This can be inconvenient. A very nice addition to the unit would be another VGA input, so it could be used to switch one monitor between two computers. COMPARISON TO OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS If there are other similar products, I've never seen them. BUGS There's supposed to be an MTS stereo decoder in the unit; an LED on the front indicates when an MTS broadcast is being received and decoded. This has never worked for me, although the RF output from the satellite receiver *is* in MTS stereo. A second unit provided as a replacement by Dalco had the same problem. The firmware in the video converter could stand a little tuning. For instance, when switching from PC to TV, the on-screen channel display is supposed to disappear after a few seconds, and usually does. Sometimes, though, it just stays there until you press the Display button on the remote. The manual doesn't address this, so it's possible I'm just doing something wrong. VENDOR SUPPORT Dalco quickly sent out a replacement unit when I informed them of the MTS decoder problem. In this and my other experiences with them, they've provided excellent support. WARRANTY A warranty card was included for the manufacturer, but it was printed in Chinese (I think -- it could have been Martian for all I know). Dalco covers all the items in their catalog with a one-year warranty. Additionally, there is a 30-day money back guarantee (shipping charges non-refundable). CONCLUSIONS If you're considering purchasing the video converter, you should also consider buying a TV set. Each has its own advantages. The video converter provides integration with the equipment you already have, and takes little space. A TV set takes a fair amount of space, but can be used without your computer monitor, and probably will provide a better picture. It really hinges on price. For the combination of features that the video converter provides, I can't see it being sold for very much less than the $275 that Dalco is asking. At the same time, for that much money, it should provide the same basic features that a TV would provide; mainly, this would be battery-backed memory for the settings like volume and picture controls, and a functional MTS decoder. Having said that, I bought one, and now would have a hard time doing without the convenience of it. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Copyright 1995 Warren Block. This file may be redistributed freely as long as no changes are made to it. .----------------------------------------------------------------. | Warren R. Block * New EMail Address: wblock@rapidnet.com | | Rapid City SD USA * Brought to you in majestic INEMASCOP! | `----------------------------------------------------------------' --- Accepted and posted by Daniel Barrett, comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator Send reviews to: amiga-reviews-submissions@math.uh.edu Request information: amiga-reviews-requests@math.uh.edu Moderator mail: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu Anonymous ftp site: math.uh.edu, in /pub/Amiga/comp.sys.amiga.reviews