S-Video Cable Length?

[SiGmA_X]

I am working on the final schematics for my home MP3/DIVx server, and the only hitch is the location of the server... I can run the CAT-5 to and from almost any location with out a problem, but I'm not sure about the S-Video. If I want to have the server where the cable modem and hub terminals are located (center of house) then I would need 50-75 feet of S-Video cable to the entertainment center.

What is the maximum length for a S-Video cable?

Is there a workaround so I can extend the cable with an adapter to CAT-5 and back from CAT-5 to S-Video? Maybe?

[daddyof2]

Depending on the quality of cable used your lenght may vary. The most common length used before there is a signal loss is 30 ft. However with a better cable the length can be extended. Try monster cable (http://monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=211&mixtype=), it is a little on the exspensive side but is excellent cable. The also sell just the s-video ends so you should be able to use your own cable but signal strength would most likely be an issue. If you want to pay over $200 for the longer cable then that is your choice. (im a cheap skate so I would use phone cable and ends I made myself!:D :beer:

[goatzool]

I recently helped my daughter set up the TV out (S video) so she could play DVD's to the big screen. The longest S-vid cable I could find was 15 feet and several people (admittedly, Radio Shack employees) said that longer cables have too much capacitance/impedance and degrade the signal. Now, I know there are "boosters" one can buy for cable TV signals but I have never heard of a booster for S-video. I think the cheapest way to watch DVD's on a television is to get a DVD player to put right next to it.

[abb1]

Well, I got a 20 footer hooked up to my big screen and it works good at first and then the colors fade out. I tried 2 graphic cards and they both have the same problem. I am using a monster cable. upstairs where I only have a 6 footer hooked up to my sons tv, there is no problem. I have assumed that the problem lies in the cable length.

[SiGmA_X]

I was reading on some site that the max length for perfect quality is 37', and I found a 50 footer that will work great for this :)

I would use Monster Cable (It's what my DVD player, PS2, VCR, optical sound [PS2, DVD], analog sound too) but I don't think I want to spend $100+ on 50' of cable.

[RoadWarrior]

If you get the signal pairs right, then coax cable TV cable should work good, admittedly it will be bulky and rather inflexible to have 5 runs of it taped together, but you can often pick it up real cheap. You could try using an antenna 75ohm to 300ohm impedance convertor on each end of a phone cable or cat 5 cable (need one convertor for each signal pair ) since that would be approximately right I think, but that's for experiment. Probably fairly simple to get some high frequency capable cheap transistor and use a few of them to boost signal strength to 9V then run it down telephone wire and step it back down to 1V levels again. If I was desperate I'd go for that, dunno if that might actually be possible with high freq, high efficiency toroidal transformers, with 20:1 ratios or so, could possibly screw up the signal some, and you'd have to protect the ins and outs against back emf, but I'm a bit of an electronics dabbler rather than expert so it would take me a while of headscratching to figure it.

Road Warrior

[SiGmA_X]

Road Warrior - Do you think that if I used a CAT-5 cable, it would work decently? Or would S-Video work ok? I mean, my parents are paying for it for me, and there isn't room for coax, so do you think that S-Video would work ok?

Also, I think I should mention what I'm doing... Here's what I'm doing:
I am runing approxamently 50 feet of Red/White sound cable, S-Video cable, and USB cable to my TV (RW for sound, SVideo for vidoe (duh) and USB for controler). I need the video/sound quility to be good, and the USB should be good too :)

Anyone know where to get 50 foot USB cables?

[RoadWarrior]

Only hope of getting a decent signal out of cat 5 for more than 3 feet or so of it, is to impedance match the video signals, all paired to ground, with a 75 Ohm to 300 Ohm impedance matcher. Even then, without shielding, it's going to pick up a lot of garbage.

I think you might actually get a better picture if you use an RF convertor from a console, or buy one, and run it down a single cable TV wire with a signal amplifier.
Way I see it is, SVideo=better pic quality, as long as you use a short cable, if you wanna send it medium distance, use composite video, if you wanna send it a long way, use RF. Using composite down a cable TV cable would probably work better too, I think you can get video amps for CCTV systems and the like. You'd have to run the audio seperate of course with that scheme. And with RF you'd only get stereo if the convertor supported it and you had a decoder at the set.
Do not think of Cat 5 as high quality cable, it is nowhere near, it's the least you can get away with that's tuned to the specific frequencies used by ethernet networking. A ball of string is cheaper than a ball of rope, that doesn't mean that if you can't afford rope you can tow a car with string. Rope isn't particularly suitable for tying up a small parcel, string is. Cables are specced for certain jobs, use the right one, and it will work, use the wrong one, you'll get a mess, and cost yourself the half price solution PLUS the full price solution.
regards,

Road Warrior

[SiGmA_X]

Okay, I understand most of it :)

First - What is 'RF'? Maybe I'm just too tired, and I'll know it once I'm awake tomorrow (I have been up nearly 24 hours as is, and havn't slept much all week...) but what is it? :)

Can I get a S-Video -> Composite addaptor? And then a Composite -> S-Video at the TV end? (We are using the Composite ports on the TV for the DVD player, because we want top quality (Spent over $200, closer to $300, for Monster Cables for my PS2 [optical sound, S-Video], my video camera, the VCR, the DVD [+ optical sound] :))

What type of cables should I use for 50 feet of red/white cables?