Help with Video to multiple TVs/Displays

[timetohunt]

Hey there. I have been a music addict most of my like, and over the past few years I have discovered the awsome enjoyment that I get out of concert DVDs. I have hooked up my DVD player to 2 TVs and one Monitor for a total of 3 displays because I rarely ever just sit and watch, I'm moving all around the house most of the time. My audio all runs separate as I rarely use any of the speakers that are on the TVs. This is a video question though: First here is how I have video to three displays: On the 42" Plasma I have component video jacks from my Receiver then a Monitor out to the 42". I ran a standard RCA video cable from the DVD Player (video out) to one TV (through the walls) and then from that TV's video out to another TV upstairs (all through the walls). It works - I have all three displays playing the concert while a pretty good audio system spits out the audio. My question is this: When I use the Progressive Mode on the DVD player to send 480p to my 42" Plasma, I can't get the DVD video to run to the other TV (and thus both of the other TVs). I don't want to run component video cables all through the house (one TV does not have that anyway, its old but a great TV). Is there a DVD player that can send 480p to my plasma then 480i through the standard cables to the others. I don't know much about video. Thanks.

[Brandon B]

DVDs are encoded in component video. So for the average DVD player, outputting over component means taking the MPEG2 compressed video stream, uncompressing it to component video and sending it out. When you choose to send it out over Svideo or composite, the DVD player switches the signal to some processing circuitry to combine the luma and color signals to output there, but does not "split" the signal and so nothing comes out the component.

There are undoubtedly some models that do split and amplify the signal so that it is output in multiple formats, but you would have to check individual models operating manuals or specs, I am not up to date on which ones will or won't do this. My guess is it will tend to be the more expensive models, i.e. not the $40 Target jobs.

BB

[Kevin P]

Composite and S-video only support interlaced (480i) video signals. Component can be interlaced or progressive (480p). Most players nowadays have only one set of Video DACs so when you switch to progressive, there's nothing to provide an interlaced signal to the S-video/composite outputs. Some older or more expensive players have more than one set of DACs and can output both simultaneously--I used to have a Sony DVP-S9000ES that did this. I have a Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi now, but I've never tested to see if it outputs both 480i and 480p simultaneously.

[G. Martin]

Timetohunt, you might check out the sherwood New castle SD-871. I have one wired like you describe in our show room and to top that off I also have HDMI upconversion at the same time. I was amazed that it worked with all three types of video outputs going at the same time.