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olePigeon · Nov 13, 2009, 12:41 PM

We have a close circuit TV system at our school campus that we use to broadcast daily announcements each morning. It's pretty cool and fun, the kids get to do a sort of news broadcast for the day.

Right now we record to DVD then play on a DVD Player, but we would like to just broadcast the movie from the computer directly to the CCTV. I did a little Googling and didn't find much. Anyone here have a suggestion?

This is analog TV, of course, over Coax & RCA.

It just occurred to me this very second that an AppleTV might do the trick. Any thoughts?

olePigeon · Nov 13, 2009, 12:46 PM

Can I use a component to coax converter cable? Will that work?

mduell · Nov 13, 2009, 01:27 PM

I don't see how AppleTV would help the situation at all; it's not coax equipped.

You need an RF modulator like this, along with the appropriate adapter for your computer to output Svideo.

olePigeon · Nov 13, 2009, 03:11 PM

The AppleTV has component, can I use a component + RCA to coaxial cable?

olePigeon · Nov 13, 2009, 03:18 PM

So I just need the RF Modulator, a mini-DVI to S-video adapter, and a mini to RCA adapter. I think.

Xyphoid Process · Nov 13, 2009, 03:29 PM

Some Options:

1. Is the Mac you're authoring it on close to the CCTV's input board? If so, you could just use a Mini-DVI to Video Adapter: Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter - Apple Store (U.S.). This gives you an RCA and S-Video output. If you need coax you can get an inexpensive RF adapter at Radio Shack etc...

2 .There's some value to having the display device separate from the Mac (avoid putting the wrong stuff on screen etc...). AppleTV would work fine, except for the lack of composite/rf output. You'll end up with a whack of adapters and (likely) sub-optimal video

3. You could always sneakernet via an iPod with composite video cable + rf adapter (or no adapter, if your CCTV takes composite in).

3. Use an XBox 360 and Connect360. Being a school, you'll need to bolt it to the desk. The interface is nice and the arcade model isn't expensive. Will require a wired network unless you get a wireless router/bridge/adapter. Pelican makes an XBOX-RF adapter for $10, or go with a generic Composite-RF adapter. Has an added benefit of being able to plug in USB drives for videos, pictures etc...

I think the 360 has promise - would be very easy to test with someone's xbox + a returnable RF adapter.

olePigeon · Nov 13, 2009, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by Xyphoid Process

1. Is the Mac you're authoring it on close to the CCTV's input board? If so, you could just use a Mini-DVI to Video Adapter: Apple Mini-DVI to Video Adapter - Apple Store (U.S.). This gives you an RCA and S-Video output. If you need coax you can get an inexpensive RF adapter at Radio Shack etc...

That's exactly what I'm doing. The input board is right next to the broadcast machine, but it's only coax (the actual board room is in our NOC, but it's not near the broadcast room.) I'm going to use a Mini-DVI to Video Adapter + 3.5mm to RCA Adapter to the RF Modulator. I picked out a Philips USA US2-PH61159 RF Modulator. It had good reviews.

We have a box that turns the signal on/off to override the normal TV signal with a monitor inbetween the broadcast machine and the signal box, so we can see what's on the picture before sending the signal out.

We'll use the Display Port for the monitor and editing, then the mini-DVI port for the export of video. That's the plan, anyway. Before we used to burn the DVD and play it off the DVD player, but it didn't always burn correctly, or the students forget to burn it.

ghporter · Nov 14, 2009, 07:38 AM

You are using "RCA" and "coaxial cable" as separate entities, so I assume you're talking about RG59 as the "coaxial cable." Composite video+audio is not at all compatible with the RF signals carried by an RG59 distribution system. You'll need an RF modulator as mduell suggested; it's pretty much the same thing you'd get to plug any arbitrary video component into a very old TV. Most give you a choice of channels to output, but it's usually only a choice between Ch 3 and Ch 4.

It sounds like the whole school is set up for RF distribution, so this seems to be the way to go. You'll have to find out where the distribution amplifier is so you can connect to that, because one modulator won't be powerful enough to get the signal past the first couple of rooms.