[olePigeon]

In case you aren't familiar with it, the HDFury adapter is simply an HDMI port with an HDCP key (I'm assuming generated from the master key that was leaked) that converts the HDMI signal into 5.1 optical audio and component (or VGA, BNC, or number of other analog signal.)

My school bought it so we can broadcast directly from our computer to the TVs on our closed circuit TV system. We bought a new Mac mini to handle the video broadcast, but it doesn't do analog video. Our old system used a G5 with an InFocus VGA to RF converter. The picture and audio quality was horrible. So we had bought a brand new VGA to RF converter, and it was still horrible.

So the Technology teacher bought a receiver thinking we could run the HDMI signal from the new computer to that, then run optical audio and video to the DVD player as a pass through to the coax... nope. The movie industry decided we were criminals and are pirating movies, so they've "closed the analog hole." You can't convert the HDMI to component on the receiver.

So now we're getting an HDFury III adapter which will convert our HDMI signal into 5.1 audio and component video. The adapter even includes auto-centering of the image, color and contrast adjustments, etc. It should be a lot better than the old InFocus converter, and we can just return the receiver to the store.


Anyway, when it arrives I'll be glad to post my experiences with the adapter if anyone is interested. It's a little expensive, $250. However, reading reviews, it's apparently really good.

[mduell]

Why can't you use the MDP-VGA adapter and a VGA-component adapter on the Mac mini? Both are trivial pin adapters (MDP-VGA tells the graphics card to output a different signal, VGA-component just changes the physical connector without changing the signal) so there's no complication/significant reduction in image quality/etc.

Way cheaper and less prone to break than a receiver and an HDFury.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Why can't you use the MDP-VGA adapter and a VGA-component adapter on the Mac mini? Both are trivial pin adapters (MDP-VGA tells the graphics card to output a different signal, VGA-component just changes the physical connector without changing the signal) so there's no complication/significant reduction in image quality/etc.

Way cheaper and less prone to break than a receiver and an HDFury.

Mac mini does not output analog video. The older mini did, but it does not send video over component. Either way it doesn't work.

[olePigeon]

I forgot to mention that the reason we aren't using the G5 any more is because it died. Someone plugged a broken FireWire device into it and fried the whole thing.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Mac mini does not output analog video. The older mini did, but it does not send video over component. Either way it doesn't work.

Apple - Mac mini - Technical Specifications says: VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)

The MDP-VGA adapter is $29; a VGA to component adapter is $2 (it's the same signal, just different connectors on the end).

Audio is similarly trivial to handle.

Why is your school wasting hundreds of dollars for a bulkier, more complicated, less reliable solution?

[olePigeon]

The Mac mini can not do component, not without a special adapter. Reading the Apple forums it is because the Mac mini can not send the correct sync information for component (something to do with color space.)

In any event, the adapter is really well made. It works really well, too. Lots of options. A little dipswitch on the back adds even more options. Overall I'm very impressed. However, we'll be sending the adapter back since it doesn't work for our needs.

Now we're looking into a device called a ZvBox. This converts component or RGB video + digital audio into a digital broadcast signal. I'm hoping to demo a box for our school.

[reader50]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Overall I'm very impressed. However, we'll be sending the adapter back since it doesn't work for our needs.

What caused it to not work out?

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Apple - Mac mini - Technical Specifications says: VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)

The MDP-VGA adapter is $29; a VGA to component adapter is $2 (it's the same signal, just different connectors on the end).

Audio is similarly trivial to handle.

Why is your school wasting hundreds of dollars for a bulkier, more complicated, less reliable solution?

Because the bulkier solution will work, and yours won't. VGA uses an RGB signal, and component video uses a YPbPr signal. They're not the same, nor are they compatible with each other.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by reader50 

What caused it to not work out?

The component signal won't broadcast over the coaxial cable. My knowledge is very limited when it comes to audio and video, so this was a learning experience for me. We decided to keep the adapter just incase. Worked as advertised when connected to a TV.

We actually decided to go with the ZvBox 150. I stumbled across the product looking into why the component signal wouldn't work over coaxial. So for $1000 we can broadcast our very own HD TV signal on our TV system. It's really cool. The box has hookups for VGA and component for video, and optical audio. Talking to the manufacturer, we should be able to just plug our Mac mini into the ZvBox and start broadcasting 720p video and 5.1 audio.

We're going to get some free QAMs for the few TV set still on campus, but everyone else has LCD TVs. Should work out great.

I'll post again once we get it, maybe some pictures, too. I didn't know such a device existed.