AUGUST 2000

AC076A

Video Converter Pro for Mac

ac
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Conv erter P GE
Video FREE ZE IMA

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LOCK NORM
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CUSTOMER Order toll-free in the U.S. 24 hours, 7 A.M. Monday to midnight Friday: 877-877-BBOX
SUPPORT FREE technical support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax 724-746-0746
INFORMATION Mail order: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: info@blackbox.com
 FCC AND IC STATEMENTS, TRADEMARKS

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

AND
INDUSTRY CANADA
RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENTS
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio communication.
It has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J
of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection
against such interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause interference, in which case the user at his own expense will be required
to take whatever measures may be necessary to correct the interference.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible

for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emission from
digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulation of Industry Canada.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites
applicables aux appareils numériques declasse A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le
brouillage radioélectrique publié par Industrie Canada.

TRADEMARKS

Black Box and the logo are registered trademarks of Black Box
Corporation.

Mac and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

RCA is a registered trademark of General Electric Co.

Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property
of the trademark owners.

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VIDEO CONVERTER PRO FOR MAC

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 VIDEO CONVERTER PRO FOR MAC

Table of Contents
Chapter Page

1. Specifications .......................................................................................... 3

2. Introduction ........................................................................................... 4

3. Installation .............................................................................................. 5
3.1 Initial Steps ...................................................................................... 5
3.2 Hooking Up Video Output ............................................................. 5
3.3 Selecting Your Video Standard ....................................................... 6
3.4 Booting your Converter System ....................................................... 6

4. Operation ............................................................................................... 7
4.1 Indicators ......................................................................................... 7
4.2 Front-Panel Controlss ....................................................................... 7
4.3 Other Features ................................................................................. 8

5. What to Expect from Converted Computer Images ............................ 9

6. Troubleshooting ................................................................................... 11

Appendix A: S-Video, the Improved Quality Video Standard ................... 12

Appendix B: Connector Pinouts ................................................................. 13

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 CHAPTER 1: Specifications

1. Specifications
Macintosh Video
Input Standards — Mac 512 x 384 resolution at 24 KHz or 640 x 480
resolution at 35.5 KHz, up to 24-bit color
Video Output Standards — Mac; NTSC or PAL: Composite video,
S-Video, RGBS
Controls — (4) External: (1) rear-mounted slide switch:
NTSC/PAL; (3) front-mounted toggle switches:
Underscan, Flicker Reduction, Freeze Image
Indicators — LEDs: (1) Power, (1) Lock
Connectors — (1) Mac Input (“VIDEO IN”): DB15HD
female; (4) Video Output: Mac (“VIDEO
OUT,” DB15HD female); NTSC/PAL:
Composite (“VIDEO,” RCA® phono jack),
S-Video (“S-VIDEO,” DIN female), RGBS
(“RGB/EXPANSION,” DB26HD female)
Power — From desktop power supply:
Input range: 95-250-VAC, 47-63 Hz
(autosensing) at 0.9 A;
Output: 5 VDC at 3.8 A
Size — 1.5"H x 7.25"W x 6.25"D (3.8 x 18.5 x 15.9 cm)
Weight — 2.9 lb. (1.3 kg)

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 VIDEO CONVERTER PRO FOR MAC

2. Introduction
The Video Converter Pro for Mac® some guidelines on what you should
converts your computer’s monitor (and shouldn’t) expect from your
signal into a form suitable for converted computer images and
recording on a VCR, displaying explains how to get the best quality
on a conventional TV or video of image display. Chapter 6 gives you
monitor, or integrating into a multi- tips for handling problems that
media production system. No soft- might occur with your Coverter
ware is required to operate the system. Appendix A explains what
Converter, and you won’t have to S-Video is and why it should be used
install any boards in your computer. as output from your Converter
whenever possible. Lastly, Appendix
Chapters 3 and 4 of this manual B shows the pinouts of all of your
show you how to install and operate Converter’s connectors.
your Converter. Chapter 5 gives you

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 CHAPTER 3: Installation

3. Installation
Follow the procedure outlined below 3.2 Hooking Up Video Output
to install your Video Converter Pro
for Mac. Now connect one or more of the
Converter’s four output ports to
3.1 Initial Steps your video equipment:
VIDEO OUT: This output is a
1. Disconnect your monitor from passthrough of the MAC IN input.
the monitor port on your Mac. You can connect a standard computer
monitor (or a multi-sync monitor
2. Connect one end of the 6-foot if your system supports these) to
cable provided with the this output.
Converter to the monitor port VIDEO: Feed this single
on your computer. Plug the composite-video output signal into
other end into the connector on the “video” input jacks on ordinary
the rear panel of the Converter TVs, monitors, VCRs, or professional
labeled VIDEO IN. See Figure 3-1. video equipment by using the
included composite-video cable.
3. If you want your monitor to This signal can’t be fed into a TV’s
continue to display, connect it or VCR’s “antenna” input.
to the output connector labeled
VIDEO OUT. See below for a S-VIDEO: Called S-Video, S-VHS,
description of this output. or Y/C, this output is an advanced
form of video which carries the
4. Connect the power supply brightness and color parts of
provided with the Converter to images on two separate signals.
the connector labeled POWER. It is compatible with the Hi-8 and
Plug the AC-line cord into an Beta-ED standards. Feed it into
outlet to provide power to the compatible equipment by using
Converter. (If you ever need an the included S-video cable and you’ll
AC-line cord specific to another get a better-quality picture than the
country, call our sales office in VIDEO output can provide.
that country.)
RGB/EXPANSION: This premium-
quality output, which can be used by
some video projectors and monitors,
consists of separate red, green, blue,
and sync signals. (These signals might
also be used by expansion accessories
in the future.) Feed it into compatible
equipment by using our optional
RGBS cable with BNC connectors.

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 VIDEO CONVERTER PRO FOR MAC

Call us for a quote if you’d like 3.4 Booting Your Converter System
RGBS cable with European SCART
connectors or connectors for If you haven’t already done so, plug
Sharp LCD projectors. in and turn on your computer. The
green indicator labeled LOCK on the
3.3 Selecting Your Video Standard Converter’s front panel should light,
showing that the Converter is
Use the NTSC/PAL slide switch on receiving a proper signal from the
the back of your Converter to choose computer. (Refer to the next chapter
which standard you’ll use for the for an explanation of this indicator.)
VIDEO, S-VIDEO, and RGB outputs. Make sure the FREEZE IMAGE
NTSC is the video standard for the switch on the front panel is in the
USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and NORMAL position, so that your
parts of South America. PAL is used computer-image sequences will
throughout most of Europe, the flow smoothly.
Middle East, Southern Asia, and
the Pacific Rim. Your Video Converter Pro for Mac
is now ready for normal operation.

Operating your Video Converter Pro

for Mac is very simple. There are few
controls to adjust and no hidden
DIP switches to set. Figure 4-1, below,
shows the front panel with its switches
and indicators.

Figure 3-1. Rear panel of a Video Converter Pro for Mac.

OUTPUTS NTSC PAL

RGB/EXPANSION S-VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO OUT VIDEO IN POWER

Highest quality RGBS Power supply

at 15.75 kHz (also (line cord from
future expansion) transformer plugs
in here)
S-Video for separate, Macintosh video
clearer Y/C video signals signal input from
computer

Baseband video signal Buffered Macintosh

for standard video video signal for
equipment local Mac monitor

NTSC/PAL switch for

selecting the appropriate
video standard

NOTE: All outputs are available at the same time. Unused outputs
do not have to be terminated if they are not being used.

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 CHAPTER 4: Operation

4. Operation
4.1 Indicators 4.2 Front-Panel Controls
The red POWER indicator lights UNDERSCAN: When this switch is in
up when your Converter is receiving the NORMAL position, images that
DC power. If this light is glowing the Coverter outputs in Composite,
dimly or not at all, there might be S-Video, and RGBS formats will fill
something wrong with the external the entire viewable screen area. But
power supply. See Chapter 6. because some monitors “overscan”
their screens, some desirable parts of
The green LOCK indicator lights your images could be cropped off of
up when the Converter is receiving the screen. If this is the case, flip this
a valid computer signal through the switch to the UNDERSCAN position
VIDEO IN connector on its rear to shrink the images, both
panel. Both the 512 x 384 and horizontally and vertically,
640 x 480 Macintosh® video-display approximately 10% in size.
modes are supported. Which one
the Converter will use depends on
the monitor attached to the VIDEO
OUT port (see Section 4.3).

Figure 4-1. Front panel of a Video Converter Pro for Mac.

LOCK UNDERSCAN FLICKER REDUCTION FREEZE IMAGE

POWER NORMAL NORMAL NORMAL

Receiving power
when POWER is Anti-flicker filter is Image is instantly
lit. Mac signal is active when switch is in “frozen” when switch is
OK at input FLICKER REDUCTION in FREEZE IMAGE
when LOCK is lit position position
Image is “shrunk” in both
the horizontal and vertical
directions when switch is in
UNDERSCAN position

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 VIDEO CONVERTER PRO FOR MAC

FLICKER REDUCTION: When 4.3 Other Features

this switch is in the NORMAL
position, the Converter sends images • If the computer input signal is
using fully interlaced Composite, no longer present on VIDEO IN
S-Video, and RGBS video signals. because the computer has been
However, thin horizontal lines in turned off or the input cable has
the images might appear to “flicker” been disconnected, the image
on and off at a very fast rate. This will automatically “freeze” and
annoying flicker, if present, can be the LOCK indicator will go off.
virtually eliminated by setting this
switch to the FLICKER REDUCTION • The VIDEO OUT output will
position. There is a tradeoff with always display what is present on
this feature: you might notice a the VIDEO IN input regardless
slight loss of vertical resolution, of the “display mode” the
detail, or brightness. computer may be in. If VIDEO
IN is at 1024 x 768 resolution,
FREEZE IMAGE: You might VIDEO OUT will also be
want to freeze a frame of an image 1024 x 768. This is not true of the
sequence on the screen without Composite, S-Video, and RGBS
having to mess around with your outputs: images in Macintosh
software. If this switch is moved to modes beyond 640 x 480 lines
the FREEZE IMAGE position, the will appear scrambled and out
image on the Composite, S-Video, of sync when translated into
and RGBS outputs is frozen. It will these formats.
remain frozen until you move the
switch back to the NORMAL • The Converter supports both
position, at which time whatever the low-res 512 x 384 and hi-res
image is currently being received 640 x 480 Mac modes. Some Mac
through VIDEO IN will be displayed. models will boot in one mode or
the other depending on the type
of monitor they are connected
to. The Converter makes use
of this capability: if a low-res
monitor is connected to its
VIDEO OUT output, it will
force the Macintosh to boot in
512 x 384 mode, but if a hi-res
monitor (or no monitor) is
connected, it will force 640 x 480.

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 CHAPTER 5: What to Expect from Converted Computer Images

5. What to Expect from Converted

Computer Images
We have included this section to give justice. But all is not lost. There are a
you some insight into what you can few things you can do to get the best
and should expect computer images image possible on your TV/monitor
to look like once they are converted or recorded on video tape. The tips
to standard video. People are some- that follow will all contribute to
times surprised that computer improved quality of your display
images converted to video do not and/or VCR recording.
look as sharp and vivid as they do
on the computer monitor. Although • In the world of video, black,
this may be somewhat disappointing, white, and all the shades of gray
it should come as no surprise. are not processed the same way
as “real colors.” TVs and VCRs
Color TV and video monitors, and process these shades with a
the conventional video standards minimum of distortion. When
they use (NTSC and PAL), have it’s possible, consider using
been with us since the 1940’s grayscale images, because
and 50’s. When high-resolution they’ll be much sharper than
computer-graphics standards such the equivalent colored images.
as Mac II were introduced less than
a decade ago, new display techno- • The “Christmas Effect” occurs
logies had been developed to with computer images created
achieve higher detail and sharper by artists who really like the green
colors. But, although many design and red color combination.
improvements have been made to Nothing looks worse on a TV.
TV monitors and VCRs, they are still Try to avoid saturated colors.
limited to basic technologies that are
40 years old. • Sometimes graphics look so
impressive on a computer
Scan converters like the Video monitor that users assume that
Converter Pro for Mac were created the process of conversion to TV
to bridge the gap between the can’t possibly make the graphics
dissimilar standards of computer look bad. However, what TVs will
video and conventional video actually show, especially if they
equipment. They work, but the are displaying a video signal that
trade-off in the process is that you was “beat up” by a VCR recording,
are taking computer images whose can be ugly. To avoid such nasty
sharpness and detail are clearly surprises, connect a Converter
visible on today’s monitors and and TV to your computer and
displaying them on TVs, or recording view your “televised” graphics
them on VCRs, that can’t do them while you create them, before you
present them.

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VIDEO CONVERTER PRO FOR MAC

• When you make VCR recordings, • By far the most annoying effect
use either (1) a “Pro” or that occurs when a computer
“Broadcast” grade, name-brand image is converted to video is
tape, or (2) an S-VHS (Super- “flicker.” This rapid flashing of
VHS) tape (these will play in images’ brightness can appear
standard VHS machines). Also, to be pervasive throughout the
record using the fastest speed screen or localized to one
(the speed corresponding to the particular area. It is most
shortest total time per tape— noticeable on thin horizontal
2 hours on a T-120 cassette). lines, particularly on bright lines
You will have less noise and against a dark background. It is
tape jitter in your recording. not seen on computer monitors
because all the horizontal lines
• Almost all TVs and video that make up the image are
monitors overscan images, drawn on the screen in one pass
resulting in some of the picture from top to bottom, 60 or 70
being “cropped” off the edges times a second. When the same
of the picture tube. The image is converted to video, a
Converter’s UNDERSCAN mode single line will only be drawn on
will shrink images to compensate the screen either 30 (NTSC) or
for this overscan, which will vary 25 (PAL) times a second. This
in amount from one TV or rate is not rapid enough to make
monitor to another. To ensure your brain register each drawing
that the useful parts of your of the line as the same continuous
images are visible on TVs and line, so the line appears to
monitors, keep all text and other flicker. The anti-flicker filter
informational content at least in your Video Converter Pro
5% in from the sides, top for Mac employs an advanced
and bottom. design technique to overcome
this problem with only a very
slight loss in vertical detail.

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 CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting

6. Troubleshooting
This chapter lists some concerns that No video outputs.
commonly arise during operation af
the Video Converter Pro for Mac, as 1. Is the FREEZE IMAGE switch in
well as some possible causes and the FREEZE IMAGE position? If not,
remedies. go to Step 2.

2. Is your video equipment in the

Nothing works or no computer proper mode to accept direct video
output. input? If it is, go to Step 3.

1. Is the power supply connected 3. Is the computer sending out a

and plugged into the AC wall outlet? proper Macintosh video signal?
Check the red POWER LED. If it’s Check the green LOCK LED. If it’s
on, go to Step 2. on, try replacing the Converter’s
connection to your computer with a
2. Is the wiring from your Mac to the direct connection to a Mac monitor.
Converter and from the Converter If the monitor’s display looks OK,
to your video equipment properly call us.
connected? If it is, go to Step 3.

3. Is the computer sending out a Some of the image is being lost off
proper Macintosh video signal? the sides or top and bottom.
Check the green LOCK LED. If it’s
on, try replacing the Converter’s Is the UNDERSCAN switch in the
connection to your computer with a NORMAL position? If not, or if
direct connection to a Mac monitor. moving it doesn’t help, then your
If the monitor’s display looks OK, TV or monitor has an excessive
call us. amount of overscan. If possible, try a
different TV or monitor. If this can’t
be done or still doesn’t help, call us.

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 VIDEO CONVERTER PRO FOR MAC

Appendix A: S-Video, the Improved

Quality Video Standard
Most of us are familiar with two In this TV-signal system, there
forms of TV video: (1) “RF,” which are actually two signals. The
is how broadcast and cable TV comes “LUMINANCE” (“Y”) signal carries
into our homes, and (2) “Composite the sync and brightness components
Video,” “Baseband Video,” or just of the picture, while the
plain “Video,” which is a single “CHROMINANCE” (“CHROMA”
electrical signal (made up of or “C”) signal carries the color
brightness, color, and synchronizing component. By feeding these two
components) used by most VCRs. signals into your video equipment
separately, S-Video eliminates the
A problem arises when your TV, need for the equipment to do the
monitor, or VCR has to break either work of separating the signals
of these signals apart to show it on internally. The result is a displayed
the screen or record it on tape. A image that has more detail and less
lot of processing is involved and color distortion. If you were to
distortions of the image occur. compare two otherwise identical
images, one displayed using Video
Several years ago, TV engineers mode and the other using S-Video,
devised a simple scheme which was the difference in the quality of the
not only relatively inexpensive to images would be dramatic.
implement but very effective in
reducing these distortions. It is Almost all of the new larger-screen
called “S-Video,” and can be used TVs that have audio/video jacks also
with your Video Converter Pro have an S-Video jack just like the one
for Mac. on the rear of your Converter. If it is
available, use it! You will see a
difference.

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 APPENDIX B: Connector Pinouts

Appendix B: Connector Pinouts

POWER COMPOSITE VIDEO OUTPUT

Center +5 VDC In (“VIDEO”)
Outer Ground Center Video Out
Outer Video Ground
VIDEO IN
1 Red S-VIDEO OUTPUT
2 Green 1 Ground
3 Blue 2 Ground
4 ID Bit LO-Res Out 3 Luminance
5 Ground 4 Chrominance
6 Red Ground
7 Green Ground RGBS OUTPUT
8 Blue Ground (“RGB/EXPANSION”)
10 Ground 1 Ground
11 Ground 2 Ground
13 Comp Sync In 3 Red
14 V-Sync In 5 Green
15 H-Sync In 7 Blue
15 Composite Sync
MAC OUTPUT (“VIDEO OUT”)
1 Red
2 Green
3 Blue
5 Ground
6 Red Ground
7 Green Ground
8 Blue Ground
9 ID Bit LO-Res In
10 Ground
12 N/C
13 Comp Sync Out
14 V-Sync Out
15 H-Sync Out

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© Copyright 2000. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved.

1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 • 724-746-5500 • Fax 724-746-0746