Peer Review-TV One C2-1250
Price: $1,795 MSRP
MANUFACTURER’S SPECIFICATIONS
Video inputs:
Composite Video, 2x BNC
S-Video (YC), 2x 4-Pin Mini-DIN
YUV/YPbPr, 1x BNC
Computer input:
RGB/YPbPr, 1x HD15 (Loop-thru only)
Analog RGBHV, RGBS, RGsB, YPbPr
PC Resolutions: Any up to 2048 x 2048
HDTV resolutions: Any up to 1080p
Maximum horizontal scan rate: 150kHz
Computer compatibility: PC, Macintosh, Workstations
Audio inputs: 4x unbalanced via terminals
Audio output: Unbalanced via terminals
Control: Local via Front Panel & OSD, RS-232, Infrared remote
Dimensions: (H x W x D) 1.6 inches x 8.6 inches x 5.8 inches
Weight: 2.6 pounds
MY PICK: TV One C2-1250
LIST PRICE: $1,795
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT: I first got interested in TV One at the 2005 NAB Expo where I saw its forthcoming C2-7200 switcher/scaler. Its feature set was impressive, but our needs were for something less expensive, but still powerful. That’s when I discovered the C2-1250. For a low-cost scaler/switcher, it’s very enticing because it has future expandability. If I have a customer that needs more VGA, Composite, Component, or S-Video inputs, they need only to add a module to the unit that will accomplish this. When I found out they had added edge blending capabilities to the switcher, I was sold.
I WOULD CHANGE: The on-screen menu system is not as easy to configure as a display on the unit might be (which is available for extra money). The controls also have a bit of a learning curve to them. Other improvements I would make would be a pass-through VGA connection and a stronger output signal.
WHERE I USED IT: When we were designing our trade show booth, we wanted to create a large-screen video presentation with a short throw distance and an abnormal, “eye-catching” aspect ratio. We created a 9-foot, 3-inch by 3-foot, 9-inch video projection system using two Eiki XB28 projectors and two C2-1250s. We played video from the VGA port of a MacBook Pro and ran the signal through a video distribution amplifier into the two C2-1250s.
MY RESULTS: Each C2-1250 is responsible for playing either the left or right side of the video, with a roughly 200 pixel data doubled overlap area, and each scales and aligns the image on the screen properly in correlation to the projector placement. The C2-1250 then adds a gamma fade to the overlapped edge and provides visual compensation for the white- and black-balance of the projectors. We’ve used this solution in three trade shows so far, and the setup time initially took two to three hours; subsequent setups are less than an hour.
Brad Weston is the President of Renewed Vision in Atlanta. Renewed Vision creates commercial and custom software for video projection, video walls, lyric projection, and virtual venue projection.
