Problem with Extron RGB interface

[Nekoi]

I use a Extron RGB 164xi to connect various devices to a Sony BVM.

At the beginning I used it to connect the VGA out from my graphics card to it. Under Windows 7 I got a good 720p picture to the monitor.

Then later I bought an HD Fury to connect various other devices to the monitor. I first tested it with the HDMI out from the PC graphics card, again under Windows 7 and 720p. The results didn't look that good anymore, there was some ghosting. I thought it was the HDFury.

The same day I connected the VGA out from the graphics card to it, this time I booted into Windows XP. And here I got the same ghosting effects in 720p as with the HDFury under Windows 7.

Apparently it was not the fault of HDFury. I investigated some more, it turns out the signal frequencies were slightly different. Under Windows 7 it outputs a 44.7 khz signal over the VGA out, and 45 khz over HDMI. Under Windows XP it is 45 khz over HDMI and VGA. I also tested the output of my PS3 through HDMI, this gives me a 44.9 khz signal and again some ghosting.

So it seems the extron interface only likes that 44.7 khz signal. Under Windows XP over HDMI I can adjust the timing and output a 44.7 khz signal and everything looks good. But I can't adjust the signal of devices like the PS3.

If I turn off the DDSP processing on the Extron interface the ghosting goes away. But then the image is bend at the top since the serration pulse setting isn't working anymore.

Also something similar happens at 1080i. The image that arrives at the monitor looks totally weird. It is too dark, there is ghosting and some parts have too much contrast. As with 720p, if I turn off DDSP it looks correct, just with the top of the image distorted.

Does anyone of you have expererienced something similar? Could the extron RGB interface be faulty? Or would they all behave like that?

Are there any alternatives to an Extron RGB interface? If possible something that can also ouput sync on green.

[RGB0b]

I think the issue might actually be the way the BVM interprets the signal, as I'm currently having strange issues similar to yours that are only happening on my D-series BVM and not a PVM-20M2U or PVM-20L5. Putting the BVM in "VCR Mode" cleared up a ton of these issues, but there are still a few lingering ones that I'm trying to figure out.

[Nekoi]

I think the issue might actually be the way the BVM interprets the signal

I think you're right. I have now opened the extron interface and changed the internal jumper for sync polarity. That was the last thing I didn't try before. Sync polarity is now always negative and the problems under 720p are gone.

But the 1080i problems are still there. I have read a few times that the extron devices have problems with interlaced video. I guess that is true.

So the question remains how can you get 1080i to a BVM D without using SDI or component video.

Putting the BVM in "VCR Mode" cleared up a ton of these issues, but there are still a few lingering ones that I'm trying to figure out.

I haven't tried that setting. But according to the manual it only has an effect on 480i / 575i. I don't have problems with those resolutions. But I don't use the extron interface for those resolutions (yet).