RGBHV Sync on a PVM 20M4U?

[Tempest_2084]

I have a MAME PC outputting a RGBHV (VGA) signal at 15Khz so it's compatible with my PVM monitor (I'm using GroovyArcade). I was going to use a Extron Rxi unit to convert the RGBHV signal to Csync but I was curious if the PVM itself could combine the sync signal for me. I had heard that you can get stereo sound out of a PVM by plugging cables into both the audio in and out jacks so I wondered if the same was true for sync. I plugged the H and V sync cables into the Ext Sync In and Out (I think H in the In and V in the Out) and it worked! The signal looks great and it's rock solid. I swear it looks better than running it through my Extron.

Does anyone know if this is indeed a hidden feature of the PVM or is this only working by accident? I can't the harm in keeping it this way but I don't want to risk damaging my PVM if this isn't meant to work this way.

[Dochartaigh]

I have a MAME PC outputting a RGBHV (VGA) signal at 15Khz so it's compatible with my PVM monitor (I'm using GroovyArcade). I was going to use a Extron Rxi unit to convert the RGBHV signal to Csync but I was curious if the PVM itself could combine the sync signal for me. I had heard that you can get stereo sound out of a PVM by plugging cables into both the audio in and out jacks so I wondered if the same was true for sync. I plugged the H and V sync cables into the Ext Sync In and Out (I think H in the In and V in the Out) and it worked! The signal looks great and it's rock solid. I swear it looks better than running it through my Extron.

Does anyone know if this is indeed a hidden feature of the PVM or is this only working by accident? I can't the harm in keeping it this way but I don't want to risk damaging my PVM if this isn't meant to work this way.

GrooveMAME at least (and assume GroovyArcade too) can output RGBS with NO extra hardware needed. This wasn't an initial feature I believe, but it was added at least several years ago and is how everyone I know uses it.

...so there's no reason to do it this other way, which is against Sony PVM spec and I would NOT want to possibly damage (no matter how remote of a chance) a pricy PVM over time doing this.

[Tempest_2084]

GroovyArcade does not for some reason. I asked.

So you think this could damage the monitor in some way? I also tried it on my JVC TM-H1750C and my PVM 1943MD and it worked the same way on both. I guess I can just use the Extron since I have it.

[Dochartaigh]

GroovyArcade does not for some reason. I asked.

So you think this could damage the monitor in some way? I also tried it on my JVC TM-H1750C and my PVM 1943MD and it worked the same way on both. I guess I can just use the Extron since I have it.

I'm horrible with electrical theories, like even the basics... so hopefully somebody who knows electronics better can chime in... but you're adding double the signal strength (voltage? VP-P?) into the PVM... it's only spec'd for so high (shown right in the manual) so that can't be good for it... just like how I also wouldn't use a 48v battery pack in my 24v power tools...

I also know that regular consumer TV's (slowly, over time), can be damaged if you feed them a broadcast-type 5vpp signal into them (or into things like the Framemeister for example) - which is looking for a consumer 0.75?vpp level type of sync signal. RGBHV/VGA's sync is always that higher 5vpp (as is things like the output from my Extron Crosspoint switch, where I add resistors to the sync line to lower that voltage when they're running to things like my Framemeister, OSSC (which I think they fixed if you use the VGA/DB15 for RGBS/HV), or anything consumer-oriented.