Congratulations on your purchase of this Kramer Electronics Scan Converter. Since 1981, Kramer has been
dedicated to the development and manufacture of high quality video/audio equipment. The Kramer line has
become an integral part of many of the best production and presentation facilities around the world. In recent
years, Kramer has redesigned and upgraded most of the line, making the best even better. Kramer’s line of
professional video/audio electronics is one of the most versatile and complete available, and is a true leader in
terms of quality, workmanship, price/performance ratio and innovation. In addition to the Kramer line of high
quality Scan Converters, such as the one you have just purchased, Kramer also offers a full line of high quality
video scalers, matrix switchers, distribution amplifiers, processors, interfaces, controllers and computer-related
products. This manual includes configuration, operation and option information of the following Kramer Scan
Converters for the video professional. These Scan Converters are similar in operation but differ in features.
VP-704SC VP-705SC VP-706SC
1.1 A Word about Scan Converters
Kramer’s Digital Scan Converters are designed to convert computer signals of varying resolutions and vertical
refresh rates into standard NTSC and PAL video signals. NTSC and PAL television systems are much lower in
resolution than typical computer signals. Computers can often output over three times as many horizontal lines
as standard analog television resolutions. Scan Conversion is the process of fitting a higher number of lines of
information into a lesser number of available spaces. Kramer Scan Converters are designed and manufactured
to the highest possible performance standards and are capable of providing high resolution results, however, it is
important to understand the overall process of scan conversion and its inherent limitations.
1.2 Factors Affecting Quality of Results
There are many factors affecting the quality of results when computer images are converted to standard video.
An entire section of this manual entitled ‘Getting the Most from your Scan Converter’ goes into detail, but here
are a few major points up front.
Beginning Resolution – As a general rule, the less the conversion ratio, the better the results. Standard
NTSC and PAL resolutions are near the computer’s VGA resolution of 640x480, so generally, the nearer
you begin to that resolution the better the results. The common mistake is to assume that the higher the
beginning computer resolution, the better the NTSC or PAL results. The reverse of this is the actual fact.
Sometimes a lower beginning computer resolution in not possible, but when it is possible, use it.
Output Display Device – The S-Video or RGB output will provide a better final image, because unlike
the Composite output, the luminance and color signals are kept separate. This results in less color
smearing and a sharper image. When possible, use the S-Video or RGB output, rather than Composite.
Distance between the computer and Scan Converter – This plays a major role in the final result and
the distance should be kept to a minimum. The Scan Converter is supplied with a high quality 6’
computer input cable. Longer distances are possible, but special measures should be taken in order to
avoid cable losses. These include using high quality (coax-type) cables or adding line amplifiers.
Output connection cables – Low quality cables are susceptible to interference. They degrade signal
quality due to poor matching and cause elevated noise levels. Therefore, cables should be of the best
quality.
Interference from neighboring electrical appliances – These can have an adverse effect on signal
quality. For example, an older computer monitor often emits very high electromagnetic fields that can
interfere with the performance of video equipment in its proximity.
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2 SPECIFICATIONS
VP-704SC VP-705SC VP-706SC
Computer Input
Maximum Input
Resolution
Maximum Vertical
Refresh Rate
Maximum Horizontal
Scan Rate
Computer Input
Connection
Input Level
Video Outputs
Video Standard
Output Connectors
Genlock Signal
Genlock Connection
Image Scaling
AutoTrack™
Zoom & Pan
Flicker Reduction
Control Type
Subcarrier Lock
Weight
Dimensions (HxWxD)
Power Source
Power Consumption
RGB with HV Sync
RGB with Composite Sync
RGB with Sync on Green
Composite Video on BNC
S-Video on 4-Pin Mini-DIN,
RGBS on BNCs
YUV (shares RGBS BNCs)
Proprietary Automatic Image
Sizing and Positioning
Manual Front Panel Buttons
(with Front Panel LCD Display)
LCD Display
RS-232 Serial
Infrared Remote Control
19" x 7" x 1.75” (1RU)
(482mm x 178mm x 44.5mm)
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3 HOW DO I GET STARTED?
The fastest way to get started is to take your time and do everything right the first time. Taking 15 minutes to
read the manual may save you a few hours later. You don’t even have to read the whole manual - if a certain
section doesn’t apply to you, you don’t have to spend your time reading it.
4 UNPACKING AND CONTENTS
The items contained in your Kramer accessory package are listed below. Please save the original box and
packaging materials for possible future transportation and shipment of the unit.
Scan Converter
AC Power Cable
VGA Input Cable
Composite Video Output Cable
S-Video Output Cable
75 OhmTermination BNC Plug (VP-705SC and VP-706SC Only)
Infrared Remote Control Unit
Rackmount Screws (Qty 4) for EIA 19” Racks
User Manual
Kramer Concise CD ROM Product Catalog
4.1 Optional Accessories
The following optional accessories, which are available from Kramer, can enhance implementation of your Scan
Converter. For information regarding these accessories, contact your Kramer dealer.
RGB Output Cable Assembly – 4 or 5 BNC Type
YUV Output Cable Assembly – 3 BNC Type
RS-232 Cable
BNC Computer Input Adapter – HD15 to 5 BNCs
5 CONNECTING THE HARDWARE
The first step is to connect the Scan Converter and related hardware. Below is a drawing of the rear panel.
(The VP-704SC does not have the GL IN and GL OUT connectors.)
POWER
o
VGA OUT
100-240V 50-60HZ
VGA INRS232
SV OUT
5.1 Rack Mounting
Each of the Scan Converters described in this manual mount in a standard 19” (1RU) EIA rack assembly. These
devices do not require spacing above or below the unit for ventilation. Four standard rackmounting screws are
provided for each of the four corner holes in the rack ears.
5.2 Connecting the Scan Converter to a Computer and Monitor
Disconnect the computer monitor’s input cable from the computer’s VGA output connection. Connect this cable
to the 'VGA OUT' connector on the back of the Scan Converter. Macintosh computers that do not have an
HD15 type output connector may require an additional adapter. Next, use the VGA cable supplied to connect
the VGA output connection from the computer to the ‘VGA IN’ connector on the back of the Scan Converter.
After these connections are made and the computer and monitor are switched on, you will see the computer’s
output displayed on the computer monitor as before, even when there is no power to the Scan Converter.
5.3 Connecting the Video Outputs
The Scan Converter provides several different output types to allow connection to various video displays and
other equipment. The choice of output type depends on what your equipment can accept.
R
GL
R-Y
IN
GL
CV
OUT
OUTPUTS
B
G
B-Y
Y
HS
VS
CS
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Composite Video - use the composite video cable provided to connect from the composite video output
on the back of the Scan Converter (the BNC connector marked CV) to the composite video input of your
target video equipment.
S-Video - use the S-Video cable provided to connect from the S-Video output on the back of the Scan
Converter to the S-Video input of your target video equipment. S-Video provides improved performance
over Composite Video.
RGB with Composite Sync - Use a 4xBNC to 4xBNC cable to link from the Red, Green, Blue, and
HS/CS outputs to the video display. The Scan Converter defaults to outputting negative-going CS
(Composite Sync) on the HS/CS connector, but if you encounter problems then it is likely that this has
been changed - see 'Advanced Features' later in this manual. Please note that this output’s horizontal
scan rate is 15.75KHz and is not intended for connection to a computer monitor.
RGB with H&V Sync - Use a 5xBNC to 5xBNC cable to link from the Red, Green, Blue, HS/CS and
VS outputs to the video display. Since the Scan Converter defaults to outputting CS (Composite Sync)
on the HS/CS and VS connectors, so you must see 'Advanced Features' later in this manual in order to
change this to the required separate H&V Syncs. It is recommended that another output be used, until
operation of the unit is understood.
YUV Component (Y,R-Y,B-Y)
- Use a 3xBNC to 3xBNC cable to link from the Y, R-Y and B-Y
outputs to the video display. If the Scan Converter is set to output RGB mode (this is the default) it will
be necessary to switch to YUV. See the section on switching between RGB and YUV modes in the
Advanced Features section of this manual. It is recommended that another output be used, until
operation of the unit is understood, because in the YUV Mode, no other video output signals are present.
5.4 Optional Connection of an External Reference Signal (N/A on VP-704SC)
The VP-705SC and VP-706SC have the ability to synchronize their video output with a master Reference
Signal, in the form of a Composite Video or Blackburst source. This is done by connecting the Reference
Signal to the BNC connector marked 'GL IN'. A loop-through output is available at the 'GL OUT' BNC
connector for connection to other devices. Note - If no loop-through is required, you mus
75 Ohm BNC termination plug to the 'GL OUT' connector instead; otherwise, the unit may not be able to
maintain a lock on the Reference Signal.
Synchronization is not automatic; you need to enable it within the unit. You should also ensure that the
Composite Video or Blackburst signal used is of the right standard (PAL or NTSC), and that it is a clean, stable,
standard signal. Video signals from consumer VCRs and some non-standard equipment may not be suitable.
t connect the supplied
5.5 Connecting the Serial Cable
The Scan Converter can be controlled from a computer, and used as a remote Microsoft® serial mouse emulator
by connecting its RS-232 port to a computer's RS-232 port. See the section on 'RS-232 Computer Control' later
in this manual on how to use this control feature (RS-232 Control is the default, and merely requires connecting
a suitable RS-232 cable).
5.6 Connecting the AC Power
The Scan Converter requires an AC input power source of 100-240VAC@50-60Hz. With the Power On/Off
switch on the rear of the Scan Converter in the Off position, plug the AC Cable supplied into the AC Receptacle
on the back of the unit and plug the AC Cable into the power outlet.
5.7 Turning the Scan Converter On
Make sure that all cables are connected and that all other equipment is turned on - your computer monitor
should be functioning normally. The Scan Converter’s AC Power Switch on the rear panel should be switched
on. When using a multi-purpose TV-Monitor, be sure and select the correct line input (AUX or AV). The video
monitor should now be displaying the same picture as is on the computer monitor.
When the Scan Converter is switched on, the green LED indicator on the front panel will illuminate. If there is a
picture on the video monitor, but it is the wrong shape, position or color it may be necessary to alter some of the
status settings before a good picture is displayed. For example, it may be necessary to switch to PAL or NTSC
settings. Further details on selecting the correct settings for your displays follow in the Advanced Features
section. If there is no picture on the video monitor, then go to the Troubleshooting section.
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If there is no picture on the video monitor, go to the Troubleshooting section. One possible cause is that the
YUV output is enabled, which will blank out all other video outputs. This is also covered in the Advanced
Features section.
6 ABOUT THE SCAN CONVERTER
There are 3 ways to control the Scan Converter:
By the Buttons on the Front Panel in conjunction with the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).
By the Infrared Remote Control unit.
Directly from the computer via the RS-232 Serial Port.
Each control method has its own section of this manual to describe the operation.
Shown below is a diagram that indicates the main features of the front panel of the VP-706SC. All three Scan
Converter models appear the same and their basic operation is identical.
IR
POWER
+
VP-706SC
Digital Scan Converter
KRAMER VP-706SC
MENU
OS/US FREEZE
LCD - The top line of the liquid crystal display (LCD) always indicates the current mode of the Scan
Converter. At power-up, this will be the 'Status' mode, but will change, depending on what the user
wants the unit to do. The bottom line always indicates the value that is or will be adjusted by the various
control methods
Power On LED – When the Scan Converter is powered up, the button labeled POWER will illuminate
green.
Menu Button – This is used to initiate Front Panel control of the unit and select the various options and
features to change.
OS/US (-) Button – This is a dual-purpose button that will be described in a moment, but is normally
used to decrease (or de-select) the currently displayed option or feature.
Freeze (+) Button – This is another dual-purpose button, but normally used to increase (or set) the
currently displayed option or feature.
Audible Indicator – The internal sounder is used to confirm that a setting has changed, and to indicate
that the Scan Converter is saving the settings to non-volatile memory. You will hear it regularly during
normal use, but it can be disabled if needed.
6.1 Quick-Set Buttons
These are the dual-purpose buttons described earlier and only function when in Status mode (i.e. the top line of
the LCD says 'Status'). They are provided for quick access to certain often-used functions - i.e. Toggling
Underscan /Overscan and Freeze On/Off.
6.2 Special Button Usage on Power-up
Certain buttons can be held down when applying power to the unit, to perform certain functions:
Factory Reset – Hold down both the OS/US and Freeze Buttons when turning the unit on. This will
reset the unit to Factory Settings (and set the unit into NTSC video mode). It should only be used if the
unit's settings give an invalid output that the user cannot exit from, as all user-settings will be lost. Note-
use this procedure as a last resort.
Set to NTSC Mode
changes the non-volatile PAL/NTSC setting to NTSC, and will be remembered even when power is
removed.
Set to PAL Mode
changes the non-volatile PAL/NTSC setting to PAL, and will be remembered even when power is
removed.
– This is done by holding the OS/US Button down when turning on the unit. This
– This is done by holding the Freeze Button down when turning on the unit. This
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6.3 Special Multi-Hold Buttons
Certain buttons can be held together when the unit is on to perform other functions.
Store Current Settings
- This is done by holding the MENU and FREEZE (+) Buttons in together for
about 2 seconds and can be done at any time. This stores the current settings (e.g. Overscan, YUV
Mode, etc.) in Non-Volatile Memory and cause the Scan Converter to come up in those modes the next
time it is turned on.
This option will emit a high-pitched beep when complete to indicate that data has been successfully stored. If
you manage to store an invalid setting, you may need to do a Factory Reset (see above).
If you hear high pitch beeps at other times, it indicates that other data is being stored into memory – e.g.,
information the Scan Converter has deduced about the graphics resolution coming from your computer, such as
when you change your screen resolution.
7 MENU STRUCTURE AND FEATURE CONTROL
This section goes through the Main Menus available via the LCD and what control they provide over the Scan
Converter. Internally, the Infrared and Serial control links change the features in the same way as the buttons,
so this section is required reading whatever the final method of control is likely to be.
Advanced features are covered in a later section of this manual.
7.1 Status Mode
In Status Mode, you are presented with a summary of some of the current settings. Almost all of these are
repeated (and adjustable) elsewhere in the menu system, but some are not.
7.1.1 Overscan - Quick Set
This is called Quick Set because you don't have to scroll through menus to alter this option. The OS/US (-)
Button toggles between Underscan and Overscan.
Underscan Mode (sometimes know as Compress mode) will leave a border around the image.
Overscan Mode has no border and the displayed image, when set correctly, is larger than the video
monitor screen.
If Underscan and Overscan don't give you the image sizes you expect (for example, Overscan still shows
a border), then make sure you perform the AutoTrack™ function, which is described later in this section
of the manual.
Both the Underscan and Overscan sizes are user-adjustable and the method of doing so will be described
later under the 'Screen Size...' section.
7.1.2 Freeze - Quick Set
This is another Quick Set button, labelled 'FREEZE'. When pressed the first time, the unit will enter a special
mode where the video image and all other features are frozen.
Freeze will remain active until disabled by pressing 'FREEZE' again, and the whole unit will remain
frozen until this happens.
No other features are accessible while in Freeze Mode, except the RESET button on the Remote Control
unit.
7.1.3 Total Lines - Information
This is for information only and will appear when in Status Mode to show how many scan lines are in the
incoming computer picture. It includes blanked lines that are not normally viewable, so a 1024x768 image
might actually have a total of 806 lines in it, with 38 of them used for vertical blanking.
7.1.4 Vert Freq - Information
Again, this is just for information and shows the Vertical Refresh rate of the incoming computer signal.
Multiply this by the 'Total Lines' value to give the Horizontal Scan Rate. While high refresh rates are generally
more acceptable when displayed on computer monitors, Scan Converters prefers a low refresh rate so that their
capture circuitry has more time to capture more pixels, thus giving a clearer picture.
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7.2 Adjust... Menu
You can enter the ‘Adjust…’ Menu directly from the Status Mode by pressing the MENU Button once. This
enters the beginning of a number of Menus that allow complete control over the Scan Converter's features. All
Menus time-out after about 25 seconds of inactivity and return you to the Status Mode. Alternatively, you can
press the + Button when 'Exit' is displayed at the end of each Menu list to return to the previous Menu.
The various options from the ‘Adjust…’ Menu are all selected by pressing the MENU Button repeatedly:
7.2.1 Flicker Reduction
The unit defaults to the 4-Line Flicker Filter Mode, which is best for 800x600 and 1024x768 resolutions.
Pressing the + or – Buttons when this option is displayed will change this to 2-Line or 6-Line.
2-line Mode is not advisable, unless the vertical image softening that is present because of higher flicker
reduction modes needs to be avoided. Line dropping will be common at this setting.
4-line Mode
the exact nature of the graphics or text being displayed. Thin horizontal lines cause the most flicker, and
if this is seen, then the highest flicker reduction setting should be used.
6-line Mode offers the maximum amount of flicker reduction and allows images, even CAD wire-frame
drawings, at resolutions above 1024x768 to be displayed without line dropping. This mode may not be
suitable for low resolutions, because of excessive vertical softening of the image, but this is a mater of
personal preference.
7.2.2 AutoTrack™
AutoTrack™ is Kramer’s unique auto setup routine that automatically sizes, shifts and centers the computer
image onto the video monitor. Once activated, this feature will scan the incoming computer image to determine
its size and position and optimize it for display on the desired video display.
When the Scan Converter first encounters a new screen resolution or refresh rate, it will estimate how to best
display this on the video monitor. Sometimes this estimate needs refining and the AutoTrack™ function allows
the unit to search for the image edges to improve on this.
Before running the AutoTrack™ function, set the computer so that it is displaying a light colored
background or wallpaper with defined edges in full screen mode. If you have a Windows operating
system, make sure it is maximized to use the full screen. Black or very dark colors along the edge of the
image may cause AutoTrack™ to misread the source image’s size.
If you are running MS DOS, it is only recommended to use this function when the full DOS screen is
being used by a fairly bright color or shade of white.
Only use this feature when the full area of the computer screen is being used - this will ensure that the
unit 'sees' the edges correctly, and performs its task without errors.
Pressing the + Button when AutoTrack™ is displayed on the LCD will start this routine and it will take
about 15 seconds. During this time the image on the video monitor will move around, but at the end of
this the image should be stable and correctly sized and centered.
If you encounter problems when running AutoTrack™, you can adjust the level at which it works - see
the LEVEL button described later.
Once complete, the AutoTrack™ routine will remember this particular resolution and refresh rate so that
you should not need to re-do this function next time. The only exceptions are if you change the
computer’s screen resolution, do a Factory Reset or use this unit with a different computer.
If the AutoTrack™ feature does not look like it is finding the edges of the display correctly, then you can
press RESET to stop it going any further.
Note - A high-pitched beep will be heard when the AutoTrack™ function is complete.
is best for resolutions around 800x600 and 1024x768, but is subject to personal taste and
7.3 Studio Gen... Mode (Genlock not available on the VP-704SC)
This is a Sub-Menu and selected by pressing the + Button when ‘Studio Gen…’ is displayed on the lower line of
the LCD display. Within this Sub-Menu, you can define the Scan Converter's Studio Genlock features - i.e.
whether Synchronization Mode is On or Off, Subcarrier Phase, etc. All these settings can be stored in nonvolatile memory by using the STORE feature (i.e. hold the Menu and the + Button together or press the STORE
button on the Remote Control).
Genlock - Locking to an External Reference Signal
7.3.1
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