We have an LCD projector that is about 10 meters from a computer. Standard RGB cables give a ghost image on my monitor and a slightly blurry image at the projector. What type of cabling is best for this?
Do you mean you have a VGA cable running between the two?
If not, you should. Typically a male to male VGA will work for most applications.
If you have VGA then I don’t think it’s a cabling issue. When running long distances 40+ feet I would spend the money to get the quality cables. You are right on the bubble with 10 meters so any VGA cable off the shelf will work.
It actually sounds like you have two issues. How do you have this monitor/computer configured? Is the projector fed from the computer via the VGA cables and did you focus the projector? Make sure all connections are secure and that you don’t have any pushed in or loose pins on the cables.
Sorry, you are right. They are VGA cables. I have one running from the computer to the projector and one running back to the monitor.
I am not sure what you mean by configuring the monitor/computer. Can you explain further?
The blurriness of the monitor is far worse than the ghosting of the projector image. That actually could be a focus issue since I am at the limit of the focus adjustment with the distance I have from the projector to the screen.
I will check all the pins.
Thanks for you help!
I’ve successfully run VGA to projectors with no DA at distances upwards of 30m, so 10 shouldn’t be a problem. If your VGA cable is not good quality it can attenuate the signal a lot, or possible pick up interference if it isn’t well shielded. Don’t run the VGA wires alongside 120VAC power lines if you can at all help it. I’m quite fond of these for long VGA runs, though you might have to go to a pro AV outlet and order to get them. I have no experience with the sort of upmarket VGA cables you might find at a Best Buy, but given their slavish devotion to Monster and its ilk I wouldn’t be optimistic about not getting ripped off.
Is there any reason you’re feeding the monitor back from the projector? Only one video output on your computer? :eek:
And if there is only one output on the computer, have you tried using a VGA splitter on the back of the computer? That might eliminate the ghosting and blurriness.
As I understand it, the correct way to wire the projector is
Computer to Monitor In (back of projector) then Montior Out (back of projector) to Montior.
The use of a splitter between the monitor and projector degrades the signal significantly (I’ve tried this).
OP, I guess what I was referring to by “setup” has been alluded to already.
I’m used to computers having two VGA outputs, one for the monitor and one for the projector. If I were you I’d try switching the two cables around and see if that makes a difference. If the signal is compromised going to the projector it won’t get any better coming back to the monitor. If it’s a cabling issue you will find that by swapping the cables (take the one from the computer to the proj and switch it with the one from the proj to the monitor). The other way to check would be to use a stock 7 foot cable and connect straight to the projector from the computer (requires moving the computer close to the projector) and see if the picture clears up. There are a number of ways to trouble shoot this and a number of ways for things to go wrong.
Q, is the monitor new? The projector? Have both devices worked fine otherwise or elsewhere?
Also, when you say that you are at the limit of the focus adjustment with the distance of the projector from the screen…I think you have the terminology wrong. You are at the zoom limit, not the focus limit. You will always be able to focus the image for clarity no matter how far you are from the screen. However, you may not always be able to zoom the image small enough to fit the screen if the projector is too far away. Fitting the screen and focusing are two different things. You may not realize this but there are two rings on the lense. One is for zoom and the other is for focus. You may have fiddled with the zoom ring and not realized that there is also a focus ring.
You need better - heavier gauge and better shielding - cables.
Toy would be much, much better off if you could drive your projector digitally - either DVI or HDMI.
Yep, you’d have to rework the PC for those options.
I’m thinking the OP has a loose connection, bent/broken pin or very cheap cables.