<p>Analog cables are thin bits of metal with connectors at each end. The signal that comes out of the source is present instantly* at all of the other connectors whether they are male or female.</p>

<p>However, connecting two outputs does change the impedance that the signal is seeing. Since you're dealing with an analogue signal, where the amplitude of the signal directly relates to the brightness of the image this could cause problems. To oversimplify it, it's like you had a battery and two light bulbs connected in parallel: they're each going to be less bright than a battery connected to only one light bulb. </p>

<p>So where possible you're better off connecting one source to one input. To split the signal use the output from the equipment, as it will be buffered by an internal amplifier.</p>

<p><em>*ignoring the time it takes for the signal to propogate which will be based on the electomechanical properties of the wire, but will probably be better than 0.5c (where c is the speed of light), or in other words for a 1 metre cable the signal reaches the end ~ 6.7 nanoseconds after it appears at the other.</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T03:01:33.620Z
2018-04-09T03:01:33.620Z
stib
<p>With a Y splitter Svideo cable</p>

<p>Example</p>

<pre><code>   ---F
M--
   ---F
</code></pre>

<p>Would plugging the input in to the F side allow the output to come out of both the M and other F side?</p>

<p>End setup would be</p>

<pre><code>Camera       M - F---
                    --- M - F Monitor
Capture F - MM - F---
</code></pre>

<p>I basically want to make sure the M side doesn't need to be the Input, couldn't seem to find an answer, sorry if it's a simple question.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-05T23:15:27.073Z
There is nothing electrically that would prevent you from putting the input on a female connector and an output on the M and F. But what you describe doing won't work. You need to use an analog distribution amplifier.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-06T13:09:03.723Z
The monitor has a CVBS out, would it be better to just go from camera to monitor to capture to pc?
Scriven
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-08T15:43:15.650Z
What exactly are you trying to do? What make and model devices do you have?
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T02:40:37.040Z
If the monitor has an input and output it has an amplifier built-in, so you should be able to put it between your source and the capture, but best practice is to monitor out of the capture device if you can.
stib
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T13:47:23.177Z
@MichaelLiebman The company I work for just bought a big van with a 2500 ft sewer camera. They didn't want to pay 10 grand or something for special software, they just want to be able to record. The camera is attached to a monitor via svideo, the monitor has BNC output. I was basically deciding whether a splitter on the svideo connection, or using the BNC output would be better to connect to a capture card, so a computer can record. Not really my specialty
Scriven
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T18:44:06.067Z
A Y-cable definitely won't work for that. You either need to use a distribution amplifier or sometimes monitors have a loop output that will give you a copy of the input video.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T19:01:34.220Z
@MichaelLiebman So my plan right now, is use the BNC output on the monitor to (Portta SDI HD-SDI to HDMI Mini) SDI to HDMI converter, then I have a capture card (TNP UH60 HDMI to USB 3.0 Capture Card Device Dongle - HDMI Full HD 1080P Video Audio to USB Adapter) that takes HDMI input and output USB 3.0. This should hopefully let take a recording on the PC.
Scriven
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T19:48:16.450Z
If the monitor is the one from your other question, it is an analog composite output. The SDI (digital) to HDMI converter won't work.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T20:03:32.920Z
@MichaelLiebman Thanks for being very helpful to a scrub like myself. I know this is off topic for stackexchange but do you have a suggestion as to a capture card I can look in to, or a different solution for recording from the output on the monitor?
Scriven
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T21:22:02.947Z
VHS video tape? ;) Unfortunately, I don't have any other suggestions, that's not really my area of expertise any more.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-09T21:45:50.580Z
There are dozens of cheap usb capture dongles available. They usually have an RCA plug (like an audio plug on a hi-fi) for the video input, but a BNC-RCA adapter will work since the signal is the same. Here's the first one that I found, just as an example: https://elbo.in/4NZ
stib
<camera><cable>
With an SVideo Y splitter 1M 2F, does the video input need to go in to the male end?
Scriven
# With an SVideo Y splitter 1M 2F, does the video input need to go in to the male end?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-04-05)

With a Y splitter Svideo cable
Example
   ---F
M--
   ---F

Would plugging the input in to the F side allow the output to come out of both the M and other F side?
End setup would be
Camera       M - F---
                    --- M - F Monitor
Capture F - MM - F---

I basically want to make sure the M side doesn't need to be the Input, couldn't seem to find an answer, sorry if it's a simple question.

**Tags:** camera, cable

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is nothing electrically that would prevent you from putting the input on a female connector and an output on the M and F. But what you describe doing won't work. You need to use an analog distribution amplifier.  
> **username_0**: The monitor has a CVBS out, would it be better to just go from camera to monitor to capture to pc?  
> **username_1**: What exactly are you trying to do? What make and model devices do you have?  
> **username_2**: If the monitor has an input and output it has an amplifier built-in, so you should be able to put it between your source and the capture, but best practice is to monitor out of the capture device if you can.  
> **username_0**: @MichaelLiebman The company I work for just bought a big van with a 2500 ft sewer camera. They didn't want to pay 10 grand or something for special software, they just want to be able to record. The camera is attached to a monitor via svideo, the monitor has BNC output. I was basically deciding whether a splitter on the svideo connection, or using the BNC output would be better to connect to a capture card, so a computer can record. Not really my specialty  
> **username_1**: A Y-cable definitely won't work for that. You either need to use a distribution amplifier or sometimes monitors have a loop output that will give you a copy of the input video.  
> **username_0**: @MichaelLiebman So my plan right now, is use the BNC output on the monitor to (Portta SDI HD-SDI to HDMI Mini) SDI to HDMI converter, then I have a capture card (TNP UH60 HDMI to USB 3.0 Capture Card Device Dongle - HDMI Full HD 1080P Video Audio to USB Adapter) that takes HDMI input and output USB 3.0. This should hopefully let take a recording on the PC.  
> **username_1**: If the monitor is the one from your other question, it is an analog composite output. The SDI (digital) to HDMI converter won't work.  
> **username_0**: @MichaelLiebman Thanks for being very helpful to a scrub like myself. I know this is off topic for stackexchange but do you have a suggestion as to a capture card I can look in to, or a different solution for recording from the output on the monitor?  
> **username_1**: VHS video tape? ;) Unfortunately, I don't have any other suggestions, that's not really my area of expertise any more.  
> **username_2**: There are dozens of cheap usb capture dongles available. They usually have an RCA plug (like an audio plug on a hi-fi) for the video input, but a BNC-RCA adapter will work since the signal is the same. Here's the first one that I found, just as an example: https://elbo.in/4NZ  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-04-09. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

Analog cables are thin bits of metal with connectors at each end. The signal that comes out of the source is present instantly\* at all of the other connectors whether they are male or female.

However, connecting two outputs does change the impedance that the signal is seeing. Since you're dealing with an analogue signal, where the amplitude of the signal directly relates to the brightness of the image this could cause problems. To oversimplify it, it's like you had a battery and two light bulbs connected in parallel: they're each going to be less bright than a battery connected to only one light bulb.

So where possible you're better off connecting one source to one input. To split the signal use the output from the equipment, as it will be buffered by an internal amplifier.

*\*ignoring the time it takes for the signal to propogate which will be based on the electomechanical properties of the wire, but will probably be better than 0.5c (where c is the speed of light), or in other words for a 1 metre cable the signal reaches the end ~ 6.7 nanoseconds after it appears at the other.*


---

