DVI-I vs DVI-D issue

[Hambone]

I'm currently outputting DVI-D to a DVI-D splitter, which feeds two projectors via DVI-D cables. It works really well. All of my work is rendered at 1024 x 768, and is digital all the way to the projectors displaying at their native resolution (1024 x 768). Nice, sharp pixel-for-pixel image rear-projected on 8' x 6' screens.

 

However, I now need to record the show, to be edited and burned to DVD for the clients. I'm using a DVD hard disk recorder, which needs an analog composite, S-Video, or component input. If I plug a DVI to S-Video adapter in the computer's video card, I get a nice S-Video signal. However, if I plug the same adapter in to the DVI splitter, there's no signal, as the splitter and cables are digital only.

 

Any ideas? I could always ditch the DVI and use a VGA splitter, VGA to the projectors, and S-Video to the recorder via a VGA/S-Video adapter. I A/B tested the two signals, and the image quality between DVI and VGA was noticeable, yet probably useable.

 

Or is there such an animal as an affordable hard-disk standalone recorder with DVI-D inputs? If possible, I'd ideally like to record the show at 1024 x 768, to be then dumped into FCP for editing (although 4-5 hours of 1024 x 768 may become bulky).

 

Thanks!

[david.elsbury]

Perhaps your graphics card is outputting different signals based on what is plugged in? EG DVI if it's a monitor, but perhaps when the adaptor to S video is plugged in, it links some pins and tells the card to output S.

 

??