Review on 📺 Gefen CI GTV-COMPSVID-2-HDMIS Composite to HDMI Scaler: Enhanced Video Conversion for Optimal Viewing Experience by Troy Coskillas

When I replaced my (old, analog) CRT TV with an LED computer monitor, everything was great. until I realized there was no way to connect my newly refurbished VCR (which I still play a lot of tapes on) to a monitor. The VCR only has RF (threaded coaxial cable) and composite (yellow RCA) outputs. And the display, which is a computer monitor and not a TV, only has VGA and HDMI inputs. Haven't found anything that converts from RF. A cheap box converting to VGA gave barely noticeable results. A popular, inexpensive, basic RF to HDMI converter I tried produced a terribly limited color gamut. (Obviously it doesn't matter to gamers.) And I couldn't find ANY RF to HDMI converter under $200 that kept the VCR image in its original 3:4 aspect ratio. Everything stretched (distorted) the picture on a wide screen. That's fine for some shows, but it's not the way to watch Humphrey Bogart or any TV series released in the 1990s. This device seems to solve this problem. It converts the incoming composite signal into different sizes and aspect ratios. If you select "PanScan" you get 4:3 (or something like that. I didn't measure both sizes). So far, so good. Unfortunately, this also compresses the image, wasting about an inch of my monitor above and below the 3:4 image. In this price range I expect the perfect solution. It might be great for other purposes, but it's not for me. While the 3:4 picture is smaller on my 27" widescreen monitor than on my 21" CRT TV, I believe this is a problem when dubbing from tape to disc. (Need to research this further.) A few other comments while I'm at it, although relatively minor compared to the frustration above. * Aside from the unnecessarily small image size when Panscan is selected, the VCR to HDMI conversion is normal. At least as good as I'm used to over HF from my old analog TV. I suggest reading the user guide on their website, which you'll need to download anyway. * Gets very hot. Beside the device 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Top of unit, 102. (Tech rep said this is normal and the units have run like this for years with no apparent problems.) * The four footrests are very loosely attached. One came loose when I set everything up. There is a hole under each pad so they only poke in a very small margin around the perimeter. It doesn't matter. You'll probably still want to add bigger legs to give it more air. If heat is a problem, either unplug the power cord or use a switched outlet.* The small external power transformer includes country-specific plug adapters. Just plug in the plug of your choice and the power supply works as it was made for you, hassle-free.* Includes a 6-foot composite/audio cable (Yellow, Red, White plugs).* When using it with a computer monitor and you choose an incompatible low-resolution mode, the monitor may no longer display the menu (due to an incompatible setting). In this case, you need to restart your device. Instructions for this simple process are in the user manual.* Before purchasing (not from Revain), I spoke to a Gefen technical support representative. Pleasant and helpful. Unfortunately he didn't mention that the 3:4 picture is generally reduced. is an acceptable (though expensive) solution. In general, I think that for a TV that can serve as a backup computer monitor and interface to my entertainment computer, I would be better off choosing an HD TV that already includes a composite input. . Unlike a monitor, the TV also has a remote control with adjustable volume (although it seems some TVs don't have volume controls these days?!) and other features.