BNC to VGA Converter

If you are too lazy to read the article (and I don't blame you) here are the highlights:

• CCTV monitors are expensive (~$500+)
• Regular LCD monitors are cheap (~$100)
• The only difference is a BNC input
• You can convert BNC to VGA to work with a regular LCD for <$40
• Money saved = ~$360 on average

If you have installed a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television, also known as Security Camera System) lately you probably know how expensive CCTV monitors are. Head on over to Pricegrabber or Shopping.com, for example, and you will notice that a decent monitor costs $500 (and they go way up from there).

What most people don't know is that the main difference between a "CCTV monitor" and an average, run-of-the-mill LCD monitor is just that CCTV monitors have BNC ports, the most common interface with CCTV connections.

What is BNC?

BNC stands for Bayonet Neill-Concelman, a name combining the type of connector (known as Bayonet mounting) and the name of the two founders. More importantly, this is the connector that you will need to be familiar with if you are working with a security camera system. See the image to the right labeled "BNC."

Why VGA?

VGA is ubiquitous - almost all monitors and even HDTV's available today offer a way to connect your source through a VGA input. VGA is an analog technology, but don't let that fool you - it can handle very high resolutions (high definition) and is very reliable. In fact, a friend of mine, Pernell Ringlebottom, who has worked with high-end audio/video equipment for the past several years often tells me that analog doesn't deserve the bad rap that it has gotten recently (most obviously from the DTV switch).

Flawless Conversion

When using a BNC to VGA converter you can expect a flawless conversion - you won't see artifacts on the screen or a lot of noise which is common with a lot of low-quality video conversion. Also, as the technology evolves it is becoming more affordable - just a few years ago these converters would have cost over $100 - now they are right around $40.