A Composite monitor is any monitor that inputs a composite video signal. Most of these monitors are in the form of a TV set with composite inputs on it. Composite monitors are popular for use of DVD players, VCRs, video game systems , camcorders, and very rarely old home computers.

Composite monitors often have RCA jacks on primarily the rear, and occasionally on the front. In commercial studio use, composite monitors use BNC connectors for video input. There are some devices that convert composite or S-video signals to a VGA computer monitor. Composite and S-video are used in PAL and NTSC regions. Almost all S-video monitors also have composite inputs.

In recent years, CD-G karaoke devices were built with B&W (sometimes color) composite monitors for the purpose of seeing the lyrics to sing to.

Early innovations of this technology

Originally, these monitors were used for commercial studios. Composite video was first had home use for dubbing tapes on VCRs. Also, one of the first stand-alone composite monitors for home use were on home computers.

Problems to overcome

Nowadays, AV devices with advanced technology don't have Channel 3/4 outputs (e.g. DVD players, Game consoles, etc.). One major exception to this is a TiVO DVR. People often use RF modulators to overcome the problem of a TV set not having composite or S-video inputs. Another method of this is that some game systems have their own RF converter without the bulkiness of an RF modulator.

Sometimes, if somebody were to have a stand-alone composite monitor; they would be unable to use old-type game systems (e.g. Atari 2600, NES 2, etc.) that only have channel 3/4 outputs for conventional TVs. Sometimes, using a VCR would overcome that problem since most VCRs have TV tuners built in.

Commercial use of composite monitors

Often times, video studios will use stand-alone composite monitors since people there don't watch much TV. They can also be used when new AV devices are being tested. Stand-alone composite monitors are commonly used for video surveillance.

The composite monitors used in video surveillance use black and white graphics so the manufacture cost for the item will go down. Stand-alone composite monitors that are marketed as surveillance monitors are occasionally marketed for home use.

Common features for composite monitors

• Stereo sound
• TV turner
• front AV inputs
• S-video input

See Also

• Video projector