Options
connection second opinion please.
Stuart P
Posts: 949 Forum Member
✭✭
i have set up the following based on my knowledge of scarts & reading manuals & various threads, but just wanted to see what others on here thought. heres the equipment list -
jvc tv (2 x scart, 1 with rgb)
panasonic hdd/dvd (2 x scart, 1 with rgb)
sony freeview stb (1 x tv out scart / 1 x vcr out scart)
xbox not connected at the moment
and this is what i have done
sony freeview vcr scart out <> panasonic hdd/dvd av2 scart in
sony freeview tv scart out <> jvc tv av2 (non rgb) in
panasonic hdd/dvd av1 (rgb) out <> jvc tv av1 (rgb)in
all works ok - but i only get rgb when watching the panasonic dvd / hdd / tv tuner (av1 channel on tv)
is there a way to get rgb viewing so the freeview can be viewed in rgb? i think the only way is to get a scart block that has rgb in/out?
stuart
jvc tv (2 x scart, 1 with rgb)
panasonic hdd/dvd (2 x scart, 1 with rgb)
sony freeview stb (1 x tv out scart / 1 x vcr out scart)
xbox not connected at the moment
and this is what i have done
sony freeview vcr scart out <> panasonic hdd/dvd av2 scart in
sony freeview tv scart out <> jvc tv av2 (non rgb) in
panasonic hdd/dvd av1 (rgb) out <> jvc tv av1 (rgb)in
all works ok - but i only get rgb when watching the panasonic dvd / hdd / tv tuner (av1 channel on tv)
is there a way to get rgb viewing so the freeview can be viewed in rgb? i think the only way is to get a scart block that has rgb in/out?
stuart
0
Comments
Sony TV SCART --> TV AV1
Sony VCR SCART --> DVD AV1/2
If your Panasonic is anything like mine it should do RGB on both SCARTs.
One thing that I've recently discovered is that the Sony box appears to pass through RGB from a DVD/whatever on its VCR SCART even though it won't feed RGB OUT of the VCR SCART ! This might cause you problems however if you can't set the SCART input seperately to the output to record off the Sony. The best you'll get out of the Sony is S-Video but even that is doubtful (I've never got it to work between mine).
An alternative though might be a double headed SCART lead. This splits the input and output connections into two SCART plugs. So you plug the single end into the Sony and the double end into the two SCARTs on the DVD. That way you can set the output SCART on the DVD to RGB and the input SCART to S-Video/Composite for recording off the Sony.
by 'looping' the dvd thru the sony, will i not lose some picture quality? i figured that by having a direct connection between the dvd & the tv i'll get the best possible picture.
i'll give it a go anyhow....get back to you soon
stuart
thanks chris, that has worked it seems. 1 less scart & excellent pictures
cheers
stuart
update -
it seems the freeview is outputting rgb signals to the tv - all good.
the panasonic has 1 rgb scart - av1. because there is not a scart connected between the av1 socket on the panasonic & the av1 socket on the tv when dvd's are viewed they are not rgb.
i need to have the freeview box connected to the av2 socket on the panasonic so i can do 'timer recordings' sent from the freeview to the panasonic.
am i missing anything?
stuart
If I were you I wouldn't bother trying to get the Sony to control the Panasonic! Or at least not the same Sony that you want to watch Freeview on the telly with!
I've just been having a play with my Sony/Panasonic combination and now I know why I didn't throw my old TUCT20 STB away!
You don't need to use AV2 on the Panasonic (or at least on my DMR-E30 can't imagine much has changed with yours). With the Sony on AV1 you can set the Panasonic into record perfectly OK as long as Smartlink is on on the Sony. It will even wake the Panasonic out of stand-by and select AV1 if it's set to AV2 for example. So all that bit works.
I also appear to have got RGB passthrough to work from DVD to TV. Lets put it this way set the Panasonic to Composite or S-Video and no picture on the TV when I select RGB mode. Put the Panasonic to RGB and picture appears.
So far so good. Now the bad news.
Made a test recording. Bear in mind that the Sony doesn't do RGB output on the VCR SCART so I've set it to PAL (Composite). Recording went OK and played back OK. But (isn't there always!) press STOP on the Panasonic and the b*****d Sony is locked into PAL output on the TV SCART :mad: :mad: :mad:
I could select RGB or S-Video but the output didn't change despite what the set-up menu said. Only way to get it back was power down and back-up. Turn Smartlink off and it's fine so must be something to do with that! Bit of a bummer when you need Smartlink to kick the Panasonic into life. I also suspect that you need Smartlink on to use AV2 and Ext Link on the Panasonic.
I didn't try playing the recording back with the Sony in stand-by which may be another way round this problem. But not very helpful really.
I knew there was a good reason for having two STB's over and beyond being able to record and view two different channels
1 - the sony freeview
2 - the dvd (most importantly
3 - the xbox
thanks for the help
stuart
1) I agree with Chris above, dont use the FV box for timing as you will only be able to get a composite picture from the Panny.
2) Switch the scart out of the Panny to come from AV1 rather than AV2 as you have it. This will output an RGB picure through the Sony to the TV AV1 socket provided that you have the AV1 on the Panny set to RGB.
Rgds,
Scorp
DVDR AV1 ---> FV VCR scart
FV TV scart ---TV AV1
so both the scarts on the freeview are rgb then? since my last post i have changed slightly so my connections are -
dvdr av1 ---> tv av1 ( for the better picture)
fv vcr scart ---> dvd av2 (so i can 'timer record')
scorpio - what do you use (apart from videoplus for the terrestial channels) to 'timer record' if you're not using the freeview epg?
stuart
In the menu the only two options you've got on the VCR out are PAL (Composite) or Auto which is supposed to use Smartlink to negotiate a suitable format between itself and the recorder. So far all it's ever done with my Panasonic E30 is set itself to PAL !
As I said I gave up on the Sony for recording, only use the VCR connection to connect the DVD to the TV (second SCART on my TV doesn't do anything more than Composite) I restored my old Panasonic TUCT 20 box to record DTT connected to AV2 of the Panasonic E30. In RGB as well as it happens.
If I need to do a timed recording I just set the TUCT20 to whatever channel I want and leave it on. Then set up a timer event on the DVD-R selecting AV2 as the "channel". Suits what I want use it for which is really only recording the odd programme when it clashes with another I want to watch. So most of the time I only set the timer on the DVD to avoid overloading my only remaining functioning brain cell with having to remember to pres REC on the DVD remote at the right time
so, i've just re-connected like so -
dvdr av1 scart (rgb) <---> freeview vcr scart in (rgb)
freeview tv scart out (rgb) <---> tv av1 scart in (rgb)
looks like its working all ok. just can't 'timer record' but then the trade off between having excellent rgb pictures all the time or being able to record occasionally via the epg then i'd rather have the quality
stuart
The problems are.........you can only record to the DVDr from FV using composite......as connected to FV VCR scart. This may be fine.
Also you cant use the FV box to drive the Panny through AV2. Again not really a prob as you can use the Video+ etc.
Personally, I have Sky+ so no prob with timed recordings. I do back off recorded progs to DVd overnight.
Good luck,
Rgds,
Scorp.
update # 2
mmmm.....had to rearrange slightly. with the above set-up i have just discovered that if i am 'feeding' the dvd output via the freeview box & then thru to the tv, i am unable to play my region 1 discs (having just un-locked my machine this morning using the kit supplied by the helpful http://www.multiregionupgrades.com/ service)
when i connect with my previous config -
dvdr av1 ---> tv av1 ( for the better picture)
fv vcr scart ---> dvd av2 (so i can 'timer record')
i can view my lovely region 1's no prob. all good again
stuart
update #3
it seems the region 1 discs will not play if i'm recording at the same time on the hdd. region 2 discs play fine.
any clues?
stuart