[Coz21]

aswell as a scart lead, to record one channel and watch another?

[bobcar]

You'll need an rf lead so that the TV can pick up the RF signal otherwise you can only see what the DVDR is tuned to. Plug the main aerial into the DVDR then the connecting lead to the TV aerial input then you can see all the old channels the TV was tuned to.

[Coz21]

Thanks. Right now, i have the main antenna connected to the Sky, an RF lead conected from the Sky to the VCR and an RF lead connected from the VCR to the TV. When i set the DVD recorder up, i was going to connect everything like this:

Antenna - into Sky
RF lead - TV to VCR
RF lead - TV to DVD
RF lead - Sky to VCR
RF lead - Sky to DVD
Scart - TV to Sky
Scart - TV to DVD
Scart - Sky to DVD

Would that work? Are any of those connections unnecessary?

[Jim Rae]

It's always dangerous to give advice when you don't know the details of the equipment, but you seem to have a lot of RF leads there.

As was said, the best way to get good pictures all round is to use the SCART leads and you only need the RF if you are recording something diffferent from what you want to watch.

However RF will not carry stereo out of a device, so you need to decide if that's an issue or not.

Ideally I would do as much recording as possible using SCARTS and not RF - the same with playback and you'll get the best pictures and stereo sound.

Only use the RF for viewing if your Sky box is busy.

[Coz21]

Thanks. So what would you connect with RF? If i'm recoring something onto DVD or video, or from Sky, i need to be able to watch a different channel.

[Coz21]

Ok, i've got the DVD set up now. This is what the connections are:

Antenna to Sky
RF lead - TV to VCR
RF lead - Sky to VCR
Scart - TV to Sky
Scart - TV to DVD
Scart - Sky to DVD

To record Sky onto video, i don't have to put the VCR on any channel. It records the channel i have on Sky.

To see what the DVD is picking up, i press AV2 on the TV.

To record analogue TV onto DVD, i press AV1 on the DVD.

To record Sky onto DVD, i press AV2 on the DVD.

To watch an analogue channel while recording Sky, i press TV/AV on the TV.

It all works fine and i can record one channel while watching another. I didn't need all those RF leads like i though i did. But there's just one thing and i can't work out what the problem is. When i'm looking at Sky through the DVD (AV2), the picture isn't as perfect as when i'm watching Sky just through the TV. It records like that too. It's better than analogue TV, but not as perfect as it should be. Any ideas why that is? It doesn't make any difference if i connect with RF leads in addition to the scarts, so it can't be that.

[altis]

Prolly 'cos the Sky -> TV connection is using RGB signals and the route via the DVD uses composite video. Unfortunately, not all scart sockets are created equal and you'll have to check the manuals to find out which socket supports what. For best quality use the RGB signals, then S-video, then composite video and finally RF. Here is a set up that works for a cable STB - just swap your satellite STB for the cable one. However, this set up will only record and replay composite video (all that most VCRs support). If your DVD recorder will record RGB then insert it in the scart line between the STB and AV1 on the TV.

[steven123]

Yes most TVs only have RGB on the first Scart socket (AV1) and not on the second one (AV2). If you are lucky the second Scart might accept Svideo which is a perfectly reasonable compromise or if not it will only accept Composite which isnt a good compromise at all.

I would ensure that your DVD player is connected to AV1 as DVD is the best quality and should have the best connection to the TV.

[Jim Rae]

It might be possible to loop the Sky Box through the DVD by SCART to give RGB pictures on AV1 from both of them - worth a look.

[Coz21]

Thanks guys. Last night, i realized that with my connections, i couldn't record an analogue channel while watching Sky (or the other way). Also, i needed the antenna in the DVD instead of the Sky for it to pick up the analogue channels. Then the VCR wouldn't work, as it wasn't connected with RF or scart, so this is how i've got it now:

Antenna to DVD
RF - DVD to VCR
Rf - VCR to TV
Scarts are as before, but i will have to get a switch box to connect both the VCR and DVD to the Sky.

You're right about the AV being RGB. I've just tried swapping the Sky and DVD scarts over in the TV, but that way, i don't get the RGB picture when i watch Sky directly or watch it through the DVD.

[Coz21]

If i got a switch box to put in the TV and put it in AV1 RGB, would i have the RGB picture through both the Sky and the DVD?

Or could i connect the DVD to the TV some other way to get the RGB quality picture?

[altis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by altis

If your DVD recorder will record RGB then insert it in the scart line between the STB and AV1 on the TV.

Scarts:
VCR --> STB --> DVD --> TV
RF:
Aerial --> DVD --> VCR --> TV

[Coz21]

Quote:

Originally Posted by altis

Scarts:
VCR --> STB --> DVD --> TV
RF:
Aerial --> DVD --> VCR --> TV

That's the same as i have, exept for no scart from TV to sky. If i didn't have a scart from TV to sky or an RF lead, how would i watch and record sky?

[Coz21]

Ok, will this work?:

Antenna to DVD RF In
RF - DVD RF Out to VCR In
RF - VCR Out to TV
Scart - TV Out to VCR In
Scart - VCR to Sky VCR scart
Scart - Sky TV scart to DVD AV2
Scart - DVD AV1 to TV AV1

Will i be able to watch and record Sky in RGB if i set the DVD settings to RGB and will i be able to record analogue TV while watching Sky and record Sky while watching analogue TV on both the DVD and the VCR? Or do i still need a scart switch box?

[Coz21]

I've sorted it. Thanks alot for your help everyone. It's much appreciated.