[painsyndicated]

Hi folks. I have checked my system setup and is as follows - sky box to "decoder" scart on vcr (scart 2), vcr scart 1 to tv "scart 1". Sky box is also wired separatley to tv using tv "scart 2". RF Cables have also been connected as applicable.

Heres the problem. When recording a sky programme, the quality is very "grainy" . Regardless of wether i record via scart (vcr chanel av2) or the rf (vcr chanel 6). I have the picture setting for the sky box set to "RGB". Have also checked that the TV "SCART 1" is suitable for RGB.

Is this normal? Should i invest in some high quality THOR AV Cables?

I am using the amstrad sky reciever (supplied early 2005) and LG TV,VCR etc from early 2004.

When I play the recordings they look like the reception you get using a portable aerial on a portable tv!

[John Currie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by painsyndicated

Hi folks. I have checked my system setup and is as follows - sky box to "decoder" scart on vcr (scart 2), vcr scart 1 to tv "scart 1". Sky box is also wired separatley to tv using tv "scart 2". RF Cables have also been connected as applicable.

Heres the problem. When recording a sky programme, the quality is very "grainy" . Regardless of wether i record via scart (vcr chanel av2) or the rf (vcr chanel 6). I have the picture setting for the sky box set to "RGB". Have also checked that the TV "SCART 1" is suitable for RGB.

Is this normal? Should i invest in some high quality THOR AV Cables?

I am using the amstrad sky reciever (supplied early 2005) and LG TV,VCR etc from early 2004.

When I play the recordings they look like the reception you get using a portable aerial on a portable tv!

Have you tried recording from non-Sky channels?
i.e. BBC1, BBC2 etc on prog 1, prog 2 on the vcr. Is the picture still "grainy/snowy"?

[painsyndicated]

Hi. I dont actually have a tv aerial anymore. So when i say sky, i literally mean tv through the sky box. Although when i did have an aerial, the recording was fine.
Tested recording my ps2 gameplay with the skybox disconectd and was fine. Problem appears to involve the sky box somehow. I dont know if its a frequency problem. I t cant be the cabling as just viewing sky via the vcr is fine.

Its getting annoying as sometimes i cant stay up till midnight to watch WWE live.

Any help or suggestions are most welcome.

thanks

[kwilliams]

Your wiring isn't the best configuration.Try this :-
Digibox TV scart to TV AV! scart

Digibox VCR scart to VCR AV1 scart

This is a standard setup and allows loop-through of the VCR playback to the TV.
To record from Sky you select AV1 as the record channel on the VCR.

There is an alternative arrangement but I won't talk about that yet - see how you get on with the above arrangement.

[Scorpio]

I agree with Kwilliams above in that your config was incorrect. The above suggestion is what you need except for one comment -

if your VCR has 2 scarts, use AV2 not AV1. This is because not all VCRs have input and output on both of their scarts.

AV2 will definitely be an in/out scart which is what you need (input when you are recording from sky - set VCR to AV2 and leave it! - output when you press play to watch videos).

When you press play the signal on the TV wil automatically switch from Sky to VCR and when you press stop it returns to Sky - simple!

Rgds,
Scorp

[painsyndicated]

thanks guys. will try this as suggested. im surprised the config is wrong - its what the sky install guy did! Also said only way to get rbg was to connect to tv via vcr... i wonder know how much he knew....

thanks again/ will post results soon as i have connected everything.

Oh just one qeustion. Scorpio - you say to use AV2 on the vcr, which i can do easily enough as av2 is labelled as "decoder". I suppose decoder applies to freeview as well as sky decoder/recievers?

thanks.

[noddylpd]

One other thing to remember is that most (or all?) VCR's will not record in RGB so the quality may not look as good as when watching Sky in the normal way.

[Scorpio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by painsyndicated

thanks guys. will try this as suggested. im surprised the config is wrong - its what the sky install guy did! Also said only way to get rbg was to connect to tv via vcr... i wonder know how much he knew....

thanks again/ will post results soon as i have connected everything.

Oh just one qeustion. Scorpio - you say to use AV2 on the vcr, which i can do easily enough as av2 is labelled as "decoder". I suppose decoder applies to freeview as well as sky decoder/recievers?

thanks.

Yes it does. Thes names are a bit arbitrary, what is important is that this scart has input and output capability - a glance at the VCR manual will desribe the functionality of the scart sockets.

Rgds,
Scorp