[Homer Hotspur]

Have just added a DVD recorder to my set up.

TV - 2 SCARTS ( 1 RGB), Freeview box - 2scarts( 1 RGB), DVD recorder 2 scarts ( 2 RGB), VCR 2 scarts.

Have followed previous helpful advice on connections and all works ok, I think!

However, there is now a noticeable deterioration in freeview reception to previously to the extent that analogue(RF) is far superior. The freeview scart rgb out goes to the DVD IN and the DVD out goes to the TV RGB in, so I think I am doing everything advised but it is definitely a worse picture. The colours are washed out and the text is blurry.
Any ideas what is happening here please?

[kev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homer Hotspur

Have just added a DVD recorder to my set up.

TV - 2 SCARTS ( 1 RGB), Freeview box - 2scarts( 1 RGB), DVD recorder 2 scarts ( 2 RGB), VCR 2 scarts.

Have followed previous helpful advice on connections and all works ok, I think!

However, there is now a noticeable deterioration in freeview reception to previously to the extent that analogue(RF) is far superior. The freeview scart rgb out goes to the DVD IN and the DVD out goes to the TV RGB in, so I think I am doing everything advised but it is definitely a worse picture. The colours are washed out and the text is blurry.
Any ideas what is happening here please?

Assuming all the connections are firm, it sound like your DVD recorder isn't passing RGB though and therefore falling back on composite - what model is it?

[charmed1987]

hi there are the scarts on the dvd recorder set to rgb in the settings menu if not that is why the picture is like that i hope this helps

[charmed1987]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kev

Assuming all the connections are firm, it sound like your DVD recorder isn't passing RGB though and therefore falling back on composite - what model is it?

at a guess i would say panasonic eh-50 hard disc / dvd recorder

[Homer Hotspur]

you are right, it is a panasoniC EH50-How did you know that?!

As far as I know connections are firm and RGB settings are correct. One odd thing , I have now found that the freeview signal is better when viewed through the VCR which is via AV2 ( non RGB) on the TV??

[Homer Hotspur]

update

Checked all connections, settings are ok. It is now quite apparent that the freeview picture via RGB AV1 is flickering continuously. The suggestio that the DVD may be passing through a poorer signal( composite) appears likely to be the answer. I can also confirm now that the picture viewed via AV2 (non RGB) input (VCR) is much better, which cannot surely be right?

[charmed1987]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homer Hotspur

you are right, it is a panasoniC EH50-How did you know that?!

As far as I know connections are firm and RGB settings are correct. One odd thing , I have now found that the freeview signal is better when viewed through the VCR which is via AV2 ( non RGB) on the TV??

because i am psychic and i know everything

also homer how have you got everything set up ie which scarts go where and so

[Scorpio]

I'm psychic, too! We were chatting about this very set up in another thread yesterday, lol!

What is the picture like when you play a bought DVD?

Try this, plug the Freeview TV scart directly into the AV1 Scart on the TV - doe the picture look really sharp, is there any onscreen indication that this signal is RGB? My panny shows AV1/RGB when an RGB signal is sent to it.

Rgds,
Scorp

[Homer Hotspur]

TV Aerial to Freeview RF in
Freeview RF out to VCR RF in
VCR RF out to DVDR RF in
DVDR RF out to TV Aerial input.

Scart from Freeview TV out to DVDR AV2 (set to RGB in)
Scart from DVDR AV1 (set to RGB out) to TV AV1
Scart from Freeview VCR out to VCR Decoder in (usually AV2/EXT2)
Scart from VCR AV1 to TV AV2 (set to composite if you have the choice in the TV setup menu).

From previous advice my set up is , as above.

[Scorpio]

Ensure that the freeview box TV scart can output RGB (as my previous post is designed to test).

Rgds,
Scorp

[charmed1987]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpio

Ensure that the freeview box TV scart can output RGB (as my previous post is designed to test).

Rgds,
Scorp

i think homers problem is that hes got the freeview going though both the dvd recorder and the vcr which is the problem and when the tv auto switches the telly to the av/ext it cant get a proper picture because the freeview is in both dvd recorder and the vcr my advice would be have the freeview scarted to just the dvd recorder and not the vcr
and scorpio i didnt know that homer had asked for help on another thread i work for a electrical retailer and that model seems to be quite popular with buyers

[Scorpio]

Having scarts from both TV and VCR sockets on the FV box should present no problem - in fact it enables watching a video (on the TV AV2) while recording from FV to DVDR.

the OP can check that this is not a problem by following your advice and unplugging the scart from the FV to VCR.

One other thing it could be is that there is interference from the RF set up - try unplugging the RF cable from the TV.

Rgds,
Scorp

[Homer Hotspur]

DVD's play ok.

I linked Freeview out direct to TV RGB in and the picture was poor. I linked it direct to AV2( not RGB) and it was fine, confirming what happened via the VCR. I now realise this was how it was set up before the DVD was introduced when freeview was fine. ie AV1 in the TV was not being used at all as the VCR went to AV2.

Does this mean that, despite the guide, the Freeview box scart is not enabled for RGB output? It is a Ferguson FDT 2000 if that helps.

[kev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homer Hotspur

DVD's play ok.

I linked Freeview out direct to TV RGB in and the picture was poor. I linked it direct to AV2( not RGB) and it was fine, confirming what happened via the VCR. I now realise this was how it was set up before the DVD was introduced when freeview was fine. ie AV1 in the TV was not being used at all as the VCR went to AV2.

Does this mean that, despite the guide, the Freeview box scart is not enabled for RGB output? It is a Ferguson FDT 2000 if that helps.

Hmm,
I would expect AV1 and AV2 to show the same is RGB was not outputted...

I wonder if your AV1 socket is both SVideo and RGB capable - if so try seeing if it is in SVideo mode (Pani TVS normally say "AV1S" when in SVideo mode), and if so change it.

[Homer Hotspur]

Thanks, but I don't think this is the case. It is a Sony TV by the way. I am sure I have it set to RGB only.

I just did some research on an old thread and it does seem that the Ferguson digibox does have RGB output.

Looks like I am just going to have to use the AV2( non RGB) socket( which is at least good and stable) and the AV1 problem will remain a mystery. Perhaps the TV socket has a fault?

Many thanks for all the suggestions. At least I have isolated the problem, even if I can't completely resolve it!

[Scorpio]

Hm, does sound like a TV AV1 issue. You could just plug the VCR directly into TV AV1 as this should cope with composite aswell as RGB. If the picture is bad then the problem is with the TV, if the picture is OK then there is something wrong with the signal from the digibox.

Did you say you had tried the TV output to TV AV2?

Normally, AV1 caters for composite and RGB while AV2 will handle composite and Svideo.

Slightly baffled at the moment.

Rgds,
scorp