[phil99]

Hi
I would be grateful for any advice for connecting up the following equipment :

1) brand new TV Panasonic TX32LXD70 with Freeview (3 Scart, 2 HDMI, normal connections and RF aerial),
2) Pioneer 420H Hard Disc DVDR (2 Scart, normal connections and RF aerial, optical audio connection)
3) Virgin V+ Cable box (HDMI, 2 Scart, aerial)

At present with my old Sony TV, I have a daisy chain from scarts as follows V+ => DVDR => TV - this is the setup Pioneer recommend. I can record from both DVDR and V+.

However Panasonic also recommend DVDR => TV Scart 2,
Cable => TV Scart 1, Cable => DVDR as a connection in addition to the above.

I also have a Sanyo VCR (1 Scart, aerial - I only use this for occasional playback) and I assume that this is best connected to Scart at side of TV.

Could you recommend the best setup and reasons and also advise on whether it is best to set up TV stations analogue and freeview first and then connect the other equipment? Apparently both the DVDR and TV have a QLink which allows stations to be downloaded from TV to DVDR .

I do not have a sound system at present but as the TV does not have an optical connection, how would I connect it when I get one?

Sorry about the long post.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Phil99

[niall campbell]

its more or less as you have it

roof aerial to dvd-rec aerial in

dvd-rec aerial out to tv aerial in ( miss out virgin box so signal not weakened )

vigin box to tv with hdmi

now you are lucky dvd-rec has RGB on both scarts so

dvd-rec av1 to telly av1

dvd-rec av2 to virgin av 1 ( to record virgin select av2/ line 2 )

video av 1 to tv av 2


heres your manual on line

http://www.service.pioneer-eur.com/peeservice/instrmanuals.nsf/0/20BB307544A77584C1256EC300402DAD/$File/VRB1340_DVR-420H.pdf



for future with your sound get an amp with 2 or 3 hdmi inputs and optical in

hdmi sockets are the new scart and you will soon run out

[phil99]

Niall
Many thanks for your help.

If I understand you correct, there is no need to link the virgin box direct to TV by Scart? Obviously the HDMI will deal with HD pictures. Is there some pass through for the scart for SD pictures or am I missing something?

With the amp you suggest, does it matter that the TV does not have an optical connection?
cheers
Phil99

[niall campbell]

for the amp the virgin box will send sound and picture through it ( hdmi cable ) and when you get amp it sits in the middle between virgin and telly. So its important to get an amp with 2 or 3 inputs and then one cable will deal with the output to the telly.

for the dvd player optical connection will send sound to amp

Now dvd players have hdmi connections with also upscalers and bluray/ HD. The PS3 has it and the new xbox 360 has been forced to have it

if you want you can have the virgin box connected by scart espically for scart control........................ espically handy if say the wife/ kids find it easier

[Scorpio]

Hi Phil sorry for not picking up your PM earlier (preoccupied with other stuff lately!) but it looks like you (and Niall) have the set up fine as is -
V+ to TV with HDMI,
V+ to DVDR AV2 (scart), - set to RGB
DVDR AV1 to TV AV1 (scart), -set to RGB

For the amp, think of it as a conduit for the sound and you will need one that has at least 2 digital inputs (for V+ and for DVDR), make sure that the inputs match the digital outputs of these 2 devices (are they optical or coaxial digital outputs?).
You will also need an analog phono input so that you can connect from the back of the TV to the amp.
This is for the odd occasion when your V+ is tied up recording and you want to watch your digital freeview tuner in your TV. you will be able to have the sound from the TV going into the amp and giving you a ProLogic surround effect.
For listening to V+ or DVDs just select the appropriate digital input to experience full DD 6 channel sound!

Rgds,
Scorp

[phil99]

Thanks Scorp
The setup recommended is working fine.

The V+ and Pioneer DVDR both have optical connections - so any amp would need 2 of these?
Is the analogue phono input the lead with 2 coloured heads that you can use to connect to a hifi?
Thanks
Phil99

[Scorpio]

Yes, Phil that's right. FYI, it is possible to convert digital sound carried on an optical cable to one needing a coaxial input and vice versa - my amp has 2 optical inputs but no coaxial, my old DVD player had a coaxial digital out. Maplins and the like, sell these converters if you ever need one.

Rgds,
Scorp