Just got an HXD870 and overall very pleased, although I'd be less pleased if it was my only DTT tuner. However, I've daisy-chained a Topfield through it to take advantage of the Sony's RGB pass-through (using the Topfield's TV-Out not its VCR SCART), as my TV can only accept one RGB SCART.

The major problem is when I'm recording on the Sony, I can't seem to find any way to watch the Topfield - like I said, I don't want another SCART lead to the TV if I can get away with it.

I've read in the (172 page!) manual that if Line 1 is designated DECODER, SCART pass-through can be effected by changing up one channel with the PROG + button.

This involves creating a 'virtual' analogue channel 6 using the manual analog channel set up - up to a point this works, however and pressing 6 gets you the Topfield and even my name TOPPY for it, but when I try Sony's suggestion to get SCART PASS THRU, I get the usual 'Cannot carry out this operation' message during a recording.

I've done everything they suggest to the letter, when setting up the analog decoder channel - however, when it comes to changing the channel number, their instruction tell you to select the decoder option, whereas my only choices are channels 1 - 69 and channels CC1 - 46 - is this where I'm going wrong, I've set it to CC1.

I've also changed the last option to Decoder on the Manual Analog Channel settings.

I've checked my Hardware/Software numbers and I seem to be not quite up to date as I'm showing 435/120, and the latter is now 125. Do you think jumping through this hoop will make any difference?

Further to my last post, I've now upgraded to the latest versions of the software including the 'hidden' bit and it makes no difference. It's either got to be something I'm doing wrong, or maybe it's something that the Sony used to be able to do till they upgraded the software

Me again - I was doing it right.

What I'd done wrong was to fail to "RTFM".

Page 34 clearly states 'press the Program + button on the recorder' not the remote control!

All switching through nicely, although having to get up to press one bloody button does rather take the glaze off having a remote control! For a moment there it looked like I was going to need two SCART leads to the telly and one between the Toppy and the Sony for dubbing purposes. One of the telly SCARTS could only have been s-Video at best and the connection between machines would have needed to be composite only - yuck.

Oh well, another night or two spent reading the manual in bed should do the trick, and at least I got my software upgraded!

Glad you've got it sorted.
Jut deleted my ramblings.
I've got the manual in my hand and like you,I would have simply read remote control,despite it stating recorder
What you now need is this

The only thing I would check is the quality of the signal coming from the Toppy, now that you've selected 'decoder' as the line 1 input.

With digital decoders such as Sky or Topfield you should really select RGB as line 1 input - decoder seems to be specifically for a continental analogue pay TV box such as Canal Plus. See page 137 of the manual ('line 1 in' section) for the advice not to select 'decoder' as an option if you have a digital box capable of delivering RGB.

What this suggests to me is that the signal coming through line 1 with decoder selected is not RGB.

Perhaps you could do a comparison by selecting RGB and then decoder on the line 1 input and see if there's any difference.

However, if you find that the RGB setting is better that presents another problem because you can't pass through RGB when the Sony is recording something else.

Passing through in 'decoder' mode (as you're currently doing) is actually only passing through an RF signal as far as I know, although I hope I'm wrong about that!

However, you could have your normal day to day line 1 input setting as decoder and just change it to RGB when you want to archive something.

I'd be interested in your findings because I'm thinking about a similar setup.

Every home should have one - AND I've got a paypal account!

Yes, that struck me too - setting up a 'virtual analogue' channel just so that pass-thru will work when the Sony is recording and so I can call it TOPPY is one thing, but is the picture quality still RGB out of the Topfield? Well after setting it up as 'Channel 6', I tried changing the outputs from the Topfield, and curiously, RGB still gives me the best of the three choices so I'm happy with it for day to day use, although it did perhaps look a little bit different from the pure Line 1 SCART interpretation, but there was none of the starkness and colour bleed associated with Composite. Maybe, it's RGB quality before it gets converted to RF, which would be better than being Composite or S-Video before conversion?

As this works, maybe I'll just take up your suggestion to change it back to Line 1 RGB as a Sunday Best when I want to record from the Topfield to the Sony.

Either that or I'll get an intelligent switch that can handle two RGBs into one at the TV end, and use an s-video and phono wander lead from the Topfield to the front panel of the Sony for those few archiving moments.

Ironically, I'll probably talk myself into a new TV with HDMI, and the Toppy can route direct to the TV all over again. I assume that its VCR output is only Composite though so that still gives me grief when dubbing to the Sony, but there's always those s-video leads
Last edited by Chris Green : 09-12-2007 at 17:25

It's a pity the Sony manual isn't a bit clearer on this issue!

However, what I was meaning was not to change the output settings from the Toppy - RGB will obviously provide the best source quality, no matter what happens to the signal subsequently.

I was suggesting alternating on the Sony Line 1 input setting between RGB and 'decoder', so that you could assess the relative quality. If there was a marked difference you'd know that the decoder setting was not passing RGB through the device.

Still, the day to day workaround should suffice. as you say.

Actually, I seem to have created a load of hot air over nothing, although the manual isn't entirely blame free. The implication on page 34 is that to make pass thru on record work, having Line 1 set to decoder is the only option since this appears to be the only mention of this problem.

However, I went back to my original Line 1 set up as RGB, cancelled the analogue channel 6, and set up a recording of Freeview channel 3 on the Sony.

Blow me down, but pressing the Programme + button on the recorder (not the remote - that was my first mistake) did indeed implement SCART PASS THRU with no effect on the recording being made on the Sony and no on-screen error messages.

From my TV it was obvious that I was receiving an RGB signal from the Topfield, and I proved this by going into the Toppy's menu and played around with the video settings.

If RGB pass thru on record didn't used to work, it certainly seems to now - maybe it was the change to the three bits of the very latest software I did today. I've only had the thing 3 days so it's difficult for me to know what they were like before.
Last edited by Chris Green : 09-12-2007 at 18:58

Excellent news!

Hi


The new Sony's are rebadged Pioneer DVD Recorders now, and from Pioneer's first DVD Recorder you have always been able to press + on the unit to get SCART through.

Why on earth they have never thought to put the option on the remote I really don't know, but it's been this way for each new model for years

Perhaps a big stick

Regards

Phil

Is this actually so?, and how do you know?.

Hi

It's easy enough to compare the Pioneer 550HX manual and the Sony manual to see the Sony is a rebadged Pioneer.

We've now confirmed internally they are exactly the same device by comparing the service manuals, see discussion here: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showt...=675639&page=2

I think before sourcing from Pioneer, Sony had their recorders made by LG, I don't think they ever made their own.

Regards

Phil

Cheers!.


Some were certainly LG (like the RDR-GX210 - both versions were LG), some they made themselves.