Send me a SCART cable and I will modify it for you. PM me for contact details.

I should also mention since I've found out about a workaround I've been able to see the Humax 9200 isn't recording the lines they're added at the output stage (which of course makes sense). With the lines gone pre-recorded stuff also has no lines.


Thanks anyway.


Thanks. I'll send you a pm.

Thank you.

To confirm it comes with it's own power and plug?

Yup- has an 18v power supply, and the one I got has no buttons, fully automatic.

It also has an A/V input for games consoles that switches on detection on a video signal, the rest of the imputs use the normal scart pin 8... & it supports widescreen switching.

Thanks GTG. That one looks to have one button.

One more quick question: Are the Scarts properly RGB compatible?

I have an S-Video to Scart cable coming from eBay I'll try that first then if no joy this.

Yeah, the picture in the catalogue is out of date....

2 inputs support RGB, I connected my Humax to one and the DVD to the other, dudn't use the 3rd (no VCR anymore!!) 4th was a/v in which I used for the PS2 and everything was fine.

Thanks GTG. Sorry I've not replied sooner Orange e-mail is so rubbish. I have subscribed to this thread so I should get notification e-mails immediately but the e-mails usually come in hours late.

Sorry you already answered my question about RGB. Thanks.

I'll definitely give one a try if I don't like the S-Video picture from the Humax. I also have Martin's kind offer to modify me a scart cable too. I think I'll try the modified cable before buying one of these as that's overall a better solution.

Still no reply at all from Humax Technical Support . Last time I e-mailed them they replied quickly.

If you really want an answer its best to PHONE them.

True. I don't really want to as trying to explain the problem in detail and everything I've tried from scratch over the phone will be a nightmare. An e-mail if they bother to read it is better in this situation. I will do after I've tried all avenues.

EDIT: I sent user "HUMAX" a PM over at Hummy.org.uk and he's responded saying:

"At this point we are up to date on emails. Please send me your email address and I will investigate whether it has been stopped on our email filter.

Thanks, Humax"

So fingers crossed.

When I contacted Humax regarding widescreen issues after using the vcr scart, the guy I spoke to was able to access the email I had just sent in - so maybe you should email a detailed description with pictures then give them a call half an hour later to discuss ...

Thanks.

I'm going to see how I fair with my final options to try and fix this (such as S-Video) before contacting Humax. At least then I can say "I've tried everything I know of".

If anyone else can think of something please post though.

Word from Humax UK Support:

"From looking at your problem I first though it may be interface but it seems you have covered everything that we would go through. I now believe that the issue is may be a compatibility issue between the two devices ( possibly the Humax is outputting at higher levels than the TV will accept).

Unfortunately we can offer no solution without your product being returned to us so we can investigate and check that it is within spec and exactly the same as all other 9200T models.

Although the TV set is working with all other pieces of equipment, we have experienced a similar issue with our some of our TV sets and some VCRs, we were able to modifiy the software on the TV set to resoilve the issue; this is by no means a statement in regards to possible problems on other manufacturer’s equipment; instead it is an example that not all consumer electronic devices will work with all other devices, all of the time (from our experience)."


And my reply:


"I tend to agree about compatibility between the Humax and my TV. The TV has been perfectly fine though with two other PVRs (Thomson, Digihome), two ancient OnDigital STBs (Philips, Pioneer), a Pioneer DVD Recorder and a Pioneer High End DVD Player all connected by RGB Scart at some point.

How would I go about amending the software in the way you describe below? Is it at all possible?

As to sending it in for investigation I would like to do that at some point as despite it working on two other TVs (one a CRT and the other only 19” though) I don’t know for sure it’s not faulty.

Some questions please:

1. When are you back to work after the Christmas break? – As its Christmas I’d prefer to wait until the New Year before sending it back.
2. How long would you need it for?
3. Would I get my postage refunded?

FYI there is nothing on the hard disk I mind losing, if it needs changing/formatting then that’s fine. I’ve only owned it a month.

In the mean time I have to try:

1. An S-Video to Scart lead ordered from eBay – Neither of my TV’s Scart sockets are S-Video compatible so this will let me test the picture in S-Video mode.
2. A Scart switch box - As the Pioneer loop-through seems to be dampening the power output (sorry I don’t know the technical jargon) there is a chance a scart switch box will do the same.

I am hoping to find a solution to this problem as the Humax 9200 despite this problem is much better than the three other PVRs I’ve owned since February."

The S-Video to Scart cable arrived today and annoyingly my TV just says "Signal not found" when using it, the audio side works fine.

I've never used the S-Video connection on my TV before so cannot say if it works but I have no reason to believe it doesn't. I suspect it's either because the cable only cost me £3 or it's a faulty cable. I cannot be bothered to send it back though.

I also tried the cable in my DVD Recorder and that was the same.

It was worth a try. I'm not going to buy a better S-Video to Scart cable as I don't want to use the connection if I can help it anyway. It's an awful connection that is just asking for the pins to be bent, just like they do on PS2 keyboards.

I'll try the resister in Scart idea next.

You call it an S-Video to Scart, surely what you were after would be a Scart (Humax end) to S-Video (TV end).
Or is does it have a direction switch in the scart plug?

Correct, but does it matter?

It's Scart one end and S-Video the other. It can be used whichever way round you like (I'd imagine). In my case I used it Scart to S-Video though. No no direction switch. I've checked the eBay listing and it says "Scart to S-Video".

Well it sounds like the correct one, from the vendor description and that the audio phonos work.
I'm sure it does matter, as to have a switchless bi-directional S/scart cable would end up with the audio and composite input pins on the scart plug connected to their output counterparts.

Scart, composite, s-video, audio phono cables are all bi-directional.

Thanks btw.

Uh uh.
RCA (composite, audio L/R), (mini-din) S-Video: The "direction" is defined by connecting the output socket of one device, to the input socket of the other device.

Scart cables are bi-directional if they connect the output pins of each device to the input pins of the other. The scart socket and the signals available on it define it's capabilities, some devices have bi-directional sockets, others don't.

But a scart adapter (plug one end, RCA/S-Video sockets (adapter) OR plugs (cable)) is only bi-directional if it has BOTH input and output connectors on it.

In the case of a scart to S-video adapter, since there is only one set of RGB connectors in a scart, and the S-video colour signal is carried on the R of RGB, there cannot simultaneously be S-video input and output.

Check this out ....

http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tv...ml?id=83twvtYI

Note the reference to the switch on the scart connector to make it work in either direction.

Thanks guys.

I'm sending a Scart cable to forum member "Martin Liddle" who has kindly offered to add a resistor for me. If that doesn't work I'll consider a second Scart to S-Video cable or Scart Switch box. I'll try the latter first.

A simplification IMO.

There is a difference between carrying the signal both ways and carrying two signals at the same time, one in one direction and one the other.

SCART has a pair of pins/wires for composite and audio. So, it can carry audio in both directions and composite in both directions at the same time.

And when doing s-video via SCART things get even more complicated! This isn't really specified that well, but the s-video luma is on pin 20, which is also composite *input*. What does a device do when outputing s-video via SCART? Well, all it can do is put the luma on pin-19.

So, if you have an s-video to SCART lead that's designed to take an s-video signal on DIN+audio and feed it *into* a SCART socket then this cable will *not* give you a picture when used to take an s-video signal *out of* a SCART socket. However, if the SCART plug can be opened, then it's only one wire to move to make it work.

The wikipedia page on SCART is well worth reading. There is a lot of about SCART that is non-obvious and the design is less than elegant.

Ian

Just to clarify, you are connecting the hummy TV scart (not the VCR scart) to a round s-video connector on the Samsung TV and you have been into the Humax config to specify s-video as the output format?

I know - I'm good at stupid questions....

Thanks as usual Gadgetmind


All correct.

I was expecting even a cheap cable to give me a picture but it just says "No signal". The audio is obviously on a separate lead and works fine.

You may wish to have a look at this thread http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=555210 which also references directional cables.

Which I don't understand as the audio also has in and out pins. If the audio is working is suggests the SCART is wired for "out" so why no video?

Ian