Help with configuring scart please!

[skiGB]

Not quite sure if this is the correct forum or category but here goes:

I have had problems trying to setup my av equipment to record from any source, including;

TV
AV1
AV2

DVD Recorder
AV1 TV
AV2 Decoder
-RF in
-RF out

Satellite Receiver
TV Scart
VCR Scart
-RF in
-RF out

Set Top Box (Freeview)
TV scart
AUX scart
-TV aerial
-TV/VCR

Any help or guides would be great, thanks

Trevor

[lslamp]

Trevor,

I saw your post and thought that a scart to bnc converter with an i/p o/p switch attached might help you sort things out.

I have pretty much the same hassle with an nvidea graphics card and a video recorder. I solved it with the converter.

lsl

[skiGB]

thanks for the reply lsl, but all I need is help to setup my TV,DVD Recorder, STB and Sat Receiver.

Trevor

[Richard_G]

To get the receive side of things working is simple. TV aerial to Aerial of Freeview, TV/VCR of Freeview to RF In on DVD recorder, RF out to aerial I/P on TV.

The scart side of things is a bit more complicated and depends if all scarts are IN/OUT or just one or the other. By this, I mean that the Scarts maked TV on all bits of kit definitely are outputs, but they may be configured as inputs as well. If they are it makes daisy chaining them that much easier. Assuming they aren't, you either need a TV with 3 Scarts or an auto switching Scart box (I think Maplin do one, CPC do).

Try going Freeview TV Scart To Sat TV Scart, Sat VCR Scart to DVD Scart 2, DVD Scart 1 to TV Scart 2, Freeview Aux Scart to TV Scart 1.

That could work but it will depend on whether all scarts are bothway and how confused your TV gets over the Pin 8 autoswitching. You may need to reverse the two Scart connections on you sat receiver.

Good luck.....

[skiGB]

thank you for the pointers richard_g I will give it a try this weekend

I think I tried aerial to stb first before and the signal was lost somewhere. just got a red dot on screen. so went to dvdrecorder first.

[Richard_G]

If you got the dreaded red dot with the aerial straight into the freeview box, you've probably got an iffy cable. You were just lucky that the contact was made properly when you changed it. Alternatively, your DVD recorder may have a built in pre-amp which is raising the signal level just enough to give you a picture. On normal analogue TV, if the signal level is a bit low due to a fault somewhere between the aerial and the TV (dodgy cable, plug, wall socket, etc), you'll get a picture but it might be a bit noisy. On a digital system, you'll get a perfect picture but if the signal level drops, there is a very narrow margin where the picture and sound cracks up and then you fall off the digital cliff and all you get is a red dot.

In fact, the usual method of checking to see if your signal is good enoigh for digital is to get everything working and then put a 6dB attenuator in line with the aerial. If it still works, you'll have no further problems, if it cracks up, your signal is too marginal to guarantee perfect reception all the time.

[skiGB]

hmm, i had problems with digital once living on a busy road. motorbikes were the biggest culprit on a weak signal.

yes, when i tried it sometime ago, with the aerial into stb and then to tv, the signal was fine, but when i put the dvd recorder between stb and tv the red dot was on most channels.

i had a problem recently when i reported the epg was playing up on the stb, mailed the manuf and they told me that the transmitter was on low power and this effeted the epg, and that it would be back up again soon.

thanks again

[Richard_G]

To check to see if your local transmitter is on low power see http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/transmitters/today.shtml
for info on how to make sure everything is working at it's best, see http://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice/ifv/tv_radio_recpn_guide.pdf

As you have an intermittent problem, it sounds like your received signal strength is marginal so the slightest little problem drops you off the digital cliff. About the commonest problem is incorrectly or poorly fitted Belling-Lee plugs on TV coax. Strictly speaking, the inner should be soldered, but never is. Z the inner of the cable so it is a tight fit inside the inner pin and crimp it in place with a pair of wire cutters. Also, dump any of the horrible skinny Male-Female leads with moulded on plugs that are supplied with most VCRs. The screening is virtually non existant and the losses are huge!

[skiGB]

oh, wow, that bad those supplied leads!? well, thats a thought, i should make some up and check existing aerial connector.

i am doing a basic setup with the tv and stb at the moment, i am sure i could tune a channel, say 6, for stb but the tv tuning can't find it!?

i will check those sites, thanks