Question:
Apologies for asking such basic questions but the otherwise smart G-F and I are both useless technically and now desperate!
- We have a 32" Thomson Widescreen Virtual Dolby TV with two Scarts - one is in use for the Satellite box and one for the video
-The video also has two scarts one is in use for TV and one is in use for the satellite looped-through
- audio is connected to our Hi-Fi via standard red and black phono plug leads from the video to the Hi-Fi.
- We regularly pump Satellite, TV and VCR sound through the Hi-Fi
- We have speakers all around the room.
BUT we now have a nice new Yamada DVD Player and there is no spare scart on the VCR or the TV or the Sat box.
Please can the experts here tell us how best to connect up the DVD Player (which has one scart socket) to ensure a) that we can hear its sound through the HI-FI too and also b) be able to use the VCR to record from Digibox (and Terrestial) whilst we watch a DVD?
We would also like the best connections for picture and sound.
To summarise: What should we be doing to obtain best hook-ups for best quality video and sound - and allowing the VCR to record from the Digibox when DVD Player is in use?
Sorry to be so non techie and many thanks in advance for all help and advice members can give us.
Get a three way scart switcher from Argos Cat. No. 534/2361 for £9.99
Make sure you get an extra scart lead to connect the switcher to your TV as this doesn't come with one. You'll see some others in the Argos catalogue with the leads attached - avoid them.
Before you spend money on a Scart switcher-From your description it sounds as if you have a redundant connection by having the satellite connected to the tv and video.If I am reading this right,disconnect the satellite from the tv and use the loopthrough on the video to watch SKY.I would connect SKY to the tv via RGB(because it has no s-video output,unless its SKY+)and the vcr goes into the other Scart on the digibox.Assuming the dvd has s-video you can connect it that way.RGB is better,but if you use the RGB socket,you will have to use composite on SKY-not a pretty sight.This should allow you to record from SKY while watching the dvd.All this assumes you are using fully wired Scart leads.If they are not,and it does not work first time,switch the ends over one at a time.Let me know how you get on.
Grateful thanks to dannywonderful and phelings for the fast replies.
I just finished following Pheling's advice and used 21 pin scart to scart for 1. satellite to VCR direct 2. VCR to the TV's Euro Scart 1 and 3. DVD to the TV's Euro Scart 2.
Both TV scarts are RGB and these connections all work really superbly. And the VCR records from terrestial (rarely used) and from Satellite (daily use) with no problems. What really amazed me is that Satellite still pipes beautifully to the TV even with the VCR switched off. That I do not understand but hey it works great, so I do not need to understand!
It may be of interest to some readers to know that the TV is a Thomson 32" Widescreen about 3 years old. Thomson are the worlds largest maker of virtual reality rides! They were historically part of ther mighty defence conglomerate Thomson CSF so they must know a thing or two about about display visuals! Since 1988, Thomson has owned RCA and GE consumer electronics businesses. I bought the TV when I read that they are No 2 worldwide for large and very large TV picture tubes, No 1 worldwide in DVD and VHS replication, No 1 worldwide for services to content owners, No 2 worldwide for broadcast equipment, Leader in Digital Decoders, No 1 in Europe and No 4 worldwide in video network equipments, Leader in Screen Advertising, Leader in Digital Optical Components, Leader in Europe and the United States for Consumer Electronics devices, No 1 worldwide in Home Telephony and that they have one of the largest patents portfolio in the world.
Thinking about it now, (a rare treat for my 2.6 single brain cells!) apart from auto piping the audio to the Hi-Fi, there seems little point in having piped the DVD through the VCR as we do not intend to record from DVD to VHS (with or without macrovision!).
The only issue was piping the audio from Sat / DVD and VCR via a single phonos to phonos connection to the Hi-Fi (as was the case with everything piped through the VCR before) - but I have solved that with a small neat 3 phono feed switching box sitting just beside the equipment inside a cabinet and readily accessible.
I'll leave that normally on the DVD audio feed so it is just a question of remembering to switch to DVD or VCR when loadinga disc or tape.
Again many thanks from the G-F and me. She is a happy bunny again. We both know that you guys on this forum are the very best.
- We have a 32" Thomson Widescreen Virtual Dolby TV with two Scarts - one is in use for the Satellite box and one for the video
-The video also has two scarts one is in use for TV and one is in use for the satellite looped-through
- audio is connected to our Hi-Fi via standard red and black phono plug leads from the video to the Hi-Fi.
- We regularly pump Satellite, TV and VCR sound through the Hi-Fi
- We have speakers all around the room.
BUT we now have a nice new Yamada DVD Player and there is no spare scart on the VCR or the TV or the Sat box.
Please can the experts here tell us how best to connect up the DVD Player (which has one scart socket) to ensure a) that we can hear its sound through the HI-FI too and also b) be able to use the VCR to record from Digibox (and Terrestial) whilst we watch a DVD?
We would also like the best connections for picture and sound.
To summarise: What should we be doing to obtain best hook-ups for best quality video and sound - and allowing the VCR to record from the Digibox when DVD Player is in use?
Sorry to be so non techie and many thanks in advance for all help and advice members can give us.
Answers:
Get a three way scart switcher from Argos Cat. No. 534/2361 for £9.99
Make sure you get an extra scart lead to connect the switcher to your TV as this doesn't come with one. You'll see some others in the Argos catalogue with the leads attached - avoid them.
Answers:
Before you spend money on a Scart switcher-From your description it sounds as if you have a redundant connection by having the satellite connected to the tv and video.If I am reading this right,disconnect the satellite from the tv and use the loopthrough on the video to watch SKY.I would connect SKY to the tv via RGB(because it has no s-video output,unless its SKY+)and the vcr goes into the other Scart on the digibox.Assuming the dvd has s-video you can connect it that way.RGB is better,but if you use the RGB socket,you will have to use composite on SKY-not a pretty sight.This should allow you to record from SKY while watching the dvd.All this assumes you are using fully wired Scart leads.If they are not,and it does not work first time,switch the ends over one at a time.Let me know how you get on.
Answers:
Grateful thanks to dannywonderful and phelings for the fast replies.
I just finished following Pheling's advice and used 21 pin scart to scart for 1. satellite to VCR direct 2. VCR to the TV's Euro Scart 1 and 3. DVD to the TV's Euro Scart 2.
Both TV scarts are RGB and these connections all work really superbly. And the VCR records from terrestial (rarely used) and from Satellite (daily use) with no problems. What really amazed me is that Satellite still pipes beautifully to the TV even with the VCR switched off. That I do not understand but hey it works great, so I do not need to understand!
It may be of interest to some readers to know that the TV is a Thomson 32" Widescreen about 3 years old. Thomson are the worlds largest maker of virtual reality rides! They were historically part of ther mighty defence conglomerate Thomson CSF so they must know a thing or two about about display visuals! Since 1988, Thomson has owned RCA and GE consumer electronics businesses. I bought the TV when I read that they are No 2 worldwide for large and very large TV picture tubes, No 1 worldwide in DVD and VHS replication, No 1 worldwide for services to content owners, No 2 worldwide for broadcast equipment, Leader in Digital Decoders, No 1 in Europe and No 4 worldwide in video network equipments, Leader in Screen Advertising, Leader in Digital Optical Components, Leader in Europe and the United States for Consumer Electronics devices, No 1 worldwide in Home Telephony and that they have one of the largest patents portfolio in the world.
Thinking about it now, (a rare treat for my 2.6 single brain cells!) apart from auto piping the audio to the Hi-Fi, there seems little point in having piped the DVD through the VCR as we do not intend to record from DVD to VHS (with or without macrovision!).
The only issue was piping the audio from Sat / DVD and VCR via a single phonos to phonos connection to the Hi-Fi (as was the case with everything piped through the VCR before) - but I have solved that with a small neat 3 phono feed switching box sitting just beside the equipment inside a cabinet and readily accessible.
I'll leave that normally on the DVD audio feed so it is just a question of remembering to switch to DVD or VCR when loadinga disc or tape.
Again many thanks from the G-F and me. She is a happy bunny again. We both know that you guys on this forum are the very best.
1 2