Totally OT TV connections

[John]

Sorry to be totally OT but you guys seem to be a mine of information, and I will be connecting the things myself!

I have a Wharfdale 17" freeview LCD TV and a standalone VCR and seperate DVD player. I have hooked them up in the bedroom but cannot record freeview on my VCR. I have connected as follows. Aerial into TV (as the Freeview decoder is an integral part of the set). Scart from DVD into AV1 on TV. Scart from VCR (AV1 IN/OUT) to AV2 on TV, there is another scart on the VCR labelled AV2 IN. I can play Videos and DVDs but cannot seem to record from the TV. My setup downstairs is the same but through a Freeview STB so this is 'looped' through the VCR to the TV but the Wharfedale doesn't have a RF Out socket. Sorry if my explanation isn't very good but I am not very technical on these matters. Also due to space restrictions I am thinking of buying a couple of Scart ribbon cables, are they any good or are round ones better and can round ones be purchased in 0.5m (or shorter) lengths?

Cheers

John

[GKN]

I have the same setup but I beleive that the video recorder needs to have a digital tuner to be able to record the freeview digital channels. I have heard these video recorders are available.

[Gary Cavie]

Just as a thought, is the AV2 connection on the TV a 2-way one? You might find that they have a small diagram beside them showing either a single headed or double headed arrow. Sometimes they are only connected for input. Have you tried the VCR in AV1 and the DVD in AV2?

[Ian]

John,

Video connections like these are designed to make your head hurt!

Try the obvious first, does the TV instruction book have a set up that does what you want? Only one of the TV SCART sockets is likely to be TV IN/OUT. Make sure the SCART lead is fully cabled. This will be required. Try connecting the TV to the VCR, then another TV to the RF out of the VCR. Tune the second TV to the VCR channel. (play a tape to be sure) then set the VCR to the AV channel you think will have the freeview on it. Make sure the TV settings are correct for Freeview out of a SCART socket. This may be switchable in the menu.

Good luck!

Ian

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You need to read the handbook and see if it outputs its tuner on any or all of the SCARTs. Could be switchable in the menu. But note this will be composite video so not ideal - unless it has a specific SCART for recording from which can be switched from an input to an output - which I doubt.

[John]

After reading the above posts I have had a look at the TV. Both scarts have double ended arrows on, so presumably are both in and out. I have managed to record some freeview but whichever channel is selected on the Freeview TV the VCR only records BBC1. Any more ideas most welcome.

Cheers

John

[Dave Liquorice]

Presumably the TV was tuned to BBC1 when those recordings where made.

A TV SCART output will normally follow what is on the screen of the TV, unless there is a a "dubbing" feature in the external connections setup menu of the TV.

I'm getting mightly pissed off with the "auto switching" built into SCART. Power something up and various bits of kit "helpfully" switch to that input. Can this be defeated by cutting pin 8 (or 16) or do the bits of kit actually look for "video" on the various inputs. The manuals are useless on providing accurate and reliable information.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If it really is recording off FreeView this would suggest it has two FreeView tuners, which is unlikely at this price. What channel was the VCR set to?

[Ian]

You should disable this feature in both bits of equipment. This will be detailed in the handbook, or try searching google for the exact model you have and instructions can be found.

Ian

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My new set senses the video - I've got an S-Video return from the AV amp which goes to a SCART - but with none of the control wires connected, obviously. Switch on the amp and the TV comes out of standby selected to that input.

[Mark Carver]

It can be by cutting pin 8 (but on DTT and D-Sat boxes you'll also lose the WSS switching voltage). Pin 16 carries RGB/Composite (or for VCRs) OSG switching commands

[Dave Liquorice]

Typical. The DSAT Sky box is the only one where they talk about "SCART control" clearly in the menus. Everything else witters on about things like "Satellite Record" or "Direct Record" or "when video is detected" do they *really* mean that or is it pin 8?

I can't see any options in the TV menus to turn the feature off on it's inputs and I don't think the boxes have the ability to turn it off on their outputs... I simply want everything to stay how I set them and not be "helpful".

[Mark Carver]

in the Sky menu kills Pin 8 WSS (It's the 'same' voltage used anyway for 'assertion' and WSS).

Of course if the Sky box was a proper receiver with Line 23 VBI WSS it would be ideal !

[Alan]

In message , John wrote

Also on the DIY theme

Use an ordinary main plug blanking plate and F plug/sockets as described in:

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The whole idea of marking a thread as 'OT' is to allow those who dislike such things to filter it. Putting 'totally' in front defeats the object.

Anyway, this topic is not OT for a DIY group. And this idea of making one up using a blank plate was made in the main thread anyway - so why start a new one?

[Mathew Newton]

This thread is nearly 2 years old now - I suspect John has probably solved his problem now.

Mathew

[John]

Yes I have, I thought I was in a time warp when I read the response!!

Cheers

John

[Andy Burns]

I think Alan must have spotted a recent reference to the link to Bill's site on uk.tech.d-tv and thought he's post it across ...