Freeview Set Top Boxes

[peter]

I am looking for a Freeview Set Top Box. Could someone tell me what specifications do I need to enable me to

1) Watch TV on one channel and record on another (assuming it's not 2 different digital channels, I guess) 2) Enable me to keep on using TV remote control to view BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel4, Channel5 and switch to the "AV" channel on TV to view the digital channels (including the digital versions of BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel4, Channel5), as I believe the analog and ditigal teletext are slightly different? 3) VCR to have an analog feed as well (so the tuned channels could stayed as is, an an additional feed for channels selected from the set top box)

In particular, it looks like most Set top boxes have RF loopback, but would I need 1 or 2 SCART sockets? How could I wire the TV, VCR and the Freeview set top box together to achieve the above?

Note that both my TV and VCR has

1) 2 SCART sockets 1) 1 aerial socket

[BillR]

You ought to post this on uk.tech.digital-tv. However, most Freeview boxes will allow you to do what you want. Some have more than one scart which aids VCR connection but you can do everything you want through RF feedthrough. If you are in a marginal area for Freeview then I'd reccommend one of the Setpal based boxes, Labgear ( mine was £69.50 in John Lewis), Daewoo, Triax ... If you want to record one digital channel whilst watching another, afaik only the Pace twin pvr allows you to do this at the moment.

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

Essential to have 2 SCART sockets on the Freeview receiver. It is possible to record via RF output, but I am unaware of a single SCART model that has a modulator! You would also lose quality if RF connected.

You can do that regardless.

There is a digital interactive text service that you might like to try, but I'm not keen. It seems to be a triumph of presentation over content.

You need a loopthrough for this. All except the cheap and nasty will have loopthrough as standard.

Freeview receiver to AV1 SCART

Freeview receiver to VCR SCART 1

Aerial input (probably needs to be upgraded first) to Freeview receiver, then loop to VCR and then to TV.

Try a Pace DT210F, Nokia N221T or Humax FTA.

[Dave Plowman]

It would be a pretty poor modulator that would show the differecne on VHS;-) You'd not get stereo sound, though.

[Dave Plowman]

You can obviously record analogue since that uses the VCR tuner. To record digital, you'd be best to use a SCART between the STB and the VHS - assuming it has a selectable line in.

Most Freeview boxes, if connected to the TV via a SCART, will select the correct input as soon as they are switched on. You then use the STB remote to select channels, etc. The TV one will still work in the normal way.

There's no Teletext as such on digital, although there are text pages.

You'd normally use a SCART to the RGB input (usually Aux 1) on the TV from the STB, and make sure the output of the STB is set to RGB - via the menu. Another SCART from the VCR to the TV (Aux 2) as before. And a third one from the STB VCR output to the VCR.

[Christian McArdle]

It is better to watch via the decoder even for channels on analogue terrestrial. The digital signal is clearer (being not PAL encoded, if you have an RGB SCART). Also, it is widescreen. Even when I had an old 4:3 TV, I used to watch in widescreen, with black bars top and bottom. The decoder would automatically insert these, but was clever enough only to do so when actually watching a widescreeen program. Never try to watch football or films without widescreen. It's a waste of time!

Christian.

[Tim Mitchell]

In article , Christian McArdle writes

I prefer watching some things in analogue; the digital version of football pitches is just smooth green blocks, cos the digital encoding removes all the detail. Makes it look like a computer game.

[Christian McArdle]

At least you can see to the sides of the action. When you get used to widescreen, watching on narrow screen prevents you seeing what is going on off the ball.

Besides, the encryption on the traditional terrestrial channels isn't too high.

Christian.

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

No no no Dave... 2 cables only required.

No SCART should be fitted between TV and VCR. It can form a feedback loop because that (playback) path is already taken care of by the Freeview box.

[Dave Plowman]

Right. However, my VHS is an S-VHS, so I require a separate feed to the S-Video SCART on my TV.

[John Laird]

I have never been able to wire up the multiple scart leads between my digibox, tv and vcr (leave the dvd out of the equation for now) without things fighting over precedence on the me-me signal lead (whatever it's really called). The TV has 2 scarts in (only one RGB and the other SVHS) and I think I need 3 minimum. I am close to buying a switch box - any recommendations from anyone ? Preferably everything-capable.

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

You really don't need anything else but 2 SCART sockets, even with the DVD. The SCART protocol will work in just the same way in a switcher as it does now. Wire your SCARTS as per the previous post and everything should work well. The exception to the rule is the case of older Mitsubishi, Toshiba or Matsui TVs. These have their own ideas about the SCART protocol and require a little jiggery pokery.

[Tim Hardisty]

The only thing *I* can't get to work is to allow the VCR to auto-sense the record timer of the STB.

My VCR (Sanyo, I think) has 2 SCARTs and it is the second SCART that switches on the VCR direct into record mode, if it senses the "me-me" signal.

But if I connect the STB to this socket, I cannot playback tapes via the STB - I'm guessing it is a uni-directional SCART. So, I would have to connect the VCR direct to the TV, but I then run out of SCARTs at the TV (1 for the DVD, one for the STB and one for the VCR; and there's only 2 at the TV).

Or, I can watch the STB through the VCR, but then something else goes wrong (but I can't remember what!).

So, I have given up and set the VCR to record via the "aux 1" input (i.e. SCART 1) using the timer, *and* set the STB up to record; tedious but it works.

One fine day I'll try a SCART switcher and see if that works in this scenario. Tim Hardisty. Remove HAT before replying

[Dave Plowman]

Well, the switching signal is on Pin 8, so if you snip that the TV won't switch automatically. But on the RGB input there's also a switching signal on pin 14 to trigger it to RGB.

I've actually only got the STB going direct into the TV - everything else goes via an AVI amp which switches video as well as audio, so I have to select that on the TV to watch any other source.