Freeview Box Digital Out - Long Interconnect or Better Arrangement?

[Mark Ward]

I've got a Nokia 221T Freeview box being installed on Monday together with a new (external) aerial. Despite being in an area that states there is no digital TV, the local Aerial man assure me he's succesfully fitted them near me and he'll take them and the new aerial back with him if it doesn't work.

Freeview Box has 2 Scarts

TV Panasonic TX-32PK20 - with Q-Link
AV1 is Audio/Video In/Out &RGB :- Currently DVD (RGB)
AV2 is Audio/Video In/Out & S-Video In :- Currently VCR
AV4 is Audio/Video In/Out & S-Video In :- Current Lexicon MC-1 On-Screen Display for Setup Tweaking
(AV3 is non-scart on Front.)

VCR Panasonic NV-HS830B S-VHS - with Q-Link & 2 Scarts

Hifi is 10M from TV on opposite wall.

Assumptions
Digital out on Freeview box needs 75 Ohm digital interconnect.
Digital Aerials also pick up analogue TV signals?
Are these correct?

I want to use the DACS in my Lex so I want to run a 10M digital interconnect. Would Maplins shielded 75 Ohm Co-Ax with phono connectors soldered on be suitable/adequate for this? or do I need to buy a 10M digital interconnect? Any other reasonable priced solution?

I'm new to Freeview/Digiboxes etc. How on earth do I connect all this up for the best picture quality? Losing the Lex's On-Screen Display which I use regularly for tweaking isn't life or death BTW, I can always add a Scart Switcher later.

FView -> VCR -> TV ?
VCR -> FView -> TV ?
FView -> TV & VCR -> TV & FView -> VCR ?

Where does the Aerial loop-through fit in the best arrangement?

Being in a weak signal area I'd like to have high quality versions of all the relevant cables here for when the box comes on Monday

Many thanks,

Mark.

[diggler46]

How much you paying for the whole shabang Mark?

[hornydragon]

The S-vhs complicates matters as that i dont know if the nokia will pass S-vid signal. if it does

VCR -> FView -> TV ?

This is how i set it up for the missus but her vhs was only composite. will you want to record Freeveiw?
I know that in a strong area standard aerial coax works fine. the aerial should get analogue TV as well.
If you are happy with scart i wouldn't bother with RF conections except to the video to record analogue channels if you want. also depends on how often you watch videos, record TV. as for using external DACS i dont know if that will work, assuming you are talking about sound. Unless the nokia has SPDIF or Coax Digital i think you will be stuck with standard phonos.

Hope this helps

PS Now I remeber who you are. is freeveiw going in the HT room or the lounge? Just ask cause i remeber the photos of that lovely room and think you would be better off with SKY FTV, just my opinion.

[MartinImber]

Oh well you have connection problems

Box does RGB and Composite so switch box or try DVD pass though, or NB through DVD.

As to vcr I don't think NB does SVId - well the Ondodgy one didn't

Ok if you have two Scarts on the vcr put one to box and one to TV

I think that DVD and Nokia RGB are incompatable - I was never able to pass through my DVD

DVD Sync on Composite, Nokia Sync on Green I think

Nokia box - RGB to switch box
Other to Scart in on vcr

I run my Nokia box composite through a vcr! Apart from tests never bothered RGB due to connection problems and the arrival of a CAM.

Good luck!

[MartinImber]

PS As to Sky FTV

No ITV2, no UK History, no The Hits, No TMF

And the main channels look better on Freeview than Sky

[Mark Ward]

Diggler46

How much you paying for the whole shabang Mark?

£315 including a BIG aerial. I have the opportunity to add a DAB Radio aerial for a further £80 but I'm not convinced I'll need one in this room.

HornyDragon

The S-vhs complicates matters as that i dont know if the nokia will pass S-vid signal. if it does
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VCR -> FView -> TV ?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't think the Nokia will pass S-Video

If you are happy with scart i wouldn't bother with RF conections except to the video to record analogue channels if you want.

I would like to be able to watch analogue TV whilst recording a different digital channel and vice-versa.

also depends on how often you watch videos, record TV.

I do record TV quite a lot

as for using external DACS i dont know if that will work, assuming you are talking about sound. Unless the nokia has SPDIF or Coax Digital i think you will be stuck with standard phonos.

This model does have a digital out which was why I chose it

Now I remember who you are. is freeview going in the HT room or the lounge? Just ask cause i remeber the photos of that lovely room and think you would be better off with SKY FTV, just my opinion.

This is for the lounge. I will go for Sky FTV (Possibly a S/H Sky+) for the HT. HT is taking longer than I thought. Hope to be usuable by February but it seems to be dragging.

MartinImber

Oh well you have connection problems

Yep! I know

Box does RGB and Composite so switch box or try DVD pass though, or NB through DVD.

I could put the FView Box on AV1 RGB and use S-Video on AV4 for DVD I guess. I have a 10M Chord S-Video on the way to me and the Arcam outputs a pretty good S-Vid picture (RGB better tho')

As for VCR I don't think NB does SVId - well the Ondodgy one didn't

I'm not sure what NB is here Martin. VCR's manual says it will do RGB loop through though. Does this mean FView Box AND VCR could BOTH be on AV1?

I think that DVD and Nokia RGB are incompatable - I was never able to pass through my DVD

OK.....

Thanks guys Well from this helpful information here's what I see as a possible solution.

Solution?
DVD (S-Video) into Lex MC-1
MC-1 (S-Video) into AV4
Nokia FView into AV1
Panasonic S-VHS VCR into AV2
Panasonic S-VHS VCR (Scart2) into Nokia FView (Aux Scart)

I know I'll get a slightly reduce picture quality for DVD but it doesn't look too bad on a 32" set. I think this'll be the best solution for the room.

BTW. As for the 10M Digital Interconnect. Will Shielded 75 Ohm Co-Ax do a good job? I can't see me paying for a high end 10 Metre digital interconnect for Freeview.

Thanks again,

Mark.

[MartinImber]

NB = Nokia box

As to DVD S-Vid

If your DVD has two Scarts try daisy chaining

eg

VCR-221T-DVD-RGBTV
|
+-----------------SVIDTV

But don't drop to SVid you will notice every time you use it

I'm not sure what NB is here Martin. VCR's manual says it will do RGB loop through though. Does this mean FView Box AND VCR could BOTH be on AV1?

But no S-Vid for vcr if you do this.

I am going to buy a bit stream HD recorder when one comes out

[Mr.D]

I use a couple of switchboxes and an RGB to s-video convertor box to feed my TV (panny TX32PK1) RGB from a nokia box or turn it into s-video and feed to a JVC SVHS deck ( the difference over composite is worth it).

This means I can... watch dvd via RGB whilst sending digibox RGB to s-video convertor to the SVHS deck which I can also monitor on the AV2S inout of the TV if I desire or I can watch terrerstrial analogue on the Tv instead.

If I want to watch DTTV I just send the RGB direct to the TV instead of through the svhs convertor.

Sound is either throught the TV for simplicity or through my yamaha amp for DD DTS purposes. The coax input on the amp is used by my HTPC so I don't bother with the coax output from the nokia digibox. The dvd player is the last input into the tv and all the other RGB sources including 2 consoles loop through it.

When I use my projector I just manually hook up the s-video output from the convertor to my HTPC for deinterlacing and scaling purposes ( I also swap the consoles RGB outputs into it as necessary I could do with another switchbox to neaten this up).

So I get RGB when I need it and s-video when I need it and always get to watch the source in the best quality available given the circumstances ( ie rarely composite),

JS tech and keene and lektropacks offer all the bits you'd need.

[leeoh]

Hi,

I use the 221T in RGB fed into the loop through scart on my two year old basic Sony DVD player also set to RGB into the RGB AV1 on my Panny TV and all works a treat.

The Sony does a great job of automatically switching to DVD output when you want to watch it.

I can't comment on the Scart interconnections - you'll probably end up using the time-honoured "trial and error" method.

But I CAN comment on the most important and maybe the most difficult thing to remedy afterwards if done wrongly:

Make certain that the new aerial is connected DIRECT to the Freeview box with double-shielded (copper-on-copper) cable. The "satellite cable" used for Sky Digital is fine - usually sold as H109 or CT100 (not RG6 as this has aluminium on copper shielding).

There should be no joints in the cable. If you insist on using a wall plate, use the straight-through "F" connector type as stocked by a few specialists such as satcure.com.

Although it's often possible to get away with "ordinary" TV cable, you are going to kick yourself if you subsequently get "picture freeze" and "popping on audio" which *might* be caused by poor shielding (but you won't be certain).

Also make sure the aerial is as high as possible and as far as possible from any road traffic - the terrestrial digital system is prone to "impulse" interference (car ignition, light switches, boiler thermostat etc.)

So keep the coax run away from any mains cables!

Fman

[Mr.D]

See I'm quite lucky with my gondigital box. I get a pretty near perfect signal on analogue and with digital I can actually get away with NO aerial connection whatsoever into the digibox ( it does pop though when someone drives past on a two stroke moped!)

Otherwise I use an ancient coathanger aerial and its perfect 99% of the time ( I get pops if I turn off the other mains socket in the double plate that feeds my kit but thats it).

I did replace the RF uplink out of the digibox as I suspect the provided one is so poor it behaves as an antenna and even interferes with the downlink ( I wish I could turn off the RF stage on the digi box completely).

Also I split the aerial feed and send it to my yamaha receiver for FM duties ( the missus likes the archers) Again it works just fine.

The question should be :

When are TV manufacturers gonna realise that we need about 6 scart sockets these days :

Games console - RGB
DVD - RGB
STB - RGB
VCR S-Vid
....
Can't think of any more !

[Mark Ward]

When are TV manufacturers gonna realise that we need about 6 scart sockets these days :

Games console - RGB
DVD - RGB
STB - RGB
VCR S-Vid
....
Can't think of any more !

Tivo?

[hornydragon]

Games console - RGB
DVD - RGB
STB - RGB
VCR S-Vid

Well then
Gamecube RGB
XBOX RGB
PS2 RGB
STB RGB
2nd STB RGB
HDD Recorder RGB
VHS S-vid/composite
Camcorder S-vid/composite
PC S-vid/composite
2nd DVD RGB/S-vid/composite
Closed Circuit Cams composite
AV amp set up data
12 AV connections not bad. but i do think that all hi end Branded TV's (Philips/Panasonic/Sony/b&o/Loewe)
Should have 3-4 RGB and 1-2 S-vid/composite.
Out of interest how many AV inputs do Plasmas ( Input modules) come with? hopefully more, but doubt it

[MartinImber]

I use the 221T in RGB fed into the loop through scart on my two year old basic Sony DVD player also set to RGB into the RGB AV1 on my Panny TV and all works a treat.

Well done Nokia - now using Sync on Composite then