[Jon001]

I have my Sky SD box connected to my samsung LE40M87 by a £4 gold plated Philips Scart cable from ASDA.

Although I get a good picture, could I expect an improvement if I splashed a bit of cash on a better scart, I'm not talking silly money...somewhere between £15-£20 (any recommendations), or would i be wasting my money?

I know that there is some debate as to whether there is any difference between cheap and expensive HDMI cables and wasn't sure if it is the same for scarts

Thanks people!

[MitsiTurbo]

Scart is analogue, so you can definetely see an improvement with better cables. However, im not convinced that you will see an improvement by spending £15-£20. I used to have QED Sqarts (yes, with a q!) which gave an amazing picture on RGB from my Sky+ box. I sold them on here recently for £20 each so may be worth keeping an eye on the classifieds here or ebay. Have a search for AV2110 which is the 1m version, AV2115 is the 1.5m etc

Hope this helps!

[Jon001]

Thanks for the advice.

I saw a Philex Thor scart cable for about £17 which LOOKED really impressive but obviously it could be all style and no substance. Maybe I will have to spend a bit more...just have to convince the wife! She can't understand how cables can cost more than ten quid

[Mr Incredible]

Also make sure your Sky box is set to output RGB instead of just pants composite video.

Services: Set Up: Press 0 0 1 and Select. Change Scart to RGB if it isn't already. IF you were on composite you will notice a big difference in quality.

[Jon001]

Thanks

I just tried that and when I pressed 001 Select I got the installer set up menu with options LNB SETUP, Default transponder, phone settings, RF outlets, manual tuning, new installation.

Couldn't find anything to do with scart/RGB though... have i gone wrong somewhere ? I have a pace SD SKY box

[Mr Incredible]

Sorry. It's under the Picture Settings on the Set up Menu. Oops!

[Jon001]

Mr Incredible

Just had another fiddle. It wasn't the same as you described but I just went through the normal System Setup > Picture settings route and there was a Video output option where you could switch between PAL and RGB...is that the same thing? Its hard to tell if it has improved the picture yet as it has affected the colour settings and I will probably have to tweak them a bit.

Cheers

Update...just read your last post..thanks

[Chris Muriel]

Yes, you need RGB.
Then you must ensure that the SCART cable has all pins connected (some are composite video only).

Chris Muriel, Manchester

[Mr Incredible]

Well if it was on PAL and now you have changed it to RGB, then provided you have an RGB capable Scart, and you have made sure your TV is set to accept RGB on its Scart (usually #1 Scart if there is more than one), then you will definitely have a better picture than using PAL (composite video).

[Jon001]

Is there any way of telling whether a Scart is RGB capable? Its a cheapo £4 philips cable from asda. Doesn't say anything about RGB on the box it came in.

[MarkTaylor]

Does it have all the pins present?

Have a look here for guide to what each pin does :

http://www.electronics2000.co.uk/data/pinout/scart.htm

Unfortunately even if all the pins are there is doesn't mean they are connected but if the pins are missing it is a good clue as to what isn't wired

[Mr Incredible]

One way to test this is, if you can, is manually set your TV to accept RGB on its #1 Scart and see if there is a picture when the Sky box is set to RGB. If there isn't, your Scart is not RGB capable.

But TBH, Sky RGB is really good, and you have a good TV. It would be worth spending a bit more on a "quality" cable. Ignore COmet and Curry's they know jack. A Thor, QED or IXOS, and probably second hand in the classifieds, will get you one under £20. With the advent of HD and Sky HD etc, many are converting to HDMI so may have a few Scarts free!

EDIT: If you want/need to have your TV produce the sound from Sky (as opposed to you having an AV Receiver/amplifier) then avoid the "RGB only" scarts. You'll need a fully wired version.

[Jon001]

Thanks for that....I am going to shop around for a decent-ish cable. I can't bring myself to spend £40 on the IXOS so I will probably go for the THOR.

Seriously thanks for everybodys help on this. This whole forum has been invaluable in choosing my T.V, getting it at a good price and getting it set up right. Cheers.

[Mr Incredible]

I've got Thor, QED and Ixos and they are all excellent. A Thor at about £15 would be a safe bet.

I know this may sound like I'm teaching grandmother to suck eggs, but make sure the SKy SD box is set to 16:9 picture and not 4:3. A 4:3 will scale horribly on a widescreen TV!

[Jon001]

Ha...I am clueless, but I'm not THAT clueless.