Sky+box and VCR connection

[Barr_y]

I have recently purchased Sky+ and a Pioneer PDP436XDE Plasma TV. When I connect my VCR just for old VHS films sake. I connect a scart lead from the Sky+ box to my TV via RGB1 plug then I connect a scart from my Sky+box to the VCR and from the VCR back to the TV into the AV2 scart plug. Is this the correct way please?

I seem to get a noise like a foghorn if I do not switch sky on before I select input1 on my Pioneer handset, the same if I switch Sky off before selecting Input 2 on my handset, which is something I have always done because my previous Panasonic TV just went straight to normal TV without any noise. If it was blank I just pressed the AV button on the handset.

Pioneer have changed one damaged TV and also the media box today but I still get the same results. I have approached Sky customer service but it was a nightmare getting any sense from them. I could do with some advise please.

[clockworks]

The noise is feedback, probably due to the way you are connecting the VCR. You only need one scart lead from the VCR, either to ext1 (going through the sky+), or direct to ext2.

The first method will allow you to record sky+ onto the VCR.

[Barr_y]

Originally Posted by clockworks

You only need one scart lead from the VCR, either to ext1 (going through the sky+), or direct to ext2.

The first method will allow you to record sky+ onto the VCR.

Hi clockworks I cant quite understand what you mean. How exactly do you connect? The back of the Sky+ box has a TV scart for direct to TV and another which goes direct to VHS, then one that comes from the VHS back to input 2 scart on the TV. That is how I have always connected. Could you explain what you mean please.

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by Barr_y

I have recently purchased Sky+ and a Pioneer PDP436XDE Plasma TV. When I connect my VCR just for old VHS films sake. I connect a scart lead from the Sky+ box to my TV via RGB1 plug then I connect a scart from my Sky+box to the VCR and from the VCR back to the TV into the AV2 scart plug. Is this the correct way please?

I seem to get a noise like a foghorn if I do not switch sky on before I select input1 on my Pioneer handset, the same if I switch Sky off before selecting Input 2 on my handset, which is something I have always done because my previous Panasonic TV just went straight to normal TV without any noise. If it was blank I just pressed the AV button on the handset.

Pioneer have changed one damaged TV and also the media box today but I still get the same results. I have approached Sky customer service but it was a nightmare getting any sense from them. I could do with some advise please.

What make is the Sky+ box?

[clockworks]

Just remove the scart cable that's going from the VCR to the TV ext2.

Scart is (normally) a two-way cable. The one from the VCR socket on your sky+ can send signals to the VCR, as well as receive signals from the VCR to pass through to the TV.

By having two scart cables connected, you're sending the audio signals round and round in circles. The sound gets louder and louder, giving the "foghorn" sound. (simplified explanation of feedback)

[neilmcl]

You're only sending composite out via scart to the VCR anyway. It would be just as easy to remove the scart connection between the Sky+ box and VCR and use the RF Out. In other words, TV aerial into Sky+ RF In, Sky RF out to VCR RF in, VCR RF Out to TV, Tune VCR to pickup up both Sky and terrestrial channels - this way you can record both terrestrial and Sky channels if you want.

[Barr_y]

Thank you for all the answers. My Sky+ box is a Thomson. I have tried just the RF cables, but not quite sure which way to connect because the media box for the Pioneer is analogue and digital, and says I should connect the RF aerial into that first.
At the moment I have removed the VCR scart to TV input2 but now I can't see the recordings on the TV. I have the TV scart from the Sky+ connected to the RGB input1 on the TV media box. RF cable into the media box, out from media box into Sky+ out to VCR then back into the TV and I still can't see pictures from VHS on my screen. I think I am in a right old muddle.
Can you also tell me what is a decoder? I thought it was the Sky+ box. My book tells me to connect the RF into my media box then from there into my VCR then back into my media box, connect a scart from the VCR into the input2 of my media box. Then connect from a decoder using a scart from the Decoder into input1 of my media box.
I hope you are going to tell me the decoder is my Sky+ box. I might get it right then I hope. Thats what I have done but still get the foghorn of noise unless I switch the Sky+ box on first, otherwise it doesn't happen but it isn't normal is it?

[neilmcl]

Like I said above route the RF aerial into Sky+ -> VCR -> media box. This will work!

[Barr_y]

Hi Neil that sounds fine for Sky and Terrestrial but that doesn't pass it through the digital FR input of the media box, so therefore I wouldn't pick up the channels on freeview. You have to put it through the digital input RF of the media box to get the rest of the digital channels. The freeview box on the PDPXDE has one digital input RF, one out and back to one in.

[neilmcl]

Originally Posted by Barr_y

Hi Neil that sounds fine for Sky and Terrestrial but that doesn't pass it through the digital FR input of the media box, so therefore I wouldn't pick up the channels on freeview. You have to put it through the digital input RF of the media box to get the rest of the digital channels. The freeview box on the PDPXDE has one digital input RF, one out and back to one in.

Ahh, sorry, I didn't take that into account. Would this work: TV aerial -> Sky+ RF -> Media box -> VCR -> Media box.

[xxxx]

I have connected Pioneer PDP media boxes to Sky+ and the VCR passthrough works very well. I don't see why you are having trouble. I would do it this way:

VCR scart to the VCR scart socket on the Sky+.
Sky+ TV scart to the scart 1 socket on the media box. Set the scart input on the media box to auto and the Sky+ output to RGB.

The RF signal should go only to the media box. It should not be connected to anything else at all unless you want to record terrestrial on your VCR.

You should not use RF to view the VCR on the TV as you will lose the stereo sound and auto-switching that scart provides.

[Barr_y]

Thank you Neil and xxxx I have sorted it all out now. The biggest problem I had was the Qlink on the Panasonic VCR. It worked fine in scart2 with my previous Panasonic TV. As clockworks said this was causing the feedback noise. Can't say much about the Curry's engineer that came out to look at my set-up and ordered me a new media box can it. I have now connected the RF cable into the digital input of the media box, out to my VCR and back into my analogue connection of the media box. Sky+box is connected to the AV1 on my VCR now rather than the AV2. Sky+ is connected to the media box via scart1 and everything works fine. I have connected the L/R audio leads to my amp from the VCR so the sound is great when I use VCR2 on the Denon 3806.
Thank you for everybody's help, it makes this a great site to learn from.