[Banjaxe]

This might seem like a silly question...

I've just taken delivery of a Sony KD32DX40U TV from John Lewis and I was a wee bit taken aback to discover that it only has one RGB capable SCART.

When I was checking it out on the Sony web site (www.sony.co.uk) the technical spec for the set definitely claimed it had two RGB capable SCARTs.

Now that I've actually got the set the manual claims that the second SCART (it only has two ) is composite and S-Video only. When I connect my DVD player or digibox to SCART 1 in RGB mode everything is fine but when I connect either of them to SCART 2 it's obviously using the composite signal and there doesn't appear to be any way of selecting RGB instead.

The strange this is that I thought I'd played with a version of this set in a nearby branch of Comet and when I tried cycling through the video inputs I thought it let me select SCART 2 with a "..." symbol (Sony's way of saying it's RGB).

Is it possible there are two versions of this set and I've been delivered an older (or worse still a newer!) version that doesn't have two RGB capable SCARTs or is it all just a mistake on the Sony web site and I had some kind of brainstorm in Comet.

I'm currently waiting on a Supervisor from Sony to call me back...

If anyone else knows anything about this in the meantime please let me know.

Ronnie

P.S. I was also slightly surprised to see that it allowed controlling the colour saturation in RGB mode - looks like the Sony RGB signal path isn't as "pure" as it once was.

[MartinImber]

AFAIK 1 RGB Scart, DX100 & NX100 have 2 RGB Scarts

Perhaps it is now Component rather than RGB, as DX20 and DX30 were RGB, DTTV is AFAIK Component so conversion was normally in the DTTV tuner.

Colour saturation can be adjusted in RGB with resistors between the lines I think.

[Banjaxe]

Hi Martin.

I checked again on the Sony web site before I called them yesterday and it definitely still said that the KD32DX40U had two RGB capable SCARTs.

The Sony helpdesk have been very fast at getting back to me. They called yesterday afternoon to say that they would have to confirm with the design division whether the second SCART was RGB capable and then they left a message for me this morning to say that the second SCART was indeed S-Video/RGB.

I'm still no farther forward persuading mine to display RGB on SCART 2 though...

It could be kind of interesting when I tell John Lewis "I know the manual doesn't say the second SCART can take RGB but the Sony web site and help desk say that it does".

I think I'll go back to the nearby Comet and try the set I originally played with to see if my memory is faulty.

As for RGB colour saturation - no resistors needed - simply change the colour level in the menu as normal. It looks like everything is converted inernally to YUV. I think with the earlier Sony IDTVs you had to say whether you wanted the digital tuner to output composite or RGB and if you selected composite you could alter the colour level and sharpness. With the DX40 you can't select the output format of the digital tuner but it lets you alter the colour level for that and for RGB inputs (although you can't alter the sharpness of these).

Ronnie

[Banjaxe]

I went back to the Comet store where I first looked at the set last night and I have to admit that it was a case of faulty memory when I thought that the TV there had offered to let me select SCART 2 with "..." (RGB).

The old Sony set I have lets you cycle through all of the input options on the SCART sockets including RGB. The KD32DX40 only allows you to choose between S-Video and composite on the sockets that allow it (SCART 2 and the front inputs) and for SCART 1 it only shows one option but if the connected device says that it's outputting RGB then the set automatically goes into RGB mode and shows the "..." when you bring up the info (what am I watching) display. Unfortunately. this auto RGB detect doesn't work on SCART 2.

I went back to John Lewis this morning and they were helpful. We looked at the back of a KV32DX100 and two of it's SCART sockets had the "..." (RGB) symbol embossed on the TV casing. We then looked at the KV32DX40 and only SCART 1 had the "...". It's definitely not looking hopeful when the printed manual and the TV case itself say that SCART 2 isn't RGB. I suppose it could have been a feature added at the last minute and the manual and case haven't caught up yet, but that seems a bit unlikely. John Lewis offered to take the DX40 back and let me upgrade to the DX100 but I specifically chose the DX40 because I wanted a 50Hz picture and the DX100 is 100Hz (I did compare them when I was buying and preferred the DX40 - it was easy to compare them with a good source because both have the same digital tuner inbuilt).

It looks like I'll have to get back to Sony again and try to find out why the keep telling me on the web site and the telephone that the DX40 does have two RGB SCARTs when all the evidence suggests that it doesn't.

Ronnie

[Banjaxe]

I've just spoken to another supervisor at Sony who has confirmed that SCART 2 is NOT RGB capable on the DX40 and then quoted the web site disclaimer for errors...

I'm not only annoyed that the web site has the wrong information but also that Sony originally called me back with the wrong information after agreeing that the web site and manual didn't match and telling me the they were going to contact their design department.

If you can't get the correct information from the web site or from their customer information support line what are you meant to do - buy the set, find out the truth and then rely on the goodwill of the supplier to rectify the situation?

John Lewis have been very helpful in offering a replacement TV when they had no need so top marks to John Lewis and definitely not top marks to Sony...

Ronnie

[PeteM]

The DX100 being a DRC-MF set should also have a 50Hz mode. You should have set the TV to use this when comparing it to the DX40 in John Lewis, rather than the 100Hz mode that it is probably running in by default.

I mention this as owning an older DX20, one thing I find annoying is the line structure that can become very noticable when you zoom a non anamorphic image up to 16:9, this can be especially noticable on NTSC material due to its low resolution (e.g the R1 Canadian version of Train Spotting).

Apart from this I like the DX20, although its software is a bit buggy, and the CAM module that ITV Digital supply is slower than watching paint dry!

[Banjaxe]

Hi Pete,

I tried both DRC-50 and DRC-100 on the DX100 and still preferred the DX40.

It kind of surprised me as well because I was all set to get the DX100 thinking it would offer me the best of 50Hz and 100Hz.

I don't actually need the digital tuner (I've got Sky+) but I was hoping the DX100 wouldn't have the same problems as other people were reporting here on the 32FQ75.

When I didn't like the DX100 I ended up going for the DX40 because I don't like the styling of the non-IDTV 50Hz Sonys.

Ronnie

[MartinImber]

YUV from tuner to YUV-RGB converter sounds good, but does it suffer from SVM - watch Millionaire and B's looking like 8s

DX20 was a VERY good IDTV and I rate mine highly.

You should find picture quality on internal tuner with BBC will be better than the Sky box.

I found SVM on the NX100 which worries me as it is so irritating

[Banjaxe]

I just thought I'd check the Sony web site to see if they were still wrongly claiming that the DX40 has two RGB SCARTs and sure enough they are.

No too impressive considering it's more than a month ago a Sony support supervisor admitted it didn't have two RGB SCARTs and referred me to the web site disclaimer on "specification changes".

Ronnie

[Zacabeb]

I guess the bottom line is: Never trust any information companies hand out!

They are just so big and mighty they can afford so many percent dissatisfied customers. For that reason they abuse their disclaimers in order to make cost cuts and other nasty alterations to their products. Much of the marketing and support is based on customer reassurance - making you doubt your reasons to be dissatisfied. Done effectively this lets companies shape you the way they want and have you accept an inferior product to what they promise or display.

Call Sony back and remind them of the error. They may claim the right to make any changes they desire, but they have to correct errors in their product information if they are aware of them. If they do not, it is false advertising!