Does a Scart to Component cable exist?

RayP

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Hi all,

I'm thinking about getting a PWD8 plasma screen. I have a Arcam DV79 DVD player, Sky+. and a Denon A10SE amp. As the Denon has component in/out facility I was hoping to use a single set of component cables to the screen to cut down on cabling.

Whilst I can connect the DV79 to the amp with component I can't find a Scart-Component cable for the Sky+ box. Does such a cable exist? If not what's the best way of getting the signal to the screen via the amp? I'd prefer to avoid SVideo as I believe that is a poorer quality signal than RGB or component.

Or is including the amp in the signal path a bad move? I'd rather not have too many cables feeding the screen as they'll be difficult to hide. But I want to ensure I keep the picture as clean as possible.

Thanks.
 
I use a QED Scart to Component converter box to get my Sky signal into my Denon amp:

http://www.hifistore.co.uk/product.php?qsProd=QCV

Simply plug the Scart cable from your Sky box into one end and a component cable into the other end connected to your amp.

Does a pretty good job although there is some artifacting on fast moving pictures. Certainly better than the S-Video cables I was using before.
 
Thanks Soapy. Pity it has to go through another connection. Have you tried the signal straight into the screen from this box to gauge how much degredation is being caused by the amp? Ah, I've just noticed you have a LCD so perhaps that is the cause of the artifacts? I would have expected the A10SE and this box to have high-quality circuits.
 
please remember that a sky box doesnt ouput component so using a scart to component cable is not going to work on a component input. You need to convert he signal from rgb to component.
 
Yeah, I use an LCD so there is a little artefacting. Not sure about with a PJ as I do not have one, but I suspect that it will not be too noticeable. Not that noticable on my LCD really, but it does struggle a little with things like watery scenes.

If you do go down this route, then you will need to set the Sky Scart output to RGB otherwise you will get no picture.
 
phillfyspoon said:
please remember that a sky box doesnt ouput component so using a scart to component cable is not going to work on a component input. You need to convert he signal from rgb to component.

Thanks for the clarification Phil. I made the mistake of assuming it would be possible to have such a cable as it was an analogue signal. Does a converter box actually improve the PQ or is it just a means of getting a signal from an RGB output into a component input?

With only two sources I seem to be acquiring a lot of video cables. I'm wondering if a more sensible alternative might be to wait until Sky HD drops the monthly charge and then feed two HDMI feeds direct to the screen and bypass the amp completely. I have a Philips Pronto so all the relevant button presses can be programmed into a macro.
 
Soapy said:
Yeah, I use an LCD so there is a little artefacting. Not sure about with a PJ as I do not have one, but I suspect that it will not be too noticeable. Not that noticable on my LCD really, but it does struggle a little with things like watery scenes.

If you do go down this route, then you will need to set the Sky Scart output to RGB otherwise you will get no picture.

Thanks for that Soapy. I have the Sky output set to RGB now. As you can see from my other reply I'm now considering a digital alternative that would bypass the amp. I have enough cables already without adding a lot more just for amp video switching. It probably makes sense if you have several sources but with just two it seems a bit OTT.
 
Hello RayP

As others have said you need to perform Colour Space conversion when connecting an RGB SCART Source to a YPbPr 'Component' Input device - see http://www.js-technology.com/av_guides.php?osCsid=df002e915ad5390b62a40c6fc2c0c50b

The JS-Technology converters are arguably the best on the market - see http://www.js-technology.com/produc...id=36&osCsid=df002e915ad5390b62a40c6fc2c0c50b

How soon before you add SKY HD? If its something your planning for the near future you may want to hold off and go with S-Video from SKY+ for now.

Your Denon AV Amp ought to provide clean video switching - the test would be to view a few test patterns from the DVD player 'direct' of via the Amp.

Best regards

Joe

PS You do know the Series 9 Displays are on the way???
 
Kiss Technlogy make a scart to component cable. Mine cost me £10-15. and also has l&r audio plugs so can feed the scart socket on back of tv with l&r from the amp too.

Dan.
 
Hello Dankeech

Anyone with a soldering Iron and the correct connectors can 'make' a SCART to 3RCA cable - though its not much use unless the Source device has the option to Output YPbPr (Component) video via its SCART socket.

I'm assuming you have that option in your KISS player - unfortunately its NOT an option with SKY+ so you require a transcoder.

Best regards

Joe
 
Hello Joe,
Those links are dead at the moment but I have seen the JS-Tech converter in the past and appreciate its quality. Yes, I'm aware of series 9 thanks but from a connection angle they are identical to series 8 I believe.

Some background...

All these questions are part of my planning ritual. I need to satisfy myself that my current (and future) kit can be plugged into a panel display. I've been chewing the move to flat panel over for years and have gone in a full circle from panel displays through consumer displays like the PX60 and back again to a specialist panel like the Panny PWD/PHD.

For someone who build his own PCs and has been into hi-fi for 30 years the prospect of screwing a module into a display and attaching a cable does not horrify me. I really don't need a screen with speakers or with a separate TV receiver. The quality of the picture is everything.

I have returned here after a few months away (the hot summer being the main reason) and of course in that time HD broadcasts have started. It was very interesting to read a member review of the comparison between the Panny SD and HD v8 screens being fed various signals and how well the SD screen stood up even with a HD source.

So I've decided a quality SD screen will suite me fine given that most TV broadcasts in the new few years are going to be SD and all my DVD collection is SD.

The next issue is one of connections. Although my Denon amp has video switching the amount of cabling and the converter box to get a signal from analogue Sky to the screen seems highly disproportionate and quite expensive. It would seem sensible to wait until I get a Sky HD box as I could then connect it to the screen with a single HDMI cable. Likewise for my DV79.

But here comes the killer question. I've just checked the latest Panasonic series 9 brochure and on page 4 it details the various input boards. HDMI can only be plugged into slots 2 and 3. However, to display the Denon's menu I need to output a signal in composite but the composite board on the screen can only be plugged into slots 2 and 3. Slot 1 seems redundant for my purposes.

Given the importance of the Denon's menu I must be able to see it but how? It doesn't appear to be possible if I want to have 2 HDMI inputs. My only alternative appears to use a component board (for DVD) that would go into slot 1 but I'd prefer to use the digital lead as it's far easier to hide.

Please tell me there's another solution to this. Why can certain modules only be plugged into certain slots on the Panny panels?
 
Dankeech said:
Kiss Technlogy make a scart to component cable. Mine cost me £10-15. and also has l&r audio plugs so can feed the scart socket on back of tv with l&r from the amp too.

Dan.

Thanks Dan but as advised this won't be possible for Sky analogue.
 
Hello RayP

The Input Board limitation is to do with handling Digital or Analogue signals within the Display and being able to offer you Picture in Picture modes which mix Analogue and Digital source signals.

I'd stick 1 x TY-FB8HM HDMI Board in the Display and use an Octava or similar 3x1 or 5x1 Automatic HDMI switch between your Digital sources and the Display; even with two HDMI Boards your bound to run out of sockets over the next couple of years.

The SD Display is very good with HD - though with the current price differential I'd be tempted by the HD as its better with SD :)

If you want to stick with 2 x HDMI Boards stick the TY-42TM6A 'Component' Board into slot Three and connect the Composite 'Monitor' out from your AV Amp to the Y Socket and you'll get your menus in Black and White (which they probably are already).

Best regards

Joe
 
Joe Fernand said:
Hello RayP

The Input Board limitation is to do with handling Digital or Analogue signals within the Display and being able to offer you Picture in Picture modes which mix Analogue and Digital source signals.

So even if I wasn't interested in PiP I'm still stuck with that limitation.

Joe Fernand said:
I'd stick 1 x TY-FB8HM HDMI Board in the Display and use an Octava or similar 3x1 or 5x1 Automatic HDMI switch between your Digital sources and the Display; even with two HDMI Boards your bound to run out of sockets over the next couple of years..

That sounds an excellent idea. By "automatic" I'm thinking this means that when a unit is activated from standby or turned on the Octava would route the signal automatically. If two HDMI units were already on the one you want to watch would have to be turned off/on to cause the switch. Slightly inconvenient but hardly a show stopper and much better than extra cabling to the screen.

Joe Fernand said:
The SD Display is very good with HD - though with the current price differential I'd be tempted by the HD as its better with SD :)..

The PHD8 (or 9) would make SD images look better than a PWD8 (or 9) :confused: I would have thought the extra pixels on the HD panel would cause an image to look slightly worse?

Joe Fernand said:
If you want to stick with 2 x HDMI Boards stick the TY-42TM6A 'Component' Board into slot Three and connect the Composite 'Monitor' out from your AV Amp to the Y Socket and you'll get your menus in Black and White (which they probably are already).

It's unlikely I'll go for this option now. I don't understand what a Y socket is. Wouldn't I need to plug a composite cable into a composite socket and I can't see one.

Thanks for all your help Joe. Looks like the muddy waters of connections are being cleared.:)
 
Hello RayP

The 'Limitation'' is to do with how many 'digitisers' the Manufacturer includes in the Video Processing engine of the Display, so yes you are 'stuck' with it.

The Octava switches have a front panel 'Toggle' button plus a Credit Card remote with Discrete Input selection so you can 'override the Automatic source selection if required.

The Video Processing within the HD Display is superior to the SD Display and produces less colour banding with SD sources - its not a show stopper but worth considering now that the price differential is closing.

Component video is carried on three cables - these connect to sockets labelled Y, Pb and Pr on the Component Board; the Y Input carries the Sync signal ofthe Component signal and seeing as its a 75 ohm video signal works too with Composite video (in Black and White).

Best regards

Joe
 
I have to say that the QED box is pretty good at its job, but is only a stop-gap until Sky HD arrives. The switching on the Denon Amp is good and the cross-conversion from multiple sources to HDMI out works very well.
 
Hi Joe,

Thanks for your quick reply.

Another remote :-( Never mind. My Philips Pronto should be able to learn the codes :)

Seems to make sense to go for a HD display with superior processing and it's future-proofed - if there is such a term ;-)

I think I understand your explanation of the Y input but the TY-42TM6Z seems to have the compatible input.
 
Soapy said:
I have to say that the QED box is pretty good at its job, but is only a stop-gap until Sky HD arrives. The switching on the Denon Amp is good and the cross-conversion from multiple sources to HDMI out works very well.

Hi Soapy,

With only two sources and with a wall-mounted panel I want to keep the number of cables to it as low as possible. If I wait until I get a Sky HD box before I buy a screen I'm down to a single HDMI cable and a composite cable. That makes life a great deal easier :)

And until Sky drop the £10 monthly charge it's all on hold but now that I've done most of my homework it makes life a lot easier. Making quick decisions when lots of money is involved is not good.

So are you also waiting for that charge to be dropped or have you already signed up?

And this is a question for everyone. The distance from my viewing position to the screen is 8ft. Is that too close for a 42" display? I've seen various calculators that tell me it's too close but not if HD is being viewed. I'm a little concerned for SD even with a quality display such as the PHD8 or the 9 series equivalent.
 
Hi Ray,

The main reason for waiting for HD is that I am currently paying for Multi-room (was a cheap way of getting the Sky+ box at the time) and I cannot justify another £10 a month charge (got our first baby on the way and the Mrs tells me I need to save cash!!). As soon as the 12 months is up on the Multi-room subscription (Nov) I will drop it and go to Sky HD. Happy to pay an additional charge for HD, but I think it is a bit steep at the moment for only 10 channels. My main gripe with the costs is the £300 for the box and the £60 installation charge. Still, this will drop in time as it did with Sky+.

With respect to viewing distance: I sit about 8ft away from my 37" LCD and I think that this distance is fine. I was originally planning on going for a 40" but the only thing that stopped me in the end was cash-flow. I think you'll find that 8' from a 42" panel will be fine (wouldn't go any bigger though)
 
Hi Soapy,

There's quite a bit of concern on the Sky HD forum about the supposed quality of Sky Movies HD broadcast. I don't know if you have the Movies package but if you have then you might want to read about this before signing up especially given the cost of subscribing to HD. I agree that it's a high price to pay for a few channels and I'm not moving on that front until the monthly charge is dropped which of course will eventually happen as you suggest.

I'm glad you think 8ft is okay for a 42". I've just rechecked the distance and it's about 8.5ft so I'm happy that with a quality display and a good Sky signal I'll be more than happy with the picture. 42" is quite big enough I think :)

Cheers.
 
Ray,

I reckon you'll be fine with the distance. Don't forget to post a review and pics as to how the setup works and looks.
 
Soapy said:
Ray,

I reckon you'll be fine with the distance. Don't forget to post a review and pics as to how the setup works and looks.

I keep chewing things over and making changes to my master plan :eek:

After reading a lot of discussion about the PHD8 and what type of signal to feed it the general consensus seems to be component is better than HDMI. Going down this route would mean I could feed signals via the A10SE amp and possibly move before switching to Sky HD.

But before the screen is bought I have to have my central heating boiler changed and the fireplace modified to accommodate a suitable gas fire. Only then can I get the screen. Oh, then I have to sell my B&W CM4/CMC speakers and consider what sub/sat system to get instead. The MT30 is one possibility.

So, lots to do and I shall take pictures through all of this and there should be some memorable moments to report.:)
 

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