Plasma / Sky / RGB query

nic@highgroundd

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I wonder if anyone can offer any advice?

We have a Sky set-top box, hooked up to our Panasonic Viera (PE30B) via scart. Some kindly person suggested to us that we try to shift the Sky box setting from 'PAL' to 'RGB', suggesting it would vastly improve the picture quality. Having followed the advice, the overall picture did duly improve, BUT, flicking through Sky channels procured a level of digital spluttering that rendered the switch unusable. (If nothing else, for the sake of our surround system, which was suffering intolerable peaks of digital squealing).

Having sought some advice (as you would, knowing that PAL was now an unnecessary sacrifice), an el 'cheapo scart cable was cited as the probable cause. That scurrilous remark was begrudgingly accepted and thusly we invested in a 'decent' scart lead costing about 20 sheets (Cambridge Audio I believe). This was guaranteed to easily carry an RGB signal without problem.

So anyway, it didn't work, and so I have again turned to the forums of life.

Any ideas would be most welcomed? (and if you could bare in mind that my level of knowledge on all things tv are about 6/10). ;)

Cheers!
 
Is your Panny selected to output RGB on that particular Scart socket!

Should see a much improved picture from PAL to RGB.

Dal
 
Composite SCART is the devils spawn so you really want to sort this out :thumbsdow

What exactly is the problem? I'm not sure what you mean but "digital spluttering"?
 
To expand further, the digital spluttering is an almost complete collapse of picture, which occurs during thunderstorms usually i.e. when interference interrupts the satellite signal. Blocks appear, the sound stutters, the picture bounces around and then sometimes disappears altogether (think a DAB radio falling off a signal).

But when I put the setting back to PAL, then all goes back to normal.

YES, the scart cable is running into an RGB enabled scart socket on the Viera.

I've had this problem for about 10 months now so any help would be much appreciated.
 
That is truly bizarre. Unless I'm missing something, all the PAL->RGB setting does is change the pin-out config on the output SCART socket. It should make absolutely no difference to the picture processing prior to that point.
 
It must be doing something quite hefty to the signal processing.

Given that the plasma displays rather than interferes with signals (as/per amplifiers) then it must be something to do with the Sky box? Switching from PAL to RGB causes the unit to go bonkers (but not on every single channel, just on about 95%).

So great, we have to put up with PAL.
 
I should have the name to hand by I don't.

I suspect you may be correct, Glenn2.

And the punchline is ...
 
..."it's fooked" :D
 
There's a problem with that box. My mum's is the same - I just left her in composite ignorance as she's not that fussy.

BUT - you can get it fixed - see this:

http://www.satcure.co.uk/panasonic.htm

You might want to get a heatsink from these guys for the CPU. My mum's kept crashing (blue screen) until I stuck one on. They suggest a fan too but that wasn't necessary and made a noise so I took it off.

***** boxes.
 
Well I never.

Thanks G2, that's fettled the mystery.

I can't say I'm too enamored with sending the box off for repair. Waiting any longer than 3 minutes is too long.

Is there a replacement set-top box available that you would recommend (that would support our existing card)?

Much obliged, by the way. Thanks a lot.

Nic.
 
I'll have to leave that for others - I'm a Freeview man!

Though I think Sky will just change your card if you change boxes....
 
nic@highgroundd said:
Well I never.

Thanks G2, that's fettled the mystery.

I can't say I'm too enamored with sending the box off for repair. Waiting any longer than 3 minutes is too long.

Is there a replacement set-top box available that you would recommend (that would support our existing card)?

Much obliged, by the way. Thanks a lot.

Nic.
Have a look on ebay you should be able to pick up a cheap 2nd-hand digibox over there, the later Pace boxes are pretty reliable.
 

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