RF help needed

[speaknoevil]

Hi,

Just setting up my first system after receiving my new PJ.

The DVD connects via s-video. No problems here. Very exciting but to achieve true happiness I need to watch my Monty Pyton videos.

VCR (Panasonic, steam powered, circa 1995) has two RF/UHF sockets 1xinput and 1xoutput. It also has two scart sockets (never used) which I also foolishly expected to be 1xinput and 1xoutput. But no. Two inputs (AV1/AV2). My video listens in UHF/SCART terms but will only talk in UHF.

My PJ on the other hand wants nothing to do with UHF. Never even heard of it.

How do I get these boxes to talk to each other?

Maplin do a thing called 'UHF modulator' which takes video signal from a phono plug and converts it into UHF but doesn't do the opposite.

I've tried the on-screen menu on the VCR to see if there is a software option to convert an AV input (SCART) to an output. No sign of this, although it does ask if I want AV2 to be sat/decoder/vcr.

Short of buying a new VCR with component/s-video/video/scart/anything but UHF, can anyone think of an easy solution? To be fair I like my VCR, it does the job, and it seems a shame to retire it on a technicality. Does anyone know of a UHF->video converter?

 

[WeirdFish]

Wow, I shudder to think of what that would look like a big screen

I've never heard of kit having scarts for input only, whats the point of that.

 

[Rojo Habe]

This seems very odd. 1995 wasn't that long ago. I could be wrong, but I think Panasonic were already making Q-link machines by then, for two-way communication between VCR and TV. Even if they weren't, most VCRs had the option to disable the RF output so as not to interfere with cable TV, and SCART was the preferred connection method.

Normally, AV1 would be in/out, and AV2 would be in only. Have you checked to make sure that the SCART lead you're using is all pins wired?

If you really can't get it working, the simplest solution may be a new video. They start at about 40 quid thease days.

 

[Kevo]

Even I remember having Panny vcrs dating back to 93 and they always had two scarts, AV1 and AV2 in/out. Same as they have today. The SVHS ones even had RGB loopthrough in/out!

 

[speaknoevil]

Thanks - this sounds encouraging. There is a switch to disable RF. This is a 3-way thing with 'disable RF', 'test signal' and 'normal' options. I'll try all combinations, both AV1 and AV2 outputs, all software options.

I'm not using a scart to connect to the PJ - I've got a conversion plug which generates R+L audio (red, white) and video (yellow) phono sockets. This gadget certainly works for video input because I use it to record from DV camcorder into AV1 on the VCR down composite video cable attached to the yellow phono socket. Is there a chance that this device could be one-way?

 

[MAW]

YES! It should say on it 'input' or 'output' and unless it's got a switch on it it's on e or the other. This will be your problem, AV1 must be in/out, for TV connection.

 

[Rojo Habe]

Originally posted by speaknoevil
I'm not using a scart to connect to the PJ - I've got a conversion plug which generates R+L audio (red, white) and video (yellow) phono sockets. This gadget certainly works for video input because I use it to record from DV camcorder into AV1 on the VCR down composite video cable attached to the yellow phono socket. Is there a chance that this device could be one-way?

Silly me. I wasn't paying attention. Not too many PJs available with SCART sockets

As Marvin says, you need a SCART to phono that's either switchable, or specifically marked AV out.

 

[speaknoevil]

Fantastic. Thanks++

No switch - must be one way.

To the shops............