S-video out on the Sky HD boxes

PanMan

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I currently have a standard def Sky + box connected via RGB scart to my full HD Panny plasma, and connected to a second telly in the bedroom via the s-video ouput, and stereo phono outputs to give best quality on the bedroom telly (20m leads). I have also connected the RF output to a co-ax cable to the bedroom via a splitter in the loft which gives the other TVs Sky, and allows control via 'magic eyes'. My question is this: if I go for Sky HD, do either of the boxes give s-video out, either directly by a s-video port or via scart (and an adaptor). If its via scart, are there 2 ouputs, as I need to feed the DVD recorder RGB scart - the TV will be HDMI. Thanks!
 
If you get one of the newest (smaller) boxes then it does not have Component or S-Video.

The original Thomson had both S-Video and Component.

Not sure about the ones in between - pretty sure they don't have component but not sure about S-Video.

I know because upto last friday I had two Thomson boxes - one was replaced under the 'Sky scheme' to get people onto Anytime+ compatible boxes.

Although Sky offered to replace both, I kept the Thomson upstairs as I use the Sky TV Link and there is a buglet which means that interactive (red button, text) does not work if an HDMI lead is plugged in - so I use component on that one to get round the problem. Sky couldn't confirm whether the buglet exists on the newer boxes so I decided not to take the risk.

The installer said the Thomson would be destryed (recycled) but would not leave it nor was I allowed to buy it.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
The current PVRs have one Scart socket and no S-Video.
The Scart could take a splitter of course, but I don't know whether it would take an S-Video adapter.

My Thomson didn't have a problem with the red button, and I haven't heard of it from anyone else.
You are supposed to let the old PVR go, for this offer, but most installers don't bother with it.
 
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.........there is a buglet which means that interactive (red button, text) does not work if an HDMI lead is plugged in..............

That is news to me............never seen on either of my two, (now in the garage), Thomson boxes.
 
My Thomson didn't have a problem with the red button, and I haven't heard of it from anyone else.

That is news to me............never seen on either of my two, (now in the garage), Thomson boxes.

Perhaps you didn't appreciate what I said. I have (had) two Thomson boxes and I could demonstrate the problem every time on either of them.

So it spell it out. Thomson box connected to TV with HDMI lead. Works fine, including interactive and red button.

But the tomson box is also connected by UHF using a SkyLink box to a TV in the bedroom. Gets great pictures and the remote works fine using Sky Link, but the interactive and red button does not.

Go into the loftroom and switch on the TV upstairs (i.e. get the HDMI output active) and the TV in the bedroom using SkyLink works fine including interactive.

Leave the HDMI plugged into the Sky box but out of the TV. Intercative doesn't work over the SkyLink.

Pull the HDMI lead from the Sky Box, and everyting including interactive works fine over SkyLink.


So guys when you say it works fine on your Thomson boxes, do you mean over UHF\SkyLink whilst an HDMI lead is plugged in ?

Cheers,

Nigel
 
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You've made it clearer now - up to a point.:thumbsup:
By the way we've just had a discussion in another thread about Skylink - the only reference I could find to that was this airport bus service: https://www.eastmidlandsairport.com/Profile/skylink/Register.:D
We settled on TV Link, or "magic eye" for the actual name of the device.
The point of misunderstanding arises when the "loftroom" comes into the equation.
What happens in there?
I wouldn't use the cable system of feeding an external TV, so no, I haven't had experience of this after all.
To be really clear - the extension TV gets the channel by co-ax cable, but if the PVR is connected to the main TV by HDMI the remote control doesn't get back to the PVR the other way - right?
 
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Okay, perhaps I used the wrong name, TV Link is better. The setup is this.

Sky HD box and TV connected using HDMI and in the loft room (2nd floor).

The same Sky HD box is also connected by UHF down to the small TV in the bedroom on 1st floor. A TV Link is connected in series which relays sky remote commands up the UHF to the Sky box.

So I can watch Sky in the loftroom or in the bedroom - obviuosly can't really do it at the same time unless you are happy to watch the same channel.


So in the loft room with HDMI connected TV - everyting, including interactive works fine.

In the bedroom, video and remote commands work fine but interactive does not. Interactive will work under these conditions

(a) HDMI present in the loft room and loftroom TV left on - not very practical
(b) HDMI is removed from the Sky HD end
(c) HDMI is not used, but Component used instead

It used to work but stopped after a major firmware upgrade, think it was the one which introduced the mini preview picture on the EPG.

To be really clear - the extension TV gets the channel by co-ax cable, but if the PVR is connected to the main TV by HDMI the remote control doesn't get back to the PVR the other way - right?

No the commands get back to the Sky HD box fine. I can change channels, look at the planner, record stuff, order movies. But when I hit 'text' or 'interactive' it says 'loading' for a few seconds and then cancels. If the loftroom TV is on when connected to HDMI the bedroom setup functions 100%. It is only if an HDMI is plugged into the HD box and it isn't being used than the problem occurs. Connection by Component and I assume SCART, S-Video and Composite are all fine.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
if I go for Sky HD, do either of the boxes give s-video out, either directly by a s-video port or via scart (and an adaptor). If its via scart, are there 2 ouputs

No.

Both of the current Amstrad boxes (890/895) have only one scart socket. It doesn't (and cannot be configured to) deliver s-video.

What you need is an "RGB to s-video" converter box. Please note not a simple "scart to s-video" adapter. An adapter won't work because there is no s-video signal on any of the pins of the scart socket.

You could do a lot worse that the one I got from js-technology online. They do a box which acts as a splitter, passing through RGB to another scart socket and providing another output with s-video on it (and note that you will also need the £5 "scart to s-video" adapter if you want a mini DIN round connector).





Regards
 
OK Nigel - I get it now - never thought of the PVR being up in the loft.
I got that wrong of course - it's not that the remote control doesn't get back to the PVR - it's that the PVR won't take Text or Interactive commands properly when the HDMI plug is in - and that's a mystery - over to the experts.
 
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There were Samsung HD boxes with S-Video outputs, I know because I have one. 500GB model.
 
I got that wrong of course - it's not that the remote control doesn't get back to the PVR - it's that the PVR won't take Text or Interactive commands properly when the HDMI plug is in - and that's a mystery - over to the experts.

Thanks. It is indeed a mystery but not a problem to me as I have a work around - I use component to connect the TV in the loft and everything works fine. That's why it was important to me to keep hold of the Thomoson.

All I can imagine is that when it sends interactive\text over HDMI it gets some sort of handshake or acknowledgement back from the TV. If it doesn't get it then it aborts. It certainly starts loading text (I get the loading status) but then aborts after a few seconds).

That would explain that without a HDMI lead in it works, and also that when the loft TV is on it works.
 
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That all sounds reasonable, so it's another one to add to the list of things that Sky machines don't like about HDMI.
 
There were Samsung HD boxes with S-Video outputs, I know because I have one. 500GB model.

I thought that all HD boxes had s-video output on a mini-DIN ... up until the new Amstrad models. In fact, didn't all Sky+ boxes have this too ?





Regards
 
I thought that all HD boxes had s-video output on a mini-DIN ... up until the new Amstrad models. In fact, didn't all Sky+ boxes have this too ?





Regards

Correct all Sky+ and HD boxes except the latest Amstrads (DRX 595, 890 and 895)
 
Thanks all for your input so far, so unless I use an HDMI splitter, and then a cat 5e extender (or series link another HDMI splitter), it looks as if I'm looking for a 2nd hand Sky HD box to swap my old Sky+ box with. I think I'll be able to pair my card up with that box to allow me to record the BBC and ITV HD channels, and still use the 20m s-video cable to upstairs.

This all started when I mis-read on the Sky website about being entitled to a free Sky HD box if I signed up to multiroom. It appears that the box is HD, but does not have the hard disc in it, so not a PVR! I still might sign up for multiroom if they will come out to install it, as my quad-LNB outputs are all used, and it might be a cheap way of getting an octo-LNB and a means of watching HD in another room. Does anyone know if they have to pair the multiroom card with the box they bring, or could I put the multiroom card in another old Sky box?
 

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