Sky: Scart to component - quality worse than composite? Why???

Forums › Sky, Neon, Lightbox › Sky: Scart to component - quality worse than composite? Why???

starfish

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#28513 2-Dec-2008 19:39

Hey all,

We have just purchased a series 6 samsung hd lcd. I think we were scammed into buying a scart to component cable as when we set it all up (following the instructions to the letter) the quality is very poor. I would assume (and I'm not a tv techie literate person at all) that the opposite would be the case.

We had the new sky decoder installed today, which did improve the quality a little, but changing the composite cable to the component cable later makes the reception as bad as using rabbit ears.

Also, it is not broadcasting some things in widescreen.

Help! DP is getting highly frustrated and I'm sick of his tanties.

Any suggestions please???

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#181665 2-Dec-2008 20:58

What do you mean by "very poor". What re you comparing it to?

If you are comparing Sky's quality to that of the Freeview|HD channels you will be disappointed as the quality of many of Sky's channels is extremely poor. It's nothing to do with your TV, it's just that if you feed a poor quality picture into a big flatscreen TV it will look bad.

The component cable should be delivering a niticeably better picture quality than the composite cable however. Ensure that all settings for MPEG NR or noise reduction are turned off (or experiment) as these can make a picture look worse.

As for the widescreen issue not all Sky channels are broadcast in 16:9 widescreen, some are still broadcast in 4:3

Dingbatt

6758 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#181666 2-Dec-2008 21:09

I know it may sound a bit Noddy, but can you briefly run down the steps you followed to the letter to set your TV up? I just want to ensure that the TV doesn't have a Composite or Component setting for a particular AV in, and,
That you have set the Sky decoder up correctly, i.e. Component on the TV out socket. The same area in the decoder settings has the TV aspect ratio settings.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

cyril7

9058 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#181704 3-Dec-2008 07:00

Some SCART to component cables have both component and composite outputs available, ensure you only connect the component ones, leave the composite RCA dangling in free air, if you cable is so wired. As said ensure that the SCART to component cable adaptor is plug into the TV SCART not the VCR SCART and in the setup menus set the TV SCART to component and in the TV setup is for 16:9.

Not all channels on Sky are 16:9 and most of those that are (ie Network broadcasters TV1/2/3/Prime etc) will show 4:3 material in pillarbox (ie correct aspect ratio of their original capture).

Check that your TV has all DNI, or other Noise reduction processing either off or on low, if you are offerered a sharpness control turn this down to midway maybe even lower. By going to component you bypass all the historic limitations of PAL, however that PAL process also introduces significant filtering that softens other bad side effects of upscaling and deinterlacing in TVs that dont do such a good job at that, but by inlarge I have noted that component is always a significant improvement. If you the results look as bad as rabbit ears then something sound very much amiss.

Cyril

starfish

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#181841 3-Dec-2008 18:01

Hi guys,
Thanks for all your replies! I will sit down with a coffee later and try and nut out what you've all said! LOL All the acronyms and lingo really confuzzle me, but I'm not too much of a doofus so I should be able to work it out.

Cheers
Bec