New home setup

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steinlagerpure

11 posts

Geek

#29078 22-Dec-2008 10:23

Hi

Afetr some tech help thanks.

We have just moved into our new home and have the following setup.

Home Theatre Room
Sky Digital (yes I took the plunge and have upgraded from UHF) Model: DS230NNZ
Panosonic Data Projector: Model PT-AX200E
Marantz Reciever: Model SR3001
Panosonic DVD Recorder Model: DMR-ES15

I have Sky to DVD Recorder via a SCART - Composite (RCA) and DVD Recorder to Projector via Component - Component.
Normal Composite (RCA's) from DVD player to Marantz Reciever.

My picture quality on the projector is not bad, but can I get it any sharper? I have pre wire the DVD to Proj with a 10m Componet lead. Thats it. Out of luck now to get any other leads in (HDMI) or S-Video.

I run both DVD movies and sky through AV4.

I do have 2 x SCART at the back of the DVD Recorder: Scart to TV via AV1, and SCART to Dec / Ext.

Should I take SKY Dig Scart to Scart here? and also get a adapter(Scart to Componet - female) for the projector?

Cheers...any help would be appreciated. Please dont get to technical with terminology with me.

Corey

cyril7

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#185672 22-Dec-2008 12:45

Hi, glad you decided on the digital upgrade, hope you are enjoying your new home.

I suggest you attempt to run component from both sources (Sky and DVD) to the PJ, I dont have full details of the AVR, but I understand it has two component inputs and one output, so I suggest that you run the component out of the DVD/DVR and out of the Sky decoder (the TV SCART support component out check under the Scart setup menu) into the two inputs of the AVR and then the AVR feeding onward to the PJ. You can feed composite from the Sky box to DVR for recording. Ensure you have the Sky box set to 16:9 (Sky advanced setup, TV setup menu).

You can either get a SCART to component adaptor such as DSE P6699 or a complete cable with audio such as Jaycar WQ7255 dont worry about the comments about RGB, this cable will do component if selected in the Sky boxs SCART setup menu.

Cyril

stuzzo

534 posts

Ultimate Geek

#185732 22-Dec-2008 20:16

Re the projector, what size screen are you using and how far is the projector from the screen? From 100" on you'll likely start to losing a little focus and sharpness.

steinlagerpure

11 posts

Geek

#185767 23-Dec-2008 07:55

I have a 100" screen but am projecting onto the wall at this stage (smaller than the screen size). I really just want to get my cabling right fro what I have installed.

steinlagerpure

11 posts

Geek

#185769 23-Dec-2008 08:01

Hi Cyril7

I can't run any more cables form either sky or dvd to the pj. No ceiling space to work in. So am limited to just the component cable that I have going to the pj from the DVD Recorder. I was wondering whether going SCART to Composite from SKY to DVD Recorder, then Component to Component from DVD Recorder to PJ will effect my picture quality. If Im only inputing Composite from sky to DVD REc, is that all Im going to get at the pj end even though Im using Component cabling?

cyril7

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#185778 23-Dec-2008 08:27

Hi, yes getting composite from the Sky STB will always limit it to composite even though you latter upcovert to component, once degenerated to composite the issues remain and can never be recovered.

I did not suggest you run another feed, but I think its short sited not having run a HDMI, but anyway thats obviously history.

My suggestion is: DVD/recorder via component to AVR component input1. Sky via SCART/component to AVR component input2, AVR component output to PJ. Sky VCR SCART composite to DVR for recording only.

Cyril

Masterpiece

247 posts

Master Geek

#185846 23-Dec-2008 18:46

Never forget the interconnect hierachy,

HDMI
Component
RGB
S-Video
Composite

Where one could group these like,

1.
First 2 types are known as lossless video, where the signal that is sent is lossless. However the signal is still sub sampled at an earlier stage. The best avaliable for the consumer today, short of professional SDI.
HDMI
YCbCr(digital Component signal)HDCP compliant(mostly)
Component
YPbPr(Analog Component) Can technically send a HD signal and upscaled, but can be disallowed without HDCP handshake. However older DVD players capable of upscaling can do so over component.

2.
RGB
Scart is typically RGB plus composite and sound. Mostly used in EBU countries.
S-Video
Y/C was the first real "better video" transport as it separated the Luminance(Y) and Croma(C), it was conidered a form of component although relative to group 1 is quite lossy.

3.
Composite
CVBS Composite Video Burst Sync, is associated with analog television before mixing with sound(RF) and is part of the legacy video inputs one typically finds on video source/receiving devices.
It is the oldest consumer transport and pretty much the lowest video quality today.

As Cyril suggests once you lower video quality by using lower level interconnects you cannot magically regain the lossed information.
In a nut shell the trick to keeping video quality to an optimum is to use the highest by heirachy interconnects as long as possible between sources and the final display. Anything less will degrade the final result, arguably some less than others, however if you choose to use composite before a component cable you are wasting your money on the component cable.

Older devices mixed with new can be difficult as you are dealing with legacy inputs and outputs, however sticking to the best that device can do by the hierachy will limit the losses. Adding new equipment will quite often include upgrading interconnects to take advantage of any performance gains.

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Me: .....

steinlagerpure

11 posts

Geek

#185850 23-Dec-2008 19:52

I have played around today with the cabling.

Now I have:

Sky Digital to AVR (DSS Component in) via SCART to Component
DVD Recorder to AVR (DVD Component in) via Component to Component
Sky Digital to DVD Recorder via SCART to Composite (for recording only)
AVR (Monitor Component out) to Projector via Component to Component.

I have reconfigured Sky Dig to accept SCART to Component

My projected image is good with close ups" I had it on the Cricket (NZ vs Windies) today, and close ups are good but distant shots seem a bit grainy.

Thanks for the help so far, any way I can better the grainy distant shots?