Standard Sky decoder with HDMI

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astrae

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Topic # 96594 31-Jan-2012 21:43

Hi Guys.

I haven't been able to find any info on this.

My dad has an 40" LCD tv which only has one set of rca inputs on it. Currently he has is dvd/HDD recorder plugged in using this.

His UHF aerial is connected to the sky box, Sky box outputting on UHF, Looped to his recorder, then to the TV. The Freeview HD signal is pretty terrible after being looped through everything but this is the only way to be able to record sky on the HDD recorder, watch sky (also poor signal due to uhf output) on the tv and view the FreeviewHD channels.

Do sky do a standard decoder with an HDMI connection so it can be plugged straight to the tv to give a better quality signal?

He doesn't want to upgrade to MySkyHdi as he doesnt want to spend anymore dollars.

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Reply # 575570 31-Jan-2012 21:47

Does the TV have any component AV inputs?
You may be able to get Sky to swap the decoder for one that does component output.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 575571 31-Jan-2012 21:51

Component is your best bet. I'd be surprised if the TV doesn't have component if it has HDMI.

B1GGLZ

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Reply # 575639 1-Feb-2012 08:21

astrae: Hi Guys.

My dad has an 40" LCD tv which only has one set of rca inputs on it. Currently he has is dvd/HDD recorder plugged in using this.

His UHF aerial is connected to the sky box, Sky box outputting on UHF, Looped to his recorder, then to the TV. The Freeview HD signal is pretty terrible after being looped through everything but this is the only way to be able to record sky on the HDD recorder, watch sky (also poor signal due to uhf output) on the tv and view the FreeviewHD channels.

Do sky do a standard decoder with an HDMI connection so it can be plugged straight to the tv to give a better quality signal?

Not quite sure I follow all this.
Why would you plug a UHF antenna into a satellite box?
Why loop the antenna through the DVD recorder which has only an analogue tuner? UHF antenna doesn't give very good reception of VHF channels.
I have a standard Sky box (small silver Pace) which has composite and component out connected to the TV via Scart to component.
With your setup I would plug the UHF antenna direct to the TV.
Then connect composite out from the Sky (AFIK even the old boxes have composite out) to the composite input of the recorder and the component out from the Recorder to the TV.
Trying to watch sky via a UHF output is terrible.
Alternatively ask SKY to swap the box for a new one and connect it via component.
Surely the DVD has component out as well and the TV surely has component input?
My son has a real old standard SKY box and runs the UHF antenna direct to Freeview TV.
Sky runs composite out to DVD Recorder (no component out) and Component DVD Rec to TV. Works great.
Only needs to switch between TV and Component input on TV to watch either Freeview HD or Sky.

Jaxson

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Reply # 575649 1-Feb-2012 08:38

Yeah as above.

The sky box should be capable of simultaneous outputs?

Feed aerial straight to TV.

Feed SKY component signal (if available) to TV.

Feed basic composite AV to recorder input.

astrae

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Reply # 575655 1-Feb-2012 08:43

Jaxson: Yeah as above.

The sky box should be capable of simultaneous outputs?

Feed aerial straight to TV.

Feed SKY component signal (if available) to TV.

Feed basic composite AV to recorder input.

The TV is a 40" Samsung LED LCD. From memory the Composite and Component connection shares the same plug. You plug an adaptor into a socket depending on whether you want composite or component.

So I don't think you can have both. Will check it out next time i'm there

astrae

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Reply # 575657 1-Feb-2012 08:45

B1GGLZ:
astrae: Hi Guys.

My dad has an 40" LCD tv which only has one set of rca inputs on it. Currently he has is dvd/HDD recorder plugged in using this.

His UHF aerial is connected to the sky box, Sky box outputting on UHF, Looped to his recorder, then to the TV. The Freeview HD signal is pretty terrible after being looped through everything but this is the only way to be able to record sky on the HDD recorder, watch sky (also poor signal due to uhf output) on the tv and view the FreeviewHD channels.

Do sky do a standard decoder with an HDMI connection so it can be plugged straight to the tv to give a better quality signal?

Not quite sure I follow all this.
Why would you plug a UHF antenna into a satellite box?
Why loop the antenna through the DVD recorder which has only an analogue tuner? UHF antenna doesn't give very good reception of VHF channels.
I have a standard Sky box (small silver Pace) which has composite and component out connected to the TV via Scart to component.
With your setup I would plug the UHF antenna direct to the TV.
Then connect composite out from the Sky (AFIK even the old boxes have composite out) to the composite input of the recorder and the component out from the Recorder to the TV.
Trying to watch sky via a UHF output is terrible.
Alternatively ask SKY to swap the box for a new one and connect it via component.
Surely the DVD has component out as well and the TV surely has component input?
My son has a real old standard SKY box and runs the UHF antenna direct to Freeview TV.
Sky runs composite out to DVD Recorder (no component out) and Component DVD Rec to TV. Works great.
Only needs to switch between TV and Component input on TV to watch either Freeview HD or Sky.

The only thing with this is you would need the DVD recorder on to view Sky? It is a slighty better option but trying to train two un-technology friendly parents about what needs to be on to do each thing is a nightmere.

astrae

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Reply # 575663 1-Feb-2012 08:49

B1GGLZ:
astrae: Hi Guys.

My dad has an 40" LCD tv which only has one set of rca inputs on it. Currently he has is dvd/HDD recorder plugged in using this.

His UHF aerial is connected to the sky box, Sky box outputting on UHF, Looped to his recorder, then to the TV. The Freeview HD signal is pretty terrible after being looped through everything but this is the only way to be able to record sky on the HDD recorder, watch sky (also poor signal due to uhf output) on the tv and view the FreeviewHD channels.

Do sky do a standard decoder with an HDMI connection so it can be plugged straight to the tv to give a better quality signal?

Not quite sure I follow all this.
Why would you plug a UHF antenna into a satellite box?
....

The antenna is carrying the freeview HD Signal, It passes the Sky box which is outputting on a UHF channel, then into the DVD recorder which can record Sky from the UHF channel, then to the tv to receive sky on a uhf channel and the slowly fading signal of Freeview hd

astrae

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Reply # 575672 1-Feb-2012 09:02

Here is the connection diagram. As you can see on the right you either have composite or component. I didn't notice the 2nd Av input underneath. Will have to look at this.

B1GGLZ

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Reply # 575724 1-Feb-2012 10:09

astrae:

The only thing with this is you would need the DVD recorder on to view Sky? It is a slighty better option but trying to train two un-technology friendly parents about what needs to be on to do each thing is a nightmere.

You need it on to record Sky anyway. As you don't seem to have a Freeview DVD Recorder you also need it on to Record FTA via Sky. I leave mine on all the time and use a Harmony Remote anyway which simpifies things once its programmed.

wellygary

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Reply # 575739 1-Feb-2012 10:28

astrae:
The antenna is carrying the freeview HD Signal, It passes the Sky box which is outputting on a UHF channel, then into the DVD recorder which can record Sky from the UHF channel, then to the tv to receive sky on a uhf channel and the slowly fading signal of Freeview hd

But you said that the DVD recorder is also connected to the TV via RCA leads ( in addition to the aerial output,) - how do they normally watch sky??, the tuned UHF output of the DVD recorder, or via AV1??

Just use the RCA input (or change it to a component input) as the connection between the DVD recorder and the TV and plug the UHF feed directly into the back of the TV,

astrae

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Reply # 575776 1-Feb-2012 11:05

wellygary:
astrae:
The antenna is carrying the freeview HD Signal, It passes the Sky box which is outputting on a UHF channel, then into the DVD recorder which can record Sky from the UHF channel, then to the tv to receive sky on a uhf channel and the slowly fading signal of Freeview hd

But you said that the DVD recorder is also connected to the TV via RCA leads ( in addition to the aerial output,) - how do they normally watch sky??, the tuned UHF output of the DVD recorder, or via AV1??

Just use the RCA input (or change it to a component input) as the connection between the DVD recorder and the TV and plug the UHF feed directly into the back of the TV,

On there old tv, Sky was plugged in via rca to AV1, Dvd plugged into TV via rca AV2. Sky outputting via UHF into DVD recorder for recording. So to watch sky in the past they just turned to AV1.

Jaxson

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Reply # 575784 1-Feb-2012 11:11

astrae:
On there old tv, Sky was plugged in via rca to AV1, Dvd plugged into TV via rca AV2. Sky outputting via UHF into DVD recorder for recording. So to watch sky in the past they just turned to AV1.

New one should be very similar, however:

Sky plugged into TV via rca to AV1
Dvd plugged into TV via rca AV2

Sky outputting via rca into DVD recorder for recording

B1GGLZ

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Reply # 575835 1-Feb-2012 12:48

Jaxson:
astrae:
On there old tv, Sky was plugged in via rca to AV1, Dvd plugged into TV via rca AV2. Sky outputting via UHF into DVD recorder for recording. So to watch sky in the past they just turned to AV1.

New one should be very similar, however:

Sky plugged into TV via rca to AV1
Dvd plugged into TV via rca AV2

Sky outputting via rca into DVD recorder for recording

+1
You shouldn't be using the UHF out from Sky at all. Gives worst possible picture.

JimmyH

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Reply # 576042 1-Feb-2012 19:38

Jaxson:
astrae:
On there old tv, Sky was plugged in via rca to AV1, Dvd plugged into TV via rca AV2. Sky outputting via UHF into DVD recorder for recording. So to watch sky in the past they just turned to AV1.

New one should be very similar, however:

Sky plugged into TV via rca to AV1
Dvd plugged into TV via rca AV2

Sky outputting via rca into DVD recorder for recording

Absolutely!

If it turns out that you can't actually connect both the Sky box and DVD recorder to the TV because of a lack of inputs, then an option is an RCA switch. Dick Smith sell a 4-input one-output manual model for about $40, I recall Jaycar sell a model with a remote control for slightly more.

The UHF connection will give the worst possible picture, and should be avoided if at all possible.

Jaxson

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Reply # 1345789 16-Jul-2015 21:03

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'd like to ask what the state of play is with basic Sky decoders having hdmi out now in 2015?

My inlaws are building a new house and were about to run a reasonable length of component cable. For their situation a single hdmi cable makes more sense, so can I ask if you are able to request a replacement sky decoder from Sky, for one that has hdmi output now?

And if so, is there a cost involved with this?

Thanks in advance,
Jaxson.

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