Sky and MCE hookup help for a green newbie

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Jeepjockey

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#14911 26-Jul-2007 12:12

Hi all, I've just finished building a new Thermaltake Mozart box and installed Vista Ultimate and a hauppauge WinTV-PVR-500 dual tuner card. I've tried using the coax out of the Sky box into the tuner card but could not get any kind of a clear picture after running a scan.

What is the best way to ouput the sky signal from the sky box to the tuner card? There are 2 x scart ports, 1x svideo and a couple of coax ports on the back of the sky box.

Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
David

PromNZ

154 posts

Master Geek

#79762 26-Jul-2007 12:17

David, I've got the same setup.

I'm running :
input #1 - vhs machine (to dub old movies), component in
input #2 - Sky digital, via Scart to component in. I'm using the Scart simply because that's what was on the Sky digital box anyway.

I made sure the vhs machine was playing something, then went to MCE setup and ran the tuner setup menu. The tuner picked up the vhs machine on input 1 (I ignored the optio about using the remote to control it and just kept clicking on yes on the menu even if it wasn't true). I then tuned tuner #2 to Sky - have plugged my MCE remote blaster cables into the receiver unit, then taped it over the front of the Sky digital IR receiver port, and then when I use my MCE remote it changes channels on Sky.

Jeepjockey

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#79766 26-Jul-2007 12:51

Thanks Kyle. I was just on my way out to Dick Smiths to buy a scart to svideo in the hope that might work when I caught your reply, so you have confimred what I was thinking. My current sky\tv setup is scart to rgb into the tv and unfortunately I don't have rgb inputs on the tuner card so I will need the scart to svideo after all.

What is the signal quality like for you with scart to component?

Thanks again
David

Regs

4066 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Snowflake

#79769 26-Jul-2007 13:05

I think your best bet is the s-video cable as the hauppauge (and most other cards) don't have component/rgb in. The s-video gives you a much better picture (more horiz lines) than plain composite which is also better than using the RF signal.

Does your SKY box have an svideo out port on the back? Some of them do. If not then you can possibly do the SCART to S-VIDEO if the sky box supports it. When i use to have sky I made them change the box to one with an s-video port on the back but I think they are a bit reluctant to do swap-outs these days...

If you need a scart to s-video cable, i might have one at home still that you can borrow and try out before laying down $$ at DSE. I definately have an s-video cable there - give me a txt tonight and remind me. (Sorry - offer only for David as he bought my PVR500 card :)

Regs

Sales Engineer
Snowflake
www.snowflake.com

about.me/nzregs
Twitter: @nzregs

Jeepjockey

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#79771 26-Jul-2007 13:24

Hi Regan, what a surprise seeing you here 8-)

I pretty sure I saw an svideo port on the back of the Sky box so I could try an old svideo cable I've got lying around. Would a scart to svideo give me better signal quality though?

See ya and appreciate the offer
David

Regs

4066 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Snowflake

#79773 26-Jul-2007 13:38

if you have the s-video port then use it. s-video connections tend to degrade if you use crappy cables more so than most other types of signals - theoretically the scart-to-svideo should be the same, but in practise it will depend on the cable you use. Its probably cheaper to get a decent s-video cable than scart/svideo cable.

also, it leaves the scart ports free to hook directly into your screen using component/rgb if you find you absoultely need a few extra lines of resolution on te odd occaision

Sales Engineer
Snowflake
www.snowflake.com

about.me/nzregs
Twitter: @nzregs

MikeE

12 posts

Geek

#80002 27-Jul-2007 15:37

question, I set everything up with composite cables, if I put in S video instead, wil I have to rescan, or will it realise its the same info?

PromNZ

154 posts

Master Geek

#80098 28-Jul-2007 11:21

MikeE: question, I set everything up with composite cables, if I put in S video instead, wil I have to rescan, or will it realise its the same info?

If you're changing the way MCE sees the incoming video, then yes you'll need to set up again the tuner. But it takes about a minute all up so it's no biggie really. Bear in mind, MCE will simply see it as one video source. The fact that, that one video source has many different channels to see MCE doesn't care.