Video connection between Sky, DVD and TV

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Aloha

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Ultimate Geek

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Topic # 7601 26-Apr-2006 22:01

Okay here we go.

I tried the followings: (the aim to have the better picture)

What I have:
The picture (and sound) goes into Sky decoder in coax. That's obvious.
Then it goes to the TV via quality composite cable (RCA)
And it also goes to the DVD recorder via quality S-video cable and then quality component cable.

When I say quality, I mean Monster Cable.

If I see the TV via the DVD recorder (picture comes via s-video then component) the picture is very colorful
If I see the TV via SKY decoder (picture comes via composite) then the picture is "normal"

So if I set up the picture from the DVD to have normal colors, then the picture from the SKY will be without colors.
If I set up the picture from SKY to a normal way, then the picture from DVD will be very colorful.

Why's that? What should I do?

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 34065 26-Apr-2006 22:40

Don't know if this helps, but I had a similar problem after MySky was installed.

When connecting via S-Video on AV2, my tv user manual (Philips) says to connect to the audio av jacks on AV2, but not to connect anything to the composite video input jack for AV2. There was a 3-wire av cord in use for the audio connections on AV2, and the installer plugged the video in as well. The result was a significantly degraded picture. In my case, it was significantly de-colored through the S-Video link, and the lower right corner of the screen seemed out of focus. Still very watchable, but noticably worse than coming through the DVD recorder. Removing the yellow plug from the video jack fixed it.

Which sounds like kinda the opposite from what you are experiencing.

My setup is just like yours, except my Sky to TV link is S-Video.

Aloha

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Ultimate Geek

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Reply # 34095 27-Apr-2006 08:50

Thanks for that.
I hope Tony Hughes can give me some tips, I've read that he has a similar setup.. :)

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tonyhughes

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Reply # 34102 27-Apr-2006 09:32

Aloha: Thanks for that.
I hope Tony Hughes can give me some tips, I've read that he has a similar setup.. :)

Sorry, after a recent move around, I still havent got things setup nicely, and im using cheap scart and cheap RCA at the mo.

Pioneer VSXD512 AV Reciever
Pioneer DV373 DVD Player
Panasonic DMREH60 200GB DVD HDD Recorder
Sky Digital
PS2
2.4GHZ Video sender (to bedroom)
Ipod Dock
Sanyo 42" Plasma Panel
-----------------------------------
over 50 seperate cables :-( (and obviously each cable has two ends...)
======================

It takes a lot of work to get things set up so its relatively easy to use (for me as well as the non geeks in the house). And to replace all the cables with top quality stuff costs a LOT of money....

Currently not liking the way my DVD recorder interacts with my setup. Need to change that at least.

Sky decoder currently has a scart to scart direct to the panel, and rcax3 to the AV reciever, we normally use the rca connection, because the AV recieverr remote is always handy, whereas I dont normally use the tv one.

I need one of those $500 remotes from harvey normans. Its just too many keypresses to watch a DVD or switch to playstation. No one can work the darn thing without my help.... need a remote with macros for multiple keypresses.

Aloha

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Ultimate Geek

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Reply # 34128 27-Apr-2006 17:07

Ahh, I thought you will give me some advice...

Anyway, why the component is so colourful? It supposed to give the best picture quality, but not, instead it gives me a very colourful picture, even the black colour is full of blue squares... I dont understand...

Anybody else has experienced the same with a component cable?

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

JohnPorter

187 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 34142 27-Apr-2006 19:33

Are they the same flavor of component? 480 vs 720, NTSC, interlaced etc. Or maybe you plugged into RBG instead?

Aloha

676 posts

Ultimate Geek

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Reply # 34480 2-May-2006 00:01

It seems that the s-video connection is the guilty between the Motorola (old) Sky decoder and the DVD recorder.
I used a Scart to S-video converter (from Dicksmith) and an s-video cable (Monster).

It made the picture very colourful and the red colour was not perfect also the black had a lot of noise.

I think my old bloody Motorola SKy decoder just a piece of .....!

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.

manaia

266 posts

Ultimate Geek
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Reply # 34504 2-May-2006 10:31

I had an S-Video chroma level problem switching between two decoders. I'm not sure that it is relevant to your problem, but here goes anyway ...

I had two decoders connected to the TV by a SCART to S-Video cable. One box gave a much higher chroma level than the other so, if I turned up the chroma on my TV to make the 'low' box look good, swapping to the 'high' box gave me the sort of video mess you describe. I spent a lot of time assuming that one box had a faulty S-Video out, until I discovered that I was actually running it set to 'composite' output on the TV SCART. Even with the 'composite' setting I was getting video with some chroma on the S-Video SCART output, so I never though to check it was actually set right.

This would only make sense in your case, I think, if you had wound up the TV chroma a mile to make up for the low chroma signal, and also if you had the same effect viewing DVDs.

manaia

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Reply # 34506 2-May-2006 10:41

Aloha: It seems that the s-video connection is the guilty between the Motorola (old) Sky decoder and the DVD recorder.
I used a Scart to S-video converter (from Dicksmith) and an s-video cable (Monster).
It made the picture very colourful and the red colour was not perfect also the black had a lot of noise.
I think my old bloody Motorola SKy decoder just a piece of .....!

Thought #2 ... you said in your previous posts that you connected "via quality S-video cable and then quality component cable". Are you still using this? Is the converter a 'cable converter' or a 'signal converter' : if the former then you won't get a valid signal from the Motorola box as it cannot output component.

chiefie

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Reply # 34512 2-May-2006 11:47

tonyhughes: I need one of those $500 remotes from harvey normans. Its just too many keypresses to watch a DVD or switch to playstation. No one can work the darn thing without my help.... need a remote with macros for multiple keypresses.

You will need Logitech's Harmony 880/520/Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360. I haven't got it yet, but I'm gonna get it, and have heard great reviews about it and can upgrade/change the macro using the software included. and it is always future proof as you can download new profiles from Logitech's site.

You can get them less than $400 (for Harmony 880) and even less for the 520 and Xbox360.

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Aloha

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Ultimate Geek

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Reply # 34524 2-May-2006 13:21

manaia:
Thought #2 ... you said in your previous posts that you connected "via quality S-video cable and then quality component cable". Are you still using this? Is the converter a 'cable converter' or a 'signal converter' : if the former then you won't get a valid signal from the Motorola box as it cannot output component.

I used a SCART to s-video converter (cable) plugged into Sky decoder. The video signal goes via s-video into DVD, then from DVD via component cable into TV. So the DVD converts the signal form s-video to component, but I didnt find it in the manual if it converts the signal or only forward it to the component ports.

My SCART ports on Sky were set to s-video, not composite, first thing I done when installed the cables.
I read about this chroma issue, no it seems this is the problem. I have to google more to find out.

I is a kollege stoodent. Bee nice.