Connecting TV to DVD via aerial socket?

[Vince Deehan]

Is it possible to get a lead which will link my DVD player to my portable TV using a scart at one end and the aerial socket at the other? I know this is probably not possible, since I saw no such lead when I was looking at the array of scart leads in DIXONS today. I just wanted to find out for definite whether it's possible or not.

There are no other "input" sockets on my portable TV so this is why I'm asking about using the aerial socket.

Many Thanks.

Vince Deehan

[marny]

Many DVD players send their code out in a macro form, so your video will interupt it. Your can get round this by coonecting via a special scart cable available form www.sonel.com (or co.uk?)

[Just]

No, not possible using a SCART socket output from the DVD player to an aerial in socket on the TV. However, the use of a VCR may work (to convert the SCART input to an Aerial type output). If the TV has no other sockets then I am afraid you are snookered. There are probably de-modulators available that could turn a composite signal from the SCART socket into an RF aerial-type input for the TV, but these will be expensive.

[John Jennings]

I tried something similar for a while while I waited for my new telly to arrive.

DVD player with Macrovision disabled (important). Connected to VCR (DVD delivering a compostite PAL signal).

VCR connected to 14"telly with aerial cable. TV tuned to VCR signal.

It kind of worked. No macrovision signal fluctuations but anything on the screen that was very bright turned pure white. Picture was watchable, but looked a little bit odd (for instance if there was light reflecting off someone's forehead onscreen then the bit that was reflecting light turned pure white).

Spoke to a mate of mine who understands such techy stuff and he said old TVs just aren't up to accepting such strong signals through the RF tuner.

All in all, wouldn't recommend it as a long term solution.

John

[Amos]

A 'lead' won't do it. If you really want to turn your beautiful component video + stereo sound into RF, you need a modulator.

A google search on television RF modulator UK gave threedoubleyou (http://www.threedoubleyou.com/rfmodulators.htm) and Henry's radio (http://www.henrys.co.uk/cctv/modula.htm) as possible starting points. Under 50 quid, as far as I can see. I doubt if they have Nicam encoding, so your sound will be mono.

[Phill]

Marny's solutiin is cheap and effective way of doing it. The scart lead from sonel is actually a macrovision stripper. It's not too expensive but you have to plug it in. i've heard that it works a treat. You then just use your VCR as an RF modulator.

Phill

[Amos]

Originally posted by Phill
Marny's solutiin is cheap and effective way of doing it. Phill

... and presupposes the existence of a VCR. :)

[stephen]

If you get hold of a playstation TV modulator you should be able to get it to work if you connect it up correctly.

[John Jennings]

PlayStations use proprietary connectors (ie you wont be able to connect it to a standard DVD player). This won't be a lot of help unless you're planning on watching the DVDs through a PlayStation2 :(

[Bamse]

You could just buy a new TV; I think all of them have scart sockets nowadays.
Why ruin a DVD by trying to watch it through an RF input.
:nuts:

[Vince Deehan]

Many thanks to all the replies. Thanks for taking the time to help.

I should probably have clarified my question:
I already have a TV to watch my DVDs on but was wondering if I could hook up my DVD player to a friend's small portable telly, which only has an aerial socket on it. There was no VCR involved.
From the answers posted it seems that is not possible, if I have understood them correctly - it's all rather more complicated than I'd hoped ! :)
Can I add another complication: I was also wondering if I could hook my DVD player to my portable TV/VCR combo ( not sure exactly what they're called!). From the replies, it seems that this would be a possibility? Again, it only has an aerial input socket.

Vince Deehan

[John Jennings]

Unfortunately not, the VCR will need a scart socket or A/V phono inputs. I think everyone who mentioned the VCR thing assumed your VCR would have a SCART socket, as nearly all VCRs since the mid 1980s have had them as standard.

Even if you could hook them up, the video signal is likely to go through the VCR circuits first, and as such Macrovision would likely ruin the picture :mad:

[Amos]

Vince, the same thing applies - if you want to convert the output from your DVD to RF (which you stuff into the aerial socket), you need a modulator. It looks like you now have two uses for it.

HTH

[stephen]

Originally posted by John Jennings
PlayStations use proprietary connectors (ie you wont be able to connect it to a standard DVD player). This won't be a lot of help unless you're planning on watching the DVDs through a PlayStation2 :(

The playstation one modulator on my friends playstation had a standard phono connector for the video and a standard phono connector for the audio, it also needed a power supply, through a standard jack plug.

[John Jennings]

Originally posted by stephen


The playstation one modulator on my friends playstation had a standard phono connector for the video and a standard phono connector for the audio, it also needed a power supply, through a standard jack plug.

You'll be really lucky to find one of those these days though. Only the very early model PS1s had phono audio/video connectors. The later PS1s only had the Sony A/V Multi-Connector. No PS2s have had phono connectors. As such, I don't think anyone will be manufacturing those anymore. Might be able to find one in a second hand junk shop or something though...

[andymc]

Just got back from HMV on Oxford St, London. In the Playstation 2 accessories bit they had a box made by Blaze(?) for £10. It had a yellow composite video phono and red and white audio phono inputs and an RF aerial output. It was grey and about the size of a audio cassette.

Instructions on the box said connect yout playstation 2 and tune your TV to the RF out and tune your TV to the new channel it generates.

Sounds like what you were after but you might still have problems with Macrovision - worth a look in HMV (or on the net).

AMc

[EDIT - I've been looking on the web (beats working ;-) and I'm not entirely sure the phonos are inputs, drag it out of the box before you buy it to be sure if its got a Playstation connector that isn't pictured then it won't help you.]

[Phill]

Sounds to me as if Andy has your answer. The modulator from HMV coupled with the scart lead from sonel should do the trick.

[John Jennings]

Originally posted by Phill
Sounds to me as if Andy has your answer. The modulator from HMV coupled with the scart lead from sonel should do the trick.

Ermm, how are these going to be connected together?
The VCR/Telly has no SCART. The only SCART is on the DVD player.

So the macrovision-stripping SCART is going to be connected to the output of the DVD player.

Then how do we connect the other end of the SCART to the phono plugs on the phono->RF modulator? Can you get a female SCART to phono A/V adaptor?

Help, my brain hurts.. :confused:

Image quality is going to be very degraded after all of these interconnects surely?

How about a second hand portable telly that has a SCART? Surely you'll be able to pick one up for next to nothing? Almost equivalent to all of the cable costs I'd imagine. And the image quality will be much better. You might even get RGB if you're lucky with the portable..

Eep!

John