Help/Advice on AV Connections

[Wullie2]

I'm in the process of buying a new widescreen tv to link up to my usual vcr/dvd/digibox set-up and am suffering from some confusion.

My current tv has 2 scart sockets which I have the dvd and digibox linked to - I am pleased with the picture quality from these sources and both the dvd and digibox are set to RGB output. However when searching for a widscreen tv I noticed that most of them only have 1 RGB enables scart socket. I have since found out that my current tv apparently has no RGB scart sockets. I am a bit confused as to why my current set up is working at all never mind quite well (picture quality from the digibox definitely gets worse if I switch output from RGB to PAL).

I have been obsessing about finding a tv with 2 RGB enabled scart sockets. As an alternative would a scart splitter box or an s-video/RCA to scart adapter be acceptable.

Any advice or comments greatly appreciated (and any recommendations on 28" flatscreen widescreen tvs around the 500-600 GBP mark)

Regards

Wullie2

[kcxdev]

Originally posted by Wullie2
I have since found out that my current tv apparently has no RGB scart sockets.

is this from the manual? The most visible difference between RGB and composite is the sky's menu systems (eg, the banner and tv guide etc) is there a massive difference between PAL and RGB? most TV's will have RGB enabled on AV1. What is the dvd output set to? If it is set to RGB and the TV scart is not RGB, you shouldn't get a picture (not a clear one anyway).

[Wullie2]

Originally posted by kcxdev


is this from the manual?

Yup, the manual mentions "normal" and S-Video switching for both tv scarts - bearing in mind that it's a 6yr old 21" JVC I think that it is unlikely to have RGB on 2 out of 2 scarts?

The most visible difference between RGB and composite is the sky's menu systems (eg, the banner and tv guide etc) is there a massive difference between PAL and RGB? most TV's will have RGB enabled on AV1.

Change on Sky menus is noticeable but not "massive?"

What is the dvd output set to? If it is set to RGB and the TV scart is not RGB, you shouldn't get a picture (not a clear one anyway).

dvd out is switchable between RGB and "OFF" (described as composite in the manual) - RGB give good picture, OFF is flamin' awful.


I'm just frustrated that if I can't understand what I've got now then I can't make the best choice for a new TV.

[kcxdev]

I have a sony TV that is 6 yrs old with 2 scarts, AV1 is composite and RGB, and AV2 is composite and S-vid. If you have your dvd as RGB and it works thru AV1, then AV1 should be RGB compatible, if not, you won't get a picture at all :)

[Ridcully]

Out of your stated price range but if you want to og higher (800-900) the Panasonic 28 PG45 and 28 PB50 both have three scarts two of which are RGB.

[sharkey0903]

hows about this:

<a href="http://www.hed.co.uk/showitem.asp?CAT=&PID=1364">28inch JVC</a> Flat screen and only £489.

Superb TV and i do believe it has two RGB scarts, (might be wrong though cant remember if its two RGB and one s-vid scart or otherway round)

[Greenstead]

All modern tellies have at least AV1 able to take RGB and the other AVs take s-video, though as mentioned some tellies now have RGB on more than AV1. AV sockets also take video (i.e. normal, composite - whatever you want to call it) so thats why you might select the wrong output from your device and still see a picture becuase they send video also and it would be a very good picture if your ouput device and telly is of good quality.

People seem a little obsessed with using RGB I think and loop devices and/or use scart splitters etc to get everything into AV1. I insist on using RGB from the DVD to the telly to maintain the qualiity of the DVD. For the rest I would use whatever works and gives a picture you feel happy with.

Sounds like you have been using composite video signal to-date.

As a possibility most DVDs have two scarts which allows RGB pass thro - I guess yours only has one scart.