Help needed connecting entertainment hardware, through scart.

[Donkey Dave]

Trying to link up my Toshiba LCD TV, DVD player, DVD Recorder and NTL Box together. I usually have no problem doing this, but after 6hrs of trying, i feel suicidal!!
Here goes:

Toshiba LCD TV - 2 Scart sockets
Pioneer DVD Player - 1 Scart socket
NTL Box - 2 Scart sockets (VCR & TV)
Liteon DVD Recorder - 2 Scart sockets (Scart In & Out)

Would ideally like the two DVD players to go through the same channel.
Obviously need the DVD recorder to pick up the NTL box for recording.
Got Scart boxes if needed, one is powered from the mains.
Nearly got it going but some appliances interfere with the other, when switched on.
Had no problems with old TV. Also got a video sender, if that could be connected as well.

Thanks In Advance.

[bradavon]

Do either DVD Recorder or DVD Player have Component, HDMI or DVI outputs? I'd be surprised if neither had Component, and again the TV didn't have Component? Scart should be secondary to the above options.

If not, okay:

Firstly ask yourself do you want to:

* Watch DVDs in Composite/record NTL in Composite/watch NTL in RGB (on TV)
* Watch DVDs in RGB/record NTL in RGB/watch NTL in Composite (on TV)

Not being a fan of Scart boxes you can't have both.

RGB NTL Recording/RGB DVD Playing:

DVD Player into LCD TV into AV1 on TV (RGB) - Direct connection
NTL Box TV connection (RGB) into DVD Recorder via AV1 DVDr Scart
NTL box to LCD TV into AV2 on TV (Composite)

RGB NTL Watching/Composite DVD playing:

DVD Player into LCD TV into AV2 on TV (Composite) - Direct connection
NTL Box VCR connection (Composite) into DVD Recorder via AV1/AV2 DVDr Scart (AV1 or AV2 both will give Composite)
NTL box to LCD TV into AV1 on TV (RGB)

In both scenarios you're only using looping through the DVD Recorder via the NTL box.

To confuse you further:

RGB NTL Recording/RGB DVD Playing:

DVD Player into LCD TV into AV1 on TV (RGB) - Direct connection
NTL Box TV connection (RGB) into DVD Recorder via AV1 DVDr Scart
DVD Recorder via AV1/AV2 DVDr Scart to LCD TV into AV2 on TV (Composite)

RGB NTL Watching/Composite DVD Playing:

DVD Player into LCD TV into AV2 on TV (Composite) - Direct connection
NTL Box TV connection (RGB) into DVD Recorder via AV1 DVDr Scart
DVD Recorder via AV1/AV2 DVDr Scart to LCD TV into AV1 on TV (RGB)

In both scenarios you're only using looping through the NTL box via the DVD Recorder.

It all depends what you want in RGB the most?

Which is why things are much easier if your DVD Player or DVD Recorder have Component. As you could then plug one of those into the TV via Component and therefore freeing up the one RGB Scart TV connection. Which you could then use for the other DVD Player/Recorder OR NTL box, one would still have to be Composite of course.

You've managed to completely confuse me :D , what I've suggested should work. It's one of the reasons I don't use Scart anymore, except my Freeview STB.

Personally I have Hard Disk/DVD Recorder to TV via Component, DVD Player to TV via HDMI and Freeview box to TV via RGB Scart. IHTH.

[Donkey Dave]

How do HDMI leads connect? Do you buy them as one end scart/composite and other end obviously HDMI?
Do you lose quality connecting DVD via component, instaed of Scart?
to connect to TV via Componenet, is that lead Scart one end and red/yellow/white AV sockets the other end?
Thanks for your help.

[bradavon]

No HDMI is a completely different type of connection to Scart. You can get:

HDMI to HDMI
HDMI to DVI
DVI to DVI

HDMI and DVI are interchangeable but as DVI doesn't support audio you'd lose the audio if DVI is at one end.

The same goes for DVI and Component, I "think" you can get Component to Scart but there is little point as it will be Scart quality and you'll lose the audio.

Only HDMI and Scart also offer audio, hence why you also for the rest use the red/white stereo phono cables, OR into a 5.1 of course.

Do you lose quality connecting DVD via component, instaed of Scart?
It's the other way around.

Component is a much better connection to Scart, offering Progressive Scan (over Scarts interlaced only, which Component also offers) for starters AND as I said it frees up that all important RGB Scat port.

It goes:

HDMI
DVI - Same PQ to HDMI but no Audio
Component - Same PQ to HDMI & DVI but no Audio and an analogue connection
Scart (if in RGB)
S-Video or Scart (in S-Video mode)
Composite (yellow leads) or Scart (in Composite mode)

Scart should only be used really if A: It's the best you have, B: it's better than S-Video or Composite.

is that lead Scart one end and red/yellow/white AV sockets the other end?
No that would be Scart to Composite (Yellow) + Red/White audio. For Component you have Red-Green-Blue phono cables (they look the same but are otherwise very different) PLUS red/white phonos for audio.

Scart and HDMI are the only cable types where you only have one cable (video + audio). It's not a big deal as you're only plugging one extra cable in and the quality is much better.

Do not mix Composite (awful, which is what VCRs use) with Component (HD Compatible, Progressive and really only bettered by HDMI as HDMI is a pure digital connection) up. The cables are both of the phono type but otherwise very different.

Oh and HDMI/DVI are the only two which are pure digital, technically the actual Component connection is analogue (like Scart). In reality this doesn't mean much though so don't let it concern you. But of course if you have a choice choose HDMI/DVI over Component.

I mentioned Component as it's more likely you'll have that over HDMI or DVI on your TV but look at the back (and in the manual). HDMI and/or DVI is more common nowadays on LCDs but wasn't always and it's very uncommon on DVD or Hard Disk Recorders.

Component are known for being one of the first to start putting Component on their LCDs and Component on Recorders is fairly common place nowadays.

You'll need Component, HDMI or DVI at both ends but as I said they're not interchangeable (except for a HDMI to DVI or DVI to HDMI of course).

See pictures of each here:

HDMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Definition_Multimedia_Interface
DVI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvi
Component: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video
Scart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scart
S-Video: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video
Composite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_video

Remember for all bar Scart and HDMI you use the same red/white phonos for Stereo Audio (or something else like Optical/Coaxial for 5.1 into a separate amp).

In short if possible use: HDMI, DVI, Component before Scart (in that order). Component cables can be bought for under a tenner and HDMI or DVI cables are about a tenner.

IHTH and I've not confused you.

[Donkey Dave]

Excellent bradavon. I really appreciate your advice.
Before your last reply, I decided to pop to Lidl, as they were doing some offers on leads.
I got two packs of Component Cable, 3RCA Male to 3RCA Male, 24 karat gold plated for £3-99 each.
Got a HDMI cable, although I cant use this, because it has HDMI fittings at either end, and I have only have a HDMI connector on my TV, but it will come in useful for the future, that cost £5.
I also got a silver plated scart lead, also £3-99.
Gonna connect it up tomorrow now.
I did not realise that connection through Component Cable is better than using Scart.
Again, thankyou so much for that info, and I will let you know tomorrow how i got on.
Just one other thing though, when I connect the DVD recorder through the Component Cable, will the TV automatically change channel to the DVD
channel?
Just read your previous post again, sorry to sound thick, but if I connect my DVD recorder to the TV, via the red/green/blue component lead, I will not receive sound? What do I need to add to get the sound? Red & white Audio leads? Should I send back these 3RCA Male to 3RCA Male, component leads?
The following Hardware has the following connections on the back:

Toshiba 32"WLT66 TV - 2 x Scart, Component inc Red & white audio, 2xHDMI Input( I have no other hardware to plug this lead into). AN RGB PC Socket, and Monitor fittings (Video, L/Mono R/Mono)

Pioneer DVD Player Model No. DVD-350. 1xScart, Audio L/R( red + white sockets ), Video Out (yellow socket)

Liteon DVD Recorder Model No: LVW 5005. Component ( Red, Green, Blue ) AV output ( Red and White), Video Out ( White)
Does the AV output need to be connected to the TV to receive sound?

NTL Pace Box. 2xScart & 1X RS232DCE

Leads available, loads of scart, 2 scart boxes, 2 component leads, audio red/white leads, somewhere I believe, and HDMI, although I have nothing to connect this to, from the TV.

Apart from the TV, the only hardware I believe I have from the information above, that supports Component, is the Liteon DVD Recorder.
So I guess its best to connect that to the TV via component. How should I connect the rest?
Thankyou.