Scart Sockets

[vaderag]

Ok, i have a video player with one scart socket on it, which up until now i have been using as an input for my DVD player as my TV did not have a scart.

The question is, are scart sockets two-way? I ask this, as one of my friends has a video player with a scart out, and it appears that mine is a scart in, as i have been putting my dvd player into it. Now i want a scart out on my video so that i can take sound out and into my new stereo.

Can anyone help me here by telling me if scarts are two way?, and if they arent, how come some video players have scart inputs and others have scart outputs?

[Phill]

Ah, this old chestnut. :D

First point to make is that Scart is a type of connector and socket that can be configured and used in a variety of ways. The second point to remember is that there is more than one signal format commonly in use and they can all be conveyed using a scart cable. So, not all scart sockets are alike.

Three signal formats are
Composite. The oldest of the three, originally used to connect VCRs to TVs. It's better than modulating the signal onto an RF channel.

S-video. The chrominence and luminence are carried seperately. The result is a sharper picture with less colour bleed. The term is often confused with S-VHS, the recording format, understandable so as one of the advantages of S-VHS is that it can output and record and S-video signal, whereas conventional VCRs are limited to composite.

RGB. The red green and blus signals are carried seperately. Most DVD owners say that this is the best way although there is some debate on the issue.

but I digress

Scart leads are commonly used in the following configurations.

2-way composite connection.
2-way s-video connection.
1-way RGB
1-way s-video (usually on DVD players and some digital cable boxes)

So, your scart socket on your VCR is more likely than not 2-way.
Hope that wasn't too confusing
Phill

[vaderag]

Thanks alot