Comments on: Making connections

by: Carol

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:37:59 +0000

Well I am just printing your diagrams out and wishing that I had spotted your web page first, yours is the first one that looks anything like similar to the pile I have in my room in front of me. Thanks. Wish me luck, I am going in soon.

Carol

by: ART

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:41:33 +0000

I forgot to say the TV is a BUSH LCD HDTV

by: ART

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:39:11 +0000

how do you connect if your TV has built in freeview( 2scarts & 1aerial in),DVD Recorder( 2 scarts- one labeled VCR-STB & one labelled CONNECT TO TV one RF IN and one RF OUT),and a VCR (2scarts AV1 and AV2/DECODER RF IN & RF OUT). I ask as I can’t record freeview

by: Sally

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:19:58 +0000

Oh joy! Just what I was looking for… Trying to reconnect my TV, DVD, VCR and Freeview box (original Ondigital) - I found that two extra aerial leads were plugged in but with nowhere to go, so to speak. I had also tried a creative variety of scart lead connections (some quite imaginative) as desperation set in. In the forest of wires and cables, nothing made sense any more.
I should mention in my defence that I had originally set everything up and had the wretched things working perfectly last year, but after a house move, I obviously lost the plot… Now, thanks to your blog insights, light begins to dawn, and I shall now return to the fray!
Thank you!

by: Gareth J M Saunders

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:40:24 +0000

I hope that helps. As I think I implied from the article, I’m no expert and primarily put the diagram up so that I could refer to it again without having to find the real thing. If I have time I’ll create a better version of the diagram.

I guess if you have only one SCART socket in the set-top box you’d go:

SCART
set-top box -> video -> TV

RF Co-ax
Aerial -> set-top box -> video -> TV

I think that’s what happens with our wee telly setup. To be honest, I’ve no idea why it needs the co-ax too. Anyone?

by: Allen

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:30:08 +0000

I’ve just printed out your diagrams and propose to try things out tomorrow while I have the house to myself - no interruptions or comments.
If all goes well I will be a happy man.
Problem is my set top box has only one scart, may have to invest £20.00
in a new one.

by: Harry

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 18:04:54 +0000

Those diagrams are very helpful. but its important to know which AV device is in charge at any one time.

As well as picture/sound information, the Scart connector of an AV device has control lines. These lines enable Freeview boxes and other devices to take control of the system.

Control lines tell the TV to switch from its normal analog input (RF co-ax) and get its picture/sound (composite or RGB) from the Freeview box’s Scart, once the Freeview box is switched on.

The Video/CD can be made to take control so that playback overrides off air TV. Some Freeview boxes although on standby (red light) are still providing video for the video recorder to use. The video recorder must be set up with its I/P selected as the AV1 or 2 that the Freeview box is connected to. You can watch analog TV at the same time.

by: Ed

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:36:14 +0000

That second diagram and the instructions came in mighty handy when I was requested to sort out a friend’s TV/Freeview/DVD/video connections — ta very much for sticking this on the web!

by: brian

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 21:28:37 +0000

having just moved house and after carefully labelling every lead and scart only to find when opening the box at the new house that every label had come off , the information given is pure gold. Boring? only if you`e patronising.

by: Alice

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 21:38:14 +0000

Have been footering about trying to find the correct connection order for an analogue TV/Freeview box and DVD/HDD recorder. First try worked, after a fashion, but the Freeview was appallingly slow to respond.

I found your blog helpful, reducing my Scarts from 3 to 2 and increasing the RF cables from 1 to 2. This seemed to eliminate the background audio from TV filtering through to the HDD playback.

The only thing is now the HDD does not automatically switch the TV to EXT1, I have to do that from the remote. The Freeview automatically switches the TV to EXT2.

So while this may be boring for some, I am glad there are folks who take the trouble to share their learning processes with others.