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#187573 07/02/09 06:03 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
OK folks,
Here is the scenario:
At home here (out in my workshop, in fact), I have a TV set that is about 5-6 years old, it has a Belling-Lee coaxial connector on the back of it where the usual antenna would be connected.
It also has a SCART socket to the right of the antenna connector, I am loosely assuming that this is an AV input socket.

Now, here is the crux of the problem:
I'm looking at buying a Free-View decoder (for more channels out here and there is no way I'm paying an extra NZ$50 a month for another SkyTV decoder, like is in the house). mad

The decoders I have been looking at do not have coaxial outputs, what they do have however, is either an HDMI socket, a component video output (4 RCA sockets), or an S-Video socket.

There are also 4 RCA connectors for audio, I have no idea if this is a stereo TV, I seriously doubt it, although it does have two speakers.
I bought it 2nd hand about a year ago, just to watch the cricket out here.
It is a 20" Transonic TV, if that means anything to anyone.

Now the real question is, how can I marry (or is that Maori? grin) the two together?

Any ideas, guys?

Last edited by Trumpy; 07/02/09 06:03 AM.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 223
A
Member
The absence of an RF output from digital boxes (and DVD players) is a right pain for those of use with old sets with no AV inputs. Just as annoying are devices that output on UHF when so many old Australian sets only have a VHF tuner. Either you have to use a stand alone RF modulator to convert the baseband audio & video signals to RF, or use a VCR to do the same thing.

Generally you'll find that the four audio RCA sockets are for stereo front and rear channels. The setup menu should allow you to combine the front and rear signals into just a normal stereo signal. In this case you just use the front left and right sockets for your audio source. If you want mono, some units will allow you to set this up, and the signal is then available from the front left audio socket. Otherwise, get or make a Y adaptor to combine the two.

In the array of 4 RCA video sockets, there will be a composite output (yellow socket). This is the one you want. The other three are component signals which are red(Cr),and blue(Cb),colour difference signals and also the luminance signal(Y) which will give you a very good monochrome picture.
S-Video is again a separate luminance and colour arrangement.

The SCART connector is an ideal way to feed the baseband AV into the set; what you get with SCART cables varies; some have just composite video connections, others have the RGB (not the same as colour difference)as well. All SCART cables are/should be stereo sound. Obviously you'll need the SCART to RCA type of cable.

Those $2 shop TV's (we have the Transonics over here too) are generally fake stereo...two speakers but simply connected in parallel to a mono amplifier. When you plug in the SCART cable, just touch the audio input plugs one at a time and see if you get 50c/s hum in one or both speakers; that'll confirm whether it's stereo or not.

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Aussie,
Thanks a million, mate!
You've answered my questions exactly.

I can agree with you about the UHF tuner thing, TV sets here never came out with UHF bands on them until the late 80's- early 90's, up until then, VCR's had an output in the VHF band (usually channel 1 or 2, there was even a switch on the back of them to change the output.)

See this is what annoys me a tad, it seems to me that there is no real backwards compatiblity, if I hadn't have had that SCART connector, the TV would have been useless, for what I wanted to use it for.

It makes me wonder if this isn't an industry push to make a whole heap of TV sets obselete, in one foul swoop.
It will be an interesting time leading up to the shut-down dates for analouge TV, some people are not going to like having to for all practical purposes, junk a perfectly good TV, just because it can't be interfaced with this new technology.

I mean, if you never wanted HDTV, (most pensioners don't either, to just watch the news) why should it be forced upon people?
(Sure, that statement may sound a bit naive, but, if it ain't broke, why fix it?)

I realise that governments have found a cash-cow in selling off parts of the RF spectrum to the highest bidder.
We are about to see how that pans out as well. mad

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,803
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Mike, now all I need is a pair of HD eyes! blink


Wood work but can't!

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