Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Hi all,

I have an NTL cable box connected to my DVD recorder (Samsung DVD-HR720) via scart. The DVD recorder is then connected to my TV (Samsung LE32R41B) via component. However, when watching NTL television through the DVD recorder box or playing back something recorded from NTL, the picture looks terrible. It looks sort of snowy/fussy, which is especially noticable if I bring up the on-screen menus on the NTL box. However, playback of store purchased DVDs and the DVD recorder's on-screen menu seem to look OK.

If I connect the DVD recorder to the TV via scart or composite, the picture looks OK. Does anyone know what might be causing this problem with component? Perhaps a setting somewhere, or could it be faulty equipment of some sort?

Thanks in advance for any help

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Copy Protection maybe? I'm not sure.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

which model ntl box do you have?

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Well I have exactly the same problem with my Sony DVD Recorder and the 2100 Samsung. Although because the Freeview box I plugged in as well did the same thing, I have a feeling it might be the DVD recorder :(

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Thanks for the responses guys. Its a PACE box (not sure of the model number). If anyone else has a similar setup (NTL box > SCART > DVD Recorder > Component > TV) I would be very interested to hear what sort of picture quality you get. Any more suggestions as to what the problem might be also appreciated :angel:

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

I have my NTL pace box connected via scart to a Panny85 and output by component to a Sagem LCD and the picture is great. If I remember correctly, I`m at work now, in the Panny output settings, in order to use component out, you have to switch off RGB output on the scart. You can`t use both at the same time. Maybe it`s something similar on the Samsung?

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Yes, that is correct. However my recorder is set to component out but I am still getting this problem :( Worth suggesting though, thanks.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

If the picture is noisy then I'd guess the signal is comming via the aerial lead somewhere. The STB does not output component video so, if there is no other connection to your TV, something must be doing a convertion somewhere.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

There are no aerial leads involved. The STB outputs RGB SCART to the DVD recorder, which outputs component to the TV. Are you saying that the conversion from RGB SCART to component via the DVD recorder possibly causes a loss in quality?

I found a post about the same recorder on another forum that sounds similar http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=33515 . Maybe its an issue with this model of recorder?

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Is your Pace STB set to output in RGB or composite? Maybe changing this might help.

Edit: Looks like you are using RGB - have you tried composite?

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

This looks like another clash of cultures.

In Europe we tend to use RGB as the fundamental method of video transmission whilst in America they tend to use component. I could argue that RGB is better but, in practice, there will be little difference. The problem arises when you try to connect equipment designed for different markets. You can get boxes to do the conversion (try Keene Electronics) but this adds expense and degrades picture quality slightly. Far better to ensure the equipment is compatible in the first place.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Yes, I have tried this. I still get the poor picture quality unfortunately.

---------- Post added at 12:34 ---------- Previous post was at 12:09 ----------

I had expected the DVD Recorder to convert from RGB SCART to component at an acceptable quality. This must be possible as Currie has this configuration and no quality issues. In fact I had assumed component would be higher quality as my recorder is capable of progressive scan output (the quality is poor regardless of whether this is enabled or disabled).

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

What format are you using on the component, slysy? Do you have any control over it?

I'm guessing that the DVDR isn't good at de-interlacing.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Sorry, not sure what you mean :dunce: I think that its 50hz and widescreen. I don't think you can toggle between 50/60hz. Was that what you meant?

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Yes, but also whether it's interlaced or progressive, and the number of lines. The SCART input is 50Hz, 576-line interlaced. If the component output is anything else, the DVDR must be doing some conversion.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Well, I gave up on component output for now and connected it the following way: NTL Box > SCART > DVD Recorder > SCART > TV. The picture looked OK until I tried changing the DVD recorder output to "RGB" and then the picture quality went back to being poor, similar to the problem with component out. The strange thing is that again, watching a DVD on it looks great with these settings.

I can only conclude that the DVD recoder is faulty, as if I connect the NTL box directly to the TV I can get a great quality RGB picture :(

---------- Post added at 21:13 ---------- Previous post was at 21:12 ----------

Its 576 lines. Interlaced or progressive is a selectable option, although the PQ is terrible on either setting when watching NTL.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Having re-read your original post slysy, how you wired things up in post #16 is how mine was set-up - but I got the poor quality picture.

I since bought a multi scart adapter so that all my RGB equipment can be set to that, as my older Sony TV doesn't have RGB on all scart sockets.

My Samsung NTL STB is connected via scart from the video out socket to the input on the DVDR. If NTL produced a STB with RGB on the video socket (as the future is not DVDRs and hard disk recorders) this would solve a problem of wiring through DVDRs :)

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Whats to stop you connecting the SCART labelled TV on the NTL box to the recorder, instead of the one labelled video/VCR? Or did I misunderstand you?

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

I'd normally recommend that a DVD recorder be connected to the TV scart of the STB because the other one cannot output RGB.

However, I suspect that the recorder is ignoring the RGB information anyway and just looking at the composite signal. Does the recorder have a menu setting to configure the scart input? Can you set it to RGB? If not then try setting the STB to output composite instead of RGB, it might be better.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

I dont think you can configure the scart input. Setting the STB to composite output still gives a poor quality picture. Clutching at straws here but the scart cable supplied with my NTL box is capable of an RGB signal right?

Really appreciate all the help :)

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

It should be, but just to check connect the STB direct to the AV1 input on your TV. Go into the STB settings and flick between RGB & composite. You should see the picture change.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Because like you I get poor picture quality when I do that. It sort of goes blurred or feathery - I call it extreme RGB lol!

We may end up taking the DVD recorder back because we have had a number of jerky recordings on good discs - but that's another problem entirely :)

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Tried that, I do see a picture change, so I guess thats not the problem.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

It's possible that this issue is being caused by the DVD Recorder having AV.Link capability, which enables it to negotiate it's input video signal format.

Although NTL boxes do not support AV.Link, it could be that for some reason, perhaps spurious noise voltage on SCART AV.Link pin 10, the DVD recorder is defaulting to a different type of video input signal than the one required.

Why not try recording from another SCART source, although not a DVD player, as any CGMS-A signal present will inhibit copying and only serve to confuse matters further!

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

The only other thing that I can try is an xbox 360 connected using a component to SCART adapter. Would this be enough to test with? Whatever the result is it fair to say this looks like a fault with the recorder?

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Have you got a freeview box - you could always try that :)

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Well I tried connecting the 360 to it. The resulting picture was very strange: It was kinda squashed into the top 3/4 of the screen and the bottom quarter was just snow/noise/flickering. I have arranged to return the DVD Recorder to amazon, it is being collected next Tuesday :(

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Do you guys think that it is worth picking up another unit of the same model, or am I likely to get the same problems? I phoned Samsung about it and they said that my unit sounded faulty.

Re: Poor picture quality watching NTL through DVD recorder
 

Sorry for posting several times in a row, but I have found a post about another Samsung DVD Recorder with a similar sounding problem here http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...d.php?t=394410 . Perhaps it would be a good idea to avoid this brand in the future. Can anyone recommend me another entry-level budget DVD Recorder with an HD (80GB+), that has been fairly recently released (preferably in 2006)?

Thanks again for your help.