RGB out from STB

[altis]

Methinks this could all be tied up with Macrovision issues.

Edit

BTW, your set-up sounds much like Peck's. Have you seen this thread?

[Alanmelon]

Hi Jzpop....I've got exactly the same set up as you (minus the VCR), and on my DVD Recorder setup screen under AV2 Settings mine is set as;

AV2 Input: RGB
AV2 Connection: Normal
Ext Link: Ext Link 1

Try checking your settings match these. I had issues initially, but a bit of tinkering sorted that. BTW, you don't really need both SCART outputs from the stb, the recorder has a pass through, so all you need is;

STB (use main SCART)>DVD Recorder>TV

That should give you your RGB signal, and the signal will go through as normal when you switch the recorder off. Also frees up that other output!

Originally Posted by altis

Methinks this could all be tied up with Macrovision issues.

Macrovision is present on the composite connection (which RGB uses for syncs).

[altis]

Originally Posted by Proppinupthebar

Macrovision is present on the composite connection (which RGB uses for syncs).

What I should have said was, I suspect that Macrovision cannot be applied to RGB signals therefore these are not 'allowed' on outputs used for recording.

[jzpop]

Proppinupthebar - many thanks, I will wait for your testing and reply.

Alanmelon - so it should work, then?

For the record, I have tried the AV2 input on the E55 with both RGB and Video (and S-video in desperation!).

With each of the above, I have tried setting as both decoder and normal, and the Ext Link setting as both 1 and 2.

If yours works, then I am even more confident that I have a duff STB.

Thanks again to all for your time and valuable input

Originally Posted by altis

What I should have said was, I suspect that Macrovision cannot be applied to RGB signals therefore these are not 'allowed' on outputs used for recording.

I see what you're saying, Macrovision is applied to the timing and black levels so that recordings cannot be made as the recorders AGC's get messed up. RGB signals contain no timing info and hence aren't protected as such. But all doemestic RGB stuff I've ever seen uses the composite connection for syncs and therefore gets Macrovision protection.
Some monitors use syncs on green or seperate syncs, but I don't know of any kit which provides them, STB's don't.

[Alanmelon]

My set up works perfectly as follows;

Recorder settings as above

RGB Output enabled on stb

SCART 1 from stb to DMRE55>television

SCART 2 > Audio breakout > Home Cinema Amp (but you could use it for whatever)

Have you set AV1 output in the recorder settings to RGB, and the TV aspect to match that of your stb output (16:9), oh not forgetting your TV set up to RGB on the AV input channel from the DVD recorder.

[Tristan]

All STBs are composite only on the VCR scart. I think this is because many videos (like TVs) will automatically switch to an RGB source if one is detected, regardless of the switching signal that is being used. Clearly this isn't good if someone is looking to record from terrestrial. Also, it makes no difference in quality on VCR whether you're recording from RGB or composite -- and I'm sure no-one thought abotu DVD recorders when these STBs were designed....

[jzpop]

Thanks again to you all for your input.

Alanmelon - I have now swapped the outputs from my STB, so that the scart from the VCR socket (on the STB) goes to the TV. My TV clearly signals this as a CVBS (composite video) signal.

The scart output on the STB marked TV now goes to the E55, and on to the TV. Success! I can now record to DVD using an RGB signal

Perhaps I am asking too much here, but I would still like a definitive answer to the question about whether the Pace Di4000-N is designed to give an RGB output from both scarts. Why? Because I quite often like to be watching a DVD, and use the dual-screen or PiP function of the TV to monitor the NTL TV signal. An example might be watching a DVD of last night's football, while seeing if they have kicked off at tonight's game yet (or my wife might want to watch the lottery results live while I keep watching the footie on DVD).

If I see that I want to watch the NTL broadcast, I was hoping to pause the DVD, switch to the scart that goes direct from STB to TV, and keep watching - but at the moment, that picture will only be composite

Perhaps I am wanting too much from NTL.

Of course, none of this was an issue with my cheap supermarket TV and VCR, but after spending £900 for the TV and £220 for the DVD-R, I would like to be able to use them to their full capability.

Just to recap, for anyone else with the same kit who has similar problems, I now have

STB --> TV (composite via TV out from STB)
STB --> E55 --> TV (RGB via VCR out from STB)
VCR --> TV

The AV2/Ext2 setting for the Panasonic DMRE55 is as follows -

Input- RGB
Connection - Decoder (but Normal works equally well)
Ext Link - Ext Link 1 (but Ext Link 2 works equally well)

Tristan - I see your logic, and it makes perfect sense .... but are you speculating, or speaking from certain knowledge? I simply don't know whether the STB should be sending RGB from both scarts, or was designed to send RGB via the VCR, and RGB via the TV. If it is designed to do this, do NTL supply a different model that outputs RGB on both?

If you are right (I have no reason do doubt you, as I don't know the first thing about STBs), I can see this becoming more of an issue as multi-scart TVs and DVD-Rs become more widespread. For instance, I presume I could split the single RGB out from the STB to two separate scarts on the TV (2 of the 4 TV scarts are RGB-enabled) - but one of the reasons for buying this TV was because the number of scarts should reduce or eliminate the need for splitters, with the cost and problems that they can bring.

Thanks once more to you all for your thoughts, suggestions, opinions and most of all, your time.

[jzpop]

Quick correction to my post above (I think I have caused enough confusion already )

STB --> TV (composite via VCR out from STB)
STB --> E55 --> TV (RGB via TV out from STB)
VCR --> TV

I can't seem to see the 'edit' button for my post above.

[jzpop]

Just in case anyone else is wrestling with an NTL STB and a Panasonic DMRE55, I thought that I would share the following information, received from those very nice and helpful tech support people at Panasonic UK ....

"Hi ****, Thanks for your e-mail
Although we do not know the exact detail of your STB, generally they will only output RGB through the 'TV' scart, and composite video via the 'VCR' scart. (this is certainly the case with the Pace NTL cable box I use at home, although the exact model I am not certain of)

If a scart input on a TV is set to RGB mode, but only receives a composite signal via the scart lead, it will still display the composite signal.

I would suggest that your STB is only sending out composite signal via the 'VCR' scart, which would result in the DMRE55 not receiving a picture signal when set to receive RGB.

I would suggest connecting from the TV scart on your STB to AV2 on the DMRE55, then connect from AV1 on the DMRE55 to your RGB enabled scart on your TV. This will allow you to record an RGB signal from the STB, play back DVDs in RGB quality, and when your recorder is in standby mode, will allow the RGB quality cable signals to loop-through your DMRE55 to the TV

The DMR-E55 settings if you follow my previous suggestion should be as follows:

AV2 Input - RGB

AV2 Connection - Normal

Ext Link - Off

If you want to e-mail me a contact number, I would be happy to talk you through in more detail

Regards

***** *****"

I'll just add that my Sky and DTT boxes (I'm not in a ntl cabled area) only output composite on the VCR output.

[bangwell]

You have the same problem as me. You must have the di4001 box, makes screen go blue.

Originally Posted by bangwell

You have the same problem as me. You must have the di4001 box, makes screen go blue.

Same problem as who?
There have been 5 versions of the DI4001 box.

As I've said it doesn't look like any STB's output RGB from their VCR SCART output.