No HDMI socket do I need it ?

[clueless Graham]

Hi all

First time on here so if I have put this in the wrong place please feel free to move it and I will give myself a slap on the wrist

I am going to get (hopefully) the V+ package, I presently have Telewest cable TV and broadband and wanted to upgrade to this nice High Def telly picture, but my LG HD ready ? TV which is only a year old doesn't have a HDMI socket.

Can anybody tell me if there is any type of adaptor or a work around that will let me get V+

I have phoned Virgin Media who (depending on which one of the 6 people I was transferred too) say I can't get it if I don't have the HDMI socket while another person says that if my TV is HD ready I won't have a problem.

Can anybody tell me how to get HD TV.

Thanks
Graham

[Quam256]

Welcome to the Forum.
What type of connections do you have on your TV. ?

[kwisatz]

If you have a DVI socket on the TV, which is the same kind of connection you'd see on a flatscreen PC monitor you can either get a cable that is HDMI male at one end and DVI male at the other, or ask Virgin installer to bring a HDMI cable and then attach an HDMI female to DVI male adaptor to it. you can get both of these sorts of things from ebay much cheaper than in Dixons (like 3.99 compared to 19.99)
However:
1. This will carry picture only no sound so you'll need to run phono cables from the red and white sockets at the back of the V+ to the TV, presuming you have audio sockets on the TV.
2. This will only work if your TV is "HDTV Ready" and thus HDCP compliant. HDCP is a copy protection signal that is transmitted over HDMI that needs to be decoded at the TV end.

Alternative A: If your TV is not HDCP compliant but does have component inputs (3 red green and blue phono sockets) then you can connect the V+ via component, which is analog and does not carry HDCP. This has the problem that some sports and movies content will not be allowed over component (by Virgin)

Alternative B: If your TV is not HDCP compliant and does NOT have component inputs but does have a VGA socket (like an older PC monitor) then you can connect the V+ via component -> convertor box -> VGA socket on TV.
The component to VGA convertor box is c. £40 @ www.mysimplemedia.com. You will also need component and VGA cables.

Alternative C: V+ will work via SCART perfectly well as a PVR.

[clueless Graham]

Thanks for that info.

The TV (LG RZ-32LZ55) has 2x Scart, DVI input(RGB input), RS-232C Jack, Component input and audio sockets.

So if I follow this correctly the best way is to get either a get a cable that is HDMI male at one end and DVI male at the other or use an adaptor, and for my sound I will just run that in to the home cinema system ?

Thanks once again for your patience and help
Graham

[kwisatz]

This seems to be a genuine HD Ready TV with HDCP compliance on the DVI port so, yes, the HDMI->DVI cable or adaptor method should work; along with running the audio from the V+ to your speakers.

[clueless Graham]

Thanks kwisatz

[Quam256]

Originally Posted by clueless Graham

Thanks kwisatz

And from what I have seen,the LG has very nice picture quality in HD.
You will have to tell us how you get on .

[clueless Graham]

Yes I will let you know how it looks, it will be a few weeks yet as I am waiting on new central heating, a kichen and bathroom being installed.

This brings me on to another question.
I have cable broadband at the moment, but having read through some of the various post on here am I right in thinking that this changes in some way when I get V+ ?

I am moving my pc to a different room and I was just going to re route the cable to the new location. Will I be Ok moving the cable or is it a different style of cable or is it a different method of connection altogether.

You can see why I have called myself Clueless Graham

[joglynne]

Your broadband will not be able to pass through your V+ cable box.

When I booked the date to have V+ installed the person on the service desk who took my order for V+ arranged for an engineer to come the day before to install a router at the junction where it had previously entered my old cable box. She gave me the option of sending the router through the post but as the engineer was free of charge I opted for ntl to do it. There was no alteration to the cabling at all.

My broadband connection seems faster (maybe wishful thinking) and I no longer have the the problems with connection- no more running downstairs to unplug etc.

Jo

add. according to the sevice desk staff, in the manchester region the engineers who install V+ do not do broadband

[joglynne]

RE my above answer. Having another senior moment. Where I mentioned a router I should of course have said modem.

jo

[djchapple]

Please don't mention senior moments - it just brings back many memories of things I have forgotten. It's strange but often I can remember that I have forgotten something but not what I have actually forgotten.

Ah I remember there is a point to all this rambling.

Where can I find a site listing all HD ready TVs?

[joglynne]

HI djchapple,

Have been unsuccessfully searching for a similar sites for a couple of days.

All I seem to find are sites that basically compare prices. I now regret having cancelled my membership of Which? last year.

Which? has a 30 day trial membership at..... https://www.which.co.uk/index.jsp.... that I'll use if nobody else comes up with an alternative.

Jo