Recommendations for a new TV please

TomsMom

Another question - sorry .

The Panasonic TV linked to has only one scart socket, as do all of the Panasonics I've checked so far. Our old TV had two.

As there's the DVD recorder and the Sky box to connect I'm obviously one scart socket short.

I had one of those scart splitter things with the old TV (the Wii was also connected) and it seemed to work OK. Is there such a thing as a decent scart splitter or are they generally not a good idea and a separate scart socket needed for both the Sky box and the DVD recorder.

Toxteth_OGrady

Do either of the boxes have HDMI out sockets?

TomsMom

Toxteth_OGrady wrote: »

Do either of the boxes have HDMI out sockets?

I don't know. It'll mean taking them out of the cabinet to have a look so I'll do that tomorrow and come back with the answer.

Embarassingly stupid question now - what would that mean? Would I link the two boxes up via those sockets and then that would enable me to get away with one scart socket on the TV? If so, would linking the two boxes reduce the quality of the pictures? See - I know nothing do I, totally technically challenged . Feel free to put me right .

Toxteth_OGrady

Is your Sky box an HD one? What's the make/model of your DVD recorder? Should be able to search specs online without having to pull the boxes out.

HDMI is the standard combined video/audio connection for digital AV equipment (in the same way Scart was for analogue CRT TVs. HDMI has effectively made Scart redundant in modern flat panel TVs.

rizla01

Does your recorder have two scarts?

I think it'll work ok if you connect sky to recorder and then recorder to TV.

If not then perhaps the recorder (Depending on Model) has composite and if so you could connect recorder via composite, and Sky via scart (Or the other way reound if Sky box has composite.

Composite is three phono sockets coloured Red, White & Yellow (I think).

When TV is on you should be able to select scart or composite depending what you want to view. (Sky or Recorder).

Ultimately, anything connected via HDMI (You WILL have one on back of TV) will give FAR better sound and pic than scart tho Composite is also extremely good.

Hope that hasn't confused you too much.

Just a thought but if you buy one with built in FREESAT (Not freeview) you can lose the sky box and connect directly to the dish for TV programs. (Unless you are under contract to Sky and cannot get out of it or if you subscribe to the films/sports Etc)

TomsMom

Just found the model number of the recorder. It's a Panasonic DMR-XW380 (a very nice upgrade from John Lewis as a replacement when the old one developed a fatal error just out of guarantee, great customer service once they'd been convinced that they should take responsibility as the seller rather than fob me off with saying I should contact Panasonic ).

This is the spec for the DVD recorder.

It says "Terminal - HDMI Output - Yes" and "Video - Scart - Yes" (Doesn't say two scarts).

The Sky box is a very old one, we only took a one year contract when it was about £8 for the cheapest package (so probably about 10 or more years ago) and since then have had the £20 card only for the free channels, so no - don't have the Sky HD box nor any subscription with them.

Just had a thought (it happens occasionally ). Most people have Sky and a DVD recorder or PVR. Panasonic is a good make. If they're only putting one scart socket on their TVs then there's got to be a way of connecting two boxes and everything working hunky dory. I must be stuck in the past, the old TV was 15 years old! Not looked at the spec of any other makes so not sure if one scart socket is the norm now.

On that note I can go to bed now and not have thoughts of scarts, recorders, boxes and TVs going round and round in my head!

I'll check out the Composite thingy tomorrow and probably come back and plague you all again :rotfl: .

Thank you soooooo much.

Toxteth_OGrady

You should be able to Scart yout Sky box to the DVD recorder then HDMI the DVD to the TV. Seemples!

NeverAgain_2

I think one scart socket is the norm for most new TVs, or none at all.

If the TV has composite video - red, white, and yellow, separate sockets - it may come with an adapter lead.

vyle

rizla01 wrote: »

But that
Q-TV2

is about £250???

Wouldn't have called that sound (*) advice!

Oops didn't see the price on the qtv site. Last time I saw one in the flesh it was about £150 and it sounded decent enough. I can't stand the sharp soundbars, though. To me they sound like angry flies by comparison.

OP, when looking for audio equipment, see if you can find anywhere with a listening room (hughes branches usually do) and don't let them demo it with music. So much audio equipment is great for music, but is terrible for TV. You could wind up with something like an Orbitsound bar, where you won't be able to hear anything being said on TV, because it's loses the voice track, and emphasises everything else.

rizla01

No need for the composite.

Do as TOG says.

Also, (Dunno if you did this before) you might (Should) be able to set the Sky remote to turn new TV on & off and control volume with it.

That'll impress the ol'man.:)