Help! Trying to connect DVDR

cuffie

Please help!
Have just bought Sony HXD860S DVD-R HDD. Trying to connect it all up. Have followed instructions and have scart lead from Line 1 on DVD into Line 1 on TV, and Line 3 on DVD into Video/VCR on Sky (havent got sky plus just in case that makes any difference). Went through the "Easy Setup" option (yeah right!), says something like "automatically tuning channels" and has a moving line as if to scan channels, but it stays on "0". We played a DVD and that worked, and did pause-tv and that worked, but when we went through the easy setup something happened and now the picture is black and white (with the odd bit of faded colour here and there). Sound seems to be fine. Not sure what the "RGB" "Video S" "Video" stuff means (it asks us to select one of these). Have tried all 3 and not working properly. Have checked that I havent blown up the tv tubes (!), but the DVD still working in full colour - its just the output tv. What have I done? Any help would be much appreciated on this new years eve!!! Thanks. x

Mercenary

This might help: http://www.dtg.org.uk/consumer/connection_wizard.html

A_Nice_Englishman

'Automatically tuning channels' means it is searching for Tv signals coming from the aerial. Have you plugged the aerial lead in to the DVD recorder?

The black and white picture with sound but no colour could be due to the SCART plugs not connecting properly. Try pulling them out and putting them back in again.

cuffie

This is driving me nuts! Connected as per diagrams...only thing is the aerial thing. There is the sky aerial coming from the wall into the tv, but not sure what to do next - the diagrams show aerial leads going from tv to sky and then sky to dvd..... My manual for the DVDR says "Note - do not connect more than one type of video cord between the recorder and your tv at the same time". Surely if I put a scart lead between Recorder and TV and then the aerial lead (presume this is a standard black lead - pin at one end, hole at the other - sorry if I am sounding thick here!!! Is this an RF lead?)..surely this is "more than one type of video cord"? Thanks for helping. x

A_Nice_Englishman

I think what they mean by 'video cord' is a SCART lead. The 'RF lead' is the lead that goes to the TV aerial (not the Sky dish). It's OK to connect both of those.

cuffie

Did that. Still didn't tune or store any tv channels, but tried to pause live tv and record, which it did, but picture still funny colours!! Don't know why this is. Played a normal DVD and colours were fine. Normal sky tv fine on its own too. Why are colours distorted?
Thanks for all your help. Happy new year!! xx

Mercenary

As you are plugging it into a Sky connection, does that require the setting for Line 3 Input to be set for Line 3 DECODER to be selected as Yes?
Have you been into the SYSTEM MENU/SETUP/Video and tried selecting "Decoder" for Line 3 Input and "Video" for Line 3 Output?

I have an aerial to my freeview box connected by Scart from TV OUT (for the RGB) to Line 1 and RF lead to my Sony HDD DVDR, and it then goes from that by scart (Line 3 out) and RF lead to the TV. My TV has only 1 scart .
Any recording on my HDD has to have L3 selected in the channel list as that is where the signal is coming thru. I have RGB/Video set for Line 3 Input.

Hope this helps? The Sony manual has to be read with a fine toothcomb and you find specific setting info all over the place in it, I'm afraid.

jem16

As this DVDR accepts RGB recording this is the way I would set it up.

Sky TV Out (not VCR out as it doesn't carry the RGB signal) to DVDR Line 3
DVDR Line 1 to TV AV1
RF Aerial lead - you do have an ordinary TV aerial and not just a Sky dish? - to DVDR RF in
DVDR RF out to TV.

In your Sky box make sure you have RGB selected in Picture Settings
In you DVDR go to Scart Settings and choose RGB for Line 1 and Line 3 Input.

To record from Sky you would select Line 3 on the DVDR
To watch Sky you choose AV1 on your TV - should normally do this automatically if your DVDR is switched off. If your DVDR is switched on you need to make sure you are on Line 3 Input so the signal can pass through the DVDR.

As for your black & white picture it's possible you may have Line 1 output set to S-Video. This would normally show a B&W picture on a TV not set up for S-Video.

cuffie

JEM16 - YOU ARE PURE GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!:cool:
What else can I say? My hubby said you have made his New Year (and he used to mock me going on the mse website all the time!!!). Thanks so much. The biggest e-hug ever winging its way to you right now!! He is dancing round the room saying to the kids " it plays in colour.....its recording...its pausing live-tv....!!" oh help....might have to go out shopping!!

Thanks again. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:D

jem16

Great news!

Have you managed to get it to store all the terrestial channels now?

nearlyrich

This made me smile because I have had exactly the same problem, we have the next model up the RDR-HXD1065, the manuals assume that you know exactly what's going on and understand all the different types of connections. We have a Sony TV with Freeview built in and it doesn't even mention that option in the book!

I eventually got my brother to come and sort ours out on Christmas Eve and it's great to be able to record the freeview channels without having the tv switched on.