Video / Dvd converter with non-scart tv help please

My_perfect_cousin

Hi. I have a Philips DVDR 3320V video/dvd converter. I'm hoping to convert some old family videos from video to dvd. I've used the machine to do it successfully in the past. However, I was using a tv with a scart back then. My current tv doesn't have a scart connection. 

The back of the video/dvd has S-video out, DVD/VCR out (3 audio outs LR and coax plus Pr Pb and Y), AV in and out Scart AV1 and Scart AV2. 

I've not given up on locating a family tv with a scart, but failing that is there a way to connect a tv or monitor? 

It's just to allow me to check that I'm doing what I want to do whilst copying from video to DVD.

Thanks in advance

MyRealNameToo

Seeing as it's just viewing the process you can buy a convertor composite (the yellow, white, red) to HDMI. If you wanted marginally better viewing experience you would look for a component to HDMI convertor which would use the Pr, Pb, Y, white and red connectors but likely be more expensive and not a vast difference in quality

Undervalued

Or, for c. £20 you can find plenty of reputable make non smart  32 inch TV's for sale s/h on Gumtree or similar which will generally be of a generation that still has a SCART socket. Probably get your money back by re-advertising it or give it to a charity shop when you have finished with it!

A HDMI to SCART converter will cost nearly as much and don't have a great reputation for quality.

My_perfect_cousin

thanks both - good advice. 

MyRealNameToo

Undervalued said:

A HDMI to SCART converter will cost nearly as much and don't have a great reputation for quality.

Think there are two problems...

1) Some people sell nonsense cables, so scart at one end and HDMI at the other but that clearly won't work given one is analogue and one is digital. I think some of these cables have specialist use cases, certainly one I found a use for in the past, but most buying just see the right shaped plug at the end and assume it must work. I suspect others are pure snake oil. 

2) VHS was just below SD quality when it was brand new. Magnetic tapes degrade over time. When people watched them and thought they were good was on 22" TVs with no better reference point. GIGO principle very much applies and putting it into a 65" 4k TV is going to look really bad even if you found such a TV with a SCART connection. Thats nothing to do with the signal conversion but the poor quality source being blown up many times what it was intended for and we now have much higher standards. 

Some convertors can be junk too but home video isnt going to have copy protection so less likely an issue. 


With home movies many can look past the poor image for the memories but those looking at converting old TV recordings or commercial tapes probably isnt worth the while. 

Neil_Jones

MyRealNameToo said:

With home movies many can look past the poor image for the memories but those looking at converting old TV recordings or commercial tapes probably isnt worth the while. 

For commercial stuff (films, TV shows etc) that was released on DVD, its probably going to be quicker, easier and possibly cheaper just to buy the DVD and you'll get a decent copy of the material.  That can be digitised to a file if you wish from there.

For home recorded stuff.. there are companies that will do it but you will pay a premium. Max Spielman for example.