Scart specifications - explanation?

My new LCD TV has 2 scart terminals. I am not using either at the moment but will eventually want to use them for
recording and DVD playing. The specifications of these 2 interfaces are slightly different and I am unsure what the
difference is. They are as follows (from the spec in the manual):-

No. 1. SCART (AV input, Y/C input, RGB input, TV output)
No. 2 SCART (AV input/output, Y/C input, RGB input, AV link)

Does the AV input/output refer to the ability of one scart interface to alert the other that it is about to transmit
(i.e. cause a receiver to switch to that input)? If so, No.2. seems to have 2-way capability in this respect but
cannot actually output any form of TV signal? If not so then what is it?

What is "TV output"?

What is AV link?


One other thought. Am I correct in thinking that with freeview boxes there is generally no capability to watch one
program while recording another as in the "good old days" of VCRs.

TIA
Frank

The LCD is a Sharp LC-32GD8E - but I don't think that is relevant unless different manufacturers use different
terminology. (Of course they do I hear you say!).

Ignoring your Scart question (to start with), but to answer the last
question, many hard disk recorders nowadays have twin tuners, so they
act as a set top freeview box, and can also record one channel (from
one tuner) while viewing another (from the other).

However ,it appears your new TV has an integral tuner (ie, it is
digital), so you don't need a set top box, and you could just get a
recorder of some sort and connect it to your output scart (I'm assuming
that it outputs the decoded digital signal). This might be a pain
because the TV would have to be set to whatever you want to record.

However, if you got a recorder with a (single) tuner then it could
merrily record away while you use the tuner in your TV to watch
whatever you like. The only downside is that you have to use two
different programme guide formats, the one from the recorder and the
TV's own.

The two scarts could then potentially be used as inputs from the
recorder and ,say, a DVD player. It all depends on the setup and type
of recording/playing devices you have or want.

I've just got a Sony hard-disk/dvd recorder with a freeview tuner built
in, but as with all current models with DVD recorders, it only has one
tuner, so I'm also using my older Sagem freeview box (with a slightly
neater EPG), in case I want to record and view different channels. My
TV has no tuner. So it's Sony PVR into one TV Scart, Sagem freeview
box into the other. Aerial cable goes into the Sony, out of the Sony
into the Sagem, out of the Sagem into the TV (in case I ever want to
watch analogue TV ever again). Seems to work.

I hope that makes sense. Not sure about the other details of your
Scart Specs but I'm sure someone else will be (and will probably
correct my mistakes ) ).

Tim






Frank Stacey wrote:
My new LCD TV has 2 scart terminals. I am not using either at the moment but will eventually want to use them for
recording and DVD playing. The specifications of these 2 interfaces are slightly different and I am unsure what the
difference is. They are as follows (from the spec in the manual):-

No. 1. SCART (AV input, Y/C input, RGB input, TV output)
No. 2 SCART (AV input/output, Y/C input, RGB input, AV link)

Does the AV input/output refer to the ability of one scart interface to alert the other that it is about to transmit
(i.e. cause a receiver to switch to that input)? If so, No.2. seems to have 2-way capability in this respect but
cannot actually output any form of TV signal? If not so then what is it?

What is "TV output"?

What is AV link?


One other thought. Am I correct in thinking that with freeview boxes there is generally no capability to watch one
program while recording another as in the "good old days" of VCRs.

TIA
Frank

The LCD is a Sharp LC-32GD8E - but I don't think that is relevant unless different manufacturers use different
terminology. (Of course they do I hear you say!).

"Frank Stacey" wrote in message
...
My new LCD TV has 2 scart terminals. I am not using either at the moment
but will eventually want to use them for recording and DVD playing. The
specifications of these 2 interfaces are slightly different and I am
unsure what the difference is. They are as follows (from the spec in the
manual):-

No. 1. SCART (AV input, Y/C input, RGB input, TV output)
No. 2 SCART (AV input/output, Y/C input, RGB input, AV link)

Does the AV input/output refer to the ability of one scart interface to
alert the other that it is about to transmit (i.e. cause a receiver to
switch to that input)? If so, No.2. seems to have 2-way capability in
this respect but cannot actually output any form of TV signal? If not so
then what is it?

What is "TV output"?

What is AV link?


The sockets are virtually the same. The only difference is that the "TV
output" on SCART 1 will give you the output of the TV tuner, whilst the
output on SCART 2 will reflect what is actually on the TV screen at the
time. This is indirectly associated with the fact that SCART 2 is the
Av.link socket - which means that it supports the communication protocol on
pin 10 of SCART which is known in the market as Easylink, SmartLink, QLink,
etc, depending on the brand of TV/recorder that you have. Because the
Av.link protocol supports a feature known as "What You See is What You
Record", the SCART socket has to always output what is shown on the screen
(in case you want to record it). SCART 1 on the other hand is complying
with some ancient European directive that required the TV tuner signal to
always be present on the output of a product's first SCART socket (this was
intended to support external decoders).

So SCART 2 can output the signal from the TV tuner, but only when the TV
tuner is displayed on the screen.

"Dave" wrote in message
news:[email protected]

"Frank Stacey" wrote in message
...
My new LCD TV has 2 scart terminals. I am not using either at the moment
but will eventually want to use them for recording and DVD playing. The
specifications of these 2 interfaces are slightly different and I am
unsure what the difference is. They are as follows (from the spec in the
manual):-

No. 1. SCART (AV input, Y/C input, RGB input, TV output)
No. 2 SCART (AV input/output, Y/C input, RGB input, AV link)

Does the AV input/output refer to the ability of one scart interface to
alert the other that it is about to transmit (i.e. cause a receiver to
switch to that input)? If so, No.2. seems to have 2-way capability in
this respect but cannot actually output any form of TV signal? If not so
then what is it?

What is "TV output"?

What is AV link?


The sockets are virtually the same. The only difference is that the "TV
output" on SCART 1 will give you the output of the TV tuner, whilst the
output on SCART 2 will reflect what is actually on the TV screen at the
time. This is indirectly associated with the fact that SCART 2 is the
Av.link socket - which means that it supports the communication protocol
on pin 10 of SCART which is known in the market as Easylink, SmartLink,
QLink, etc, depending on the brand of TV/recorder that you have. Because
the Av.link protocol supports a feature known as "What You See is What You
Record", the SCART socket has to always output what is shown on the screen
(in case you want to record it). SCART 1 on the other hand is complying
with some ancient European directive that required the TV tuner signal to
always be present on the output of a product's first SCART socket (this
was intended to support external decoders).

So SCART 2 can output the signal from the TV tuner, but only when the TV
tuner is displayed on the screen.


I would add to that a note about terminology,
Y/C input is the same as s-video,
No doubt composite video in/out is available (CVBS) although
its not specifically mentioned
in the spec, or is that what
is meant by AV (sigh)?

--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

In article ,
Frank Stacey wrote:
One other thought. Am I correct in thinking that with freeview boxes
there is generally no capability to watch one program while recording
another as in the "good old days" of VCRs.

A basic FreeView box is just a tuner. A VCR is a tuner and recorder. You
can buy recorders with FreeView tuners - usually hard disc types rather
than tape. Some have twin tuners and allow you to record two programmes at
once - while watching a third. Also to pause a program you're watching
'live' to answer the phone, etc. Brilliant.

--
*Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away! *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.