Dumb question about Scart leads

I'd recommend using HDMI as you will not be able to view BBC HD, or HD VoD
stuff in all it's glory using just scart.

The Tvdrive does upscale SD channels on HDMI, so you may see some
improvement on the SD channels.

You will most definately see a BIG difference on BBC HD via HDMI.

"Bobby" wrote in message
ps.com...

Max Demian wrote:

I suppose there's a remote possibility it's one of the old 'partly wired'
SCART leads shops used to fob us off with, but they are usually obvious
as a
lot of the pins are missing in the plugs.


Well it is at least 5 years old, but there are no pins missing as far
as I can see. It's a Techmatix lead by the way. Perhaps I'm being over
sensitive about the quality. I knew when I bought it that it wouldn't
be up to CRT quality, and the family seem happy. I just hope that the
HD quality is as good as I expect when it arrives.

The reason I queried the Scart lead is that somebody mentioned it to me
as a possibility, and when I have looked at various web sites, there is
a massive difference in the price of Scart leads. Some are 2.50, whilst
others are gold plated and closer to 100 pounds. Presumably there must
be some difference in quality, or is that just another con?

Also, would I be better using a HDMI lead? I've no experience of these.

I'm happy to spend the money if it significantly improves the quality,
but I don't want to buy an expensive Scart lead and then a HDMI, only
to find that I've gained nothing and it's just down to the way LCDs
are.

Thanks to everybody who has replied so far. I've tried changing to RGB
on the Telewest box, and changing Scart sockets on the TV, but it's
still pretty much the same. However I can't find anywhere I can change
to RGB on the TV.

Thanks again

Colin

The reason I queried the Scart lead is that somebody mentioned it to
me as a possibility, and when I have looked at various web sites,
there is a massive difference in the price of Scart leads. Some are
2.50, whilst others are gold plated and closer to 100 pounds.
Presumably there must be some difference in quality, or is that just
another con?

It is a con! Back to back blind test have shown me this. A friend took his
expensive lead back after I showed him this.

Peter Crosland

"Bobby" wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi,
Sorry if this has been asked before. I've done a bit of searching, but
can't really find the answer I'm looking for. I have Telewest cable and
I've just bought a Samsung 32" LCD HDTV. I've ordered a Telewest
TVDrive box so that I can get a HD signal, but that doesn't arrive
until next week.

I knew before I bought the LCD that the quality may not be as good as
CRT on a normal signal. However, even so, I am a little dispointed in
the quality. It's worse than I expected on a normal signal, yet the
same TV's in the shop seemed ok. I'm using a Scart lead that was with
my old CRT telly, and I'm wondering if that may be part of the reason
for the poor quality. I'm sure that it's just a low standard Scart.

So my question is, would buying a good quality Scart significantly
improve my picture, and if so, what should I be looking for in a Scart?

Thanks for any help, and again, sorry if you're sick of answering this
question,


Don't know if it's relevant but I've recently bought a 40" HDTV with Sky+.
The pictures on all the satellite channels are significantly sharper than
with the old digibox.
The guy who installed it said that he had no idea why that should be, but it
happened on every system he installed.

In message om, Bobby
wrote

Max Demian wrote:

I suppose there's a remote possibility it's one of the old 'partly wired'
SCART leads shops used to fob us off with, but they are usually obvious as a
lot of the pins are missing in the plugs.



The reason I queried the Scart lead is that somebody mentioned it to me
as a possibility, and when I have looked at various web sites, there is
a massive difference in the price of Scart leads. Some are 2.50, whilst
others are gold plated and closer to 100 pounds.

A good quality SCART lead can cost £2 while a poor quality lead can cost
£100. Gold plating adds absolutely nothing apart from the snake oil
effect.

Presumably there must
be some difference in quality, or is that just another con?

Yes but price is not the way to determine if a lead is good or bad. I
have taken apart some £2 leads and found the screening to be substantial
and with more expensive leads have found no individual screening at all.

I've found the flat ribbon cable leads from CPC to give good performance
and they only cost £2.

http://www.amac.f2s.com/scart/

--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

In article om, Bobby
wrote:
The reason I queried the Scart lead is that somebody mentioned it to me
as a possibility, and when I have looked at various web sites, there is
a massive difference in the price of Scart leads. Some are 2.50, whilst
others are gold plated and closer to 100 pounds. Presumably there must
be some difference in quality, or is that just another con?

Yes, there is a difference. The gold plated ones look prettier.

I've only ever bought SCART cables at computer fairs, because that's where
they're cheapest. To be sure of good quality, look for one where the cable
itself is nice and thick, indicating separately screened co-axial cables
for the signal circuits, and ask the vendor if it is fully wired. That's
all that matters, as the electrons that flow along the cable won't know
what fancy name it has or what price you paid for it.

Rod.

In article ,
Max Demian wrote:
I suppose there's a remote possibility it's one of the old 'partly
wired' SCART leads shops used to fob us off with, but they are usually
obvious as a lot of the pins are missing in the plugs.

I've never seen one like that - apart from some of my home made ones.
Conductors within the cable missing, yes. Non screened ordinary multicore
too.

--
*If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.*

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

(Pins missing...)

I've never seen one like that - apart from some of my home made ones.

I have, although not in recent years. They were fairly common at one time.

Thack

"Adrian A" wrote in
om:

I suppose there's a remote possibility it's one of the old 'partly
wired' SCART leads shops used to fob us off with, but they are
usually obvious as a lot of the pins are missing in the plugs.

Not always, I once had a partly wired Scart lead that had all its pins. I
threw it in the bin so I wouldn't use again by mistake.


Funny, that's what I did with mine - and also had a complete scart lead
inspection to make sure

mike

In message , mike
wrote
"Adrian A" wrote in
news:[email protected] com:

I suppose there's a remote possibility it's one of the old 'partly
wired' SCART leads shops used to fob us off with, but they are
usually obvious as a lot of the pins are missing in the plugs.

Not always, I once had a partly wired Scart lead that had all its pins. I
threw it in the bin so I wouldn't use again by mistake.


Funny, that's what I did with mine - and also had a complete scart lead
inspection to make sure


I've just performed an inspection of some of the leads I kept 'just in
case' Some are now in the bin. I took some photos of the good and
bad. The worst ones came with equipment. The better ones were purchased
for between £2 and £5.

See
http://www.amac.f2s.com/scart2/

It should be noted that was no difference in the diameter of the lead
bundles for example 2 and 3. You cannot always tell the quality by just
looking at the packaged lead.
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 11:23:13 GMT, "Gordon Dack"
wrote:

I'd recommend using HDMI as you will not be able to view BBC HD, or HD VoD
stuff in all it's glory using just scart.

The Tvdrive does upscale SD channels on HDMI, so you may see some
improvement on the SD channels.

You will most definately see a BIG difference on BBC HD via HDMI.

And if you ask in "Blueyonder.support.digitaltv" they will arrange for
the engineer to bring an HDMI lead when he comes to instal the
TVdrive.

HTH

Pete.

"Bobby" wrote in message
ups.com...

Max Demian wrote:

I suppose there's a remote possibility it's one of the old 'partly wired'
SCART leads shops used to fob us off with, but they are usually obvious
as a
lot of the pins are missing in the plugs.


Well it is at least 5 years old, but there are no pins missing as far
as I can see. It's a Techmatix lead by the way. Perhaps I'm being over
sensitive about the quality. I knew when I bought it that it wouldn't
be up to CRT quality, and the family seem happy. I just hope that the
HD quality is as good as I expect when it arrives.

The reason I queried the Scart lead is that somebody mentioned it to me
as a possibility, and when I have looked at various web sites, there is
a massive difference in the price of Scart leads. Some are 2.50, whilst
others are gold plated and closer to 100 pounds. Presumably there must
be some difference in quality, or is that just another con?

Also, would I be better using a HDMI lead? I've no experience of these.

I'm happy to spend the money if it significantly improves the quality,
but I don't want to buy an expensive Scart lead and then a HDMI, only
to find that I've gained nothing and it's just down to the way LCDs
are.

Thanks to everybody who has replied so far. I've tried changing to RGB
on the Telewest box, and changing Scart sockets on the TV, but it's
still pretty much the same. However I can't find anywhere I can change
to RGB on the TV.

Thanks again

Colin