Cable connections

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 11:30

Hi guys,
I have purchased a lidic to go with my DP Lite. I want to record from my SD Foxtel box.
The manual with the lidic is very very basic but I don'ty think I have the right cables.
I have the lidic connected to the Foxtel STB via the supplied USB cable. I then assume I send the component cable from the lidic box to the Wiz?

Problem: There's no free component cables on my Wiz (I have some going to the stereo)

Do I need to purchase another cable or am I completely off track with my set up?

Thanks

Gully · Post by **Gully** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 11:37

You have it back to front (not that I have one) - the USB is to connect the LiDiC to the Wiz with the component and audio cables connecting the Foxtel box to the LiDiC.

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 12:57

Gully wrote:You have it back to front (not that I have one) - the USB is to connect the LiDiC to the Wiz with the component and audio cables connecting the Foxtel box to the LiDiC.

Ah ok. That's a starting point however my Foxtel box doesn't have component plugs. Might have to venture down to Jaycar for an S Video or something.

Cheers

madmax · Post by **madmax** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 13:11

Disco Stu wrote:Ah ok. That's a starting point however my Foxtel box doesn't have component plugs. Might have to venture down to Jaycar for an S Video or something.

You should be able to get SCART to component, if that is the old box you have.

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 14:36

madmax wrote:
Disco Stu wrote:Ah ok. That's a starting point however my Foxtel box doesn't have component plugs. Might have to venture down to Jaycar for an S Video or something.
You should be able to get SCART to component, if that is the old box you have.

Good thnking. Thanks mate

madmax · Post by **madmax** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 15:24

Disco Stu wrote:Good thnking. Thanks mate

Just a word of warning, IIRC, unlike most cables SCART is directional, meaning a Component to SCART cable won't work when connected 'backwards' - it has to be SCART to Component.

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 16:33

madmax wrote:
Disco Stu wrote:Good thnking. Thanks mate
Just a word of warning, IIRC, unlike most cables SCART is directional, meaning a Component to SCART cable won't work when connected 'backwards' - it has to be SCART to Component.

Cool. Thanks for the heads up.

prl · Post by **prl** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 17:06

Doesn't the LiDiC have composite and S-Video inputs, and not component?

sub3R · Post by **sub3R** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 18:07

prl wrote:Doesn't the LiDiC have composite and S-Video inputs, and not component?

Correct. Looking at the rear of the LiDiC left to right:
AV OUT has left (white) & right (red) channel audio with either composite (yellow) or S-Video (multi pin) video. AV OUT can be used to monitor the input.
AV1 IN has left (white) & right (red) channel audio input with either composite (yellow) or S-Video (multi pin) video input.
AV2 IN has left (white) & right (red) channel audio input with either composite (yellow) or S-Video (multi pin) video input.
USB connects to the recording device for recording video/audio (PC or the wiz).

madmax · Post by **madmax** » Fri Aug 10, 2012 23:39

prl wrote:Doesn't the LiDiC have composite and S-Video inputs, and not component?

That might pose a slight problem.....sorry Stu.

Oh well, at least you've had some education about SCART. But unfortunately, s-video will have to suffice.

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 00:21

sub3R wrote:
prl wrote:Doesn't the LiDiC have composite and S-Video inputs, and not component?
Correct. Looking at the rear of the LiDiC left to right:
AV OUT has left (white) & right (red) channel audio with either composite (yellow) or S-Video (multi pin) video. AV OUT can be used to monitor the input.
AV1 IN has left (white) & right (red) channel audio input with either composite (yellow) or S-Video (multi pin) video input.
AV2 IN has left (white) & right (red) channel audio input with either composite (yellow) or S-Video (multi pin) video input.
USB connects to the recording device for recording video/audio (PC or the wiz).

Mmmm the plot thickens. So is the right cable a SCART to S-Video OR a SCART to Composite you think?

Cheers...

brianh · Post by **brianh** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 09:07

Svideo will give better quality than composite.

prl · Post by **prl** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 11:53

All assuming that the SCART connector on the Foxtel box carries either composite or S-Video as well as component.

madmax · Post by **madmax** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 23:30

prl wrote:All assuming that the SCART connector on the Foxtel box carries either composite or S-Video [snip].

I'm pretty sure it does.

IanB · Post by **IanB** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 08:51

The scart connector shares the scart "RED" pin for the S-Video UV data, so only one mode is available at a time. Configure this under Picture Settings > Video Output.

Also on some boxes setting S-Video disables the 2nd VCR port.

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 09:55

Hi Guys,
I still haven't had any joy getting it going.
I may still have the wrong cable. I purchased from Foxtel a Scart cable that has both S-Video and stereo audio cables.
I've gone through the settings on the Beyonwiz and set up the Lidic which I can see on the screen but no picture or sound comes through.

I've looked through the menus on the Foxtel SD box and can't find anywhere to set up the SCART output so I figue it is enabled.

Have I barked up the wrong tree with the cable you think?

Cheers...Paul

IanB · Post by **IanB** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 16:19

No matter what the Foxtel settings you should get, at the very least, a black and white very grainy picture. You will have to use the TV scart port for S-Video, the VCR port is only ever available as composite or disabled when S-Video is enabled.

So the first thing is to configure the Wiz LiDiC setting to S-Video and PAL.

Look under Setup -> Config -> LiDiC -> Input [12] & Video Type [12] (and of course LiDiC :: Enable).

The LiDiC inputs are on channel 950 and 951 for AV1 and AV2 respectively.

When you get some sort of video and sound then adjust the Foxtel box for correct S-Video output.

Look under Setup -> 4 System Settings -> 1 Picture Settings -> Video Output.

Disco Stu · Post by **Disco Stu** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 00:32

Thanks Ian.
I'm getting closer now.
So now I have the grey grainy picture via the Lidic. I change the Video settings on Foxtel to S-Video and I get a watchable but not great colour picture.
Only problem is then if watching Foxtel through the Foxtel box it's B&W

It seems I can have one or the other but not both.

Any other ideas?

Chers...Paul

IanB · Post by **IanB** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 08:16

Once you go S-Video out with the Foxtel box you only have the 1 TV scart output, i.e. you cannot use the VCR scart port.

So you have to chain your single S-Video output into the LiDiC and then S-Video from the LiDiC into the TV. IIRC AV1 passes through when the LiDiC is turned off.

The quality of the Foxtel picture from the basic boxes is fairly average but the quality should not be effected by the LiDiC in pass through mode and should be hardly noticeably in Beyonwiz time slip mode (a minimal one generational loss).

You will have to evaluate the extra capture quality S-Video gives over Composite versus the TV viewing quality of Component over S-Video over Composite . If you enable Component YUV or Component RGB for the Foxtel TV scart port the VCR scart port will do Composite at the same time.

So your options are :-

Fox TV scart composite -> TV composite input
Fox VCR scart composite -> LiDiC composite -> X

Fox TV scart S-Video -> LiDiC S-Video -> TV S-Video input
Fox VCR scart disabled

Fox TV scart component -> TV component input
Fox VCR scart composite -> LiDiC composite -> X

You should confirm that your Foxtel box actually behaves the same as I have quoted with regards to the VCR port and S-Video as there are many models of box in use. I only have knowledge of the Basic PACE box and the original IQ box also by PACE.

I guess we should have asked for the actual model of Foxtel box you have first up.