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Connecting it all up

Why are there so many sorts of connecting cables? Find out with this quick guide.

Why are there so many sorts of connecting cables?  Find out wit
published on UK Free TV

Why are there so many sorts of connecting cables? Find out with this quick guide.

The connectors on each cable are called plugs (and are also called male) and they will usually fit only into one sort of socket (or female connector).

Most cables you will come across are male to male. Occasionally you will find leads with a socket on one end and a plug on the other, and these are called "extension cables".

SCART



The SCART cable is used to connect a set-top box to a television set, or to a video recorder. This can only be a short cable. The SCART cable carries all of these types of signal:

  • analogue stereo sound
  • a single RGB television picture
  • a single composite video picture
  • a single S-Video video picture
  • widescreen picture signal


As stereo sound, RGB picture and widescreen signal is the best possible combination for digital television viewing, it is vital to use a SCART lead between any set-top box and the main television.

The composite video picture with stereo sound is the best combination for a VHS video recorder. If your set-top box has two SCART sockets, it is likely that the one marked TV will carry RGB picture information and the other will not.

If your television has more than one SCART input, you may need to choose a special one (marked RGB) if you want to use RGB from the SCART cable.

On most set-top boxes it is possible to turn the RGB output on and off. This can be used to test the RGB input function on the television ? the picture quality appears blurred when it is disabled.

If have a DVD player, rather than a VHS recorder, you can attach this to the set-top boxes second SCART connector. The signal from the set-top box will normally be overridden by the DVD player when it is on, usually in high-quality RGB.

Some very cheap SCART cables do not have all the pins connected. They may not provide RGB and widescreen picture signals. SCART cables are normally no more than three metres in length.

UHF lead



The UHF lead is a lead that you would traditionally associate with television signals. They can carry:

  • up to 45 (but normally only five) analogue television channels
  • a single picture from a set-top box
  • around 50 analogue cable TV channels
  • mono sound
  • NICAM stereo sound
  • Teletext services (for example, Ceefax)


You can't avoid these cables if you are going to use Freeview, as these cables are the only ones that you can use to distribute Freeview signals around the house.

Where you have an integrated digital television (an idTV) you just need to get the signal from the aerial to the television with one of these cables.

If you are using a Freeview set-top box, you will need to get the signal from the aerial to the set-top box using this aerial lead, but for best results connect the TV to the box with a SCART cable.

You can also use a UHF lead to connect a set-top box to a television somewhere in the house. Your set-top box will require a RF (radio frequency) modulator. Note that "RF passthough" is another way of saying there is no modulator. You will be able to "tune" the second television into the picture showing on the set-top box.

Some boxes (all Sky boxes) have the ability to connect a remote control receiver to the second TV end of the interconnecting cable, so you can change channels.

The set-top boxes, whilst providing a reasonable quality picture to the second TV, will always provide only mono sound via a UHF lead.

The step-change in picture quality obtained by switching to RGB on a SCART is far greater than any obtained though spending any more on a gold-plated SCART cable.

Satellite or cable TV cable



These cables are usually very stiff, and have a very basic screw connector on the end. Usually they will provide an unbroken link to the satellite dish. At the dish end they plug into the device on the end of the arm, the LNB.

Don't try to disconnect these cables when the set-top box is on. Usually there is a small voltage that will cause dangerous sparks.

If the cable connects to a satellite dish, there is not much you can do with the cable. Each receiver in the set-top box needs it's own wire to the LNB. With a personal video recorder (such as Sky+), or a multi-room installations there are two cables to the four-output LNB on the dish. If you want more rooms, each will require it's own cable.

If the cable is providing cable TV, then it is possible to use inexpensive "Y connectors" to link the incoming signal to various set-top boxes, cable modems, or - via an adaptor - directly to the back of a TV.

Composite video cable



This is the most simple and basic video connection you can get. It carries:

  • a single picture from a set-top box


The picture will be in colour, and of comparable quality to a analogue broadcast station. However, there is no sound. For that reason this cable is often found joined to a stereo audio cable.

These signals are quite robust and can be carried for many metres. Often modern television sets have a single yellow photo input on their front input panel.

You also use an identical cable to carry digital stereo (SPDIF) sound.

Stereo audio cable





These cables carry the left and right channels of sound on two joined cables. They are usually required when a SCART cable is not being used, as the SCART cable already carries stereo sound.

If you are connecting your set-top box to an external stereo system, a separate stereo audio is used.

There is no real practicable limit to the length of these cables, but excessive length will degrade the quality of the signal.

S-video cable



The S-video standard is not well supported by most UK digital TV boxes, and very few have a S-video socket. If you need one for a particular analogue camcorder, use it, but avoid S-video with digital television. If you are using what appears to be a monochrome picture from a SCART lead, it will certainly by an incomplete S-Video signal and you should change to the RGB input.

VGA cable



This is the cable you will use to connect a computer to a old style monitor, and some modern LCD screen too. Most modern LCD TVs will have a VGA input too.

If you want to connect a set-top box to a LCD monitor, you can buy a conversion box from around 60. However this will not result in a better picture than using an existing SCART socket if there is one.

The only way to get higher than normal television resolution is to use a VGA in conjunction with a personal computer or modern games console.

DVI cable



If you want to get the very best out of a television or monitor use a digital video interconnect (DVI) cable.

This will be the only way for most televisions and monitors to receive high-definition pictures from a computer, and some set-top boxes.

If you can use either a VGA cable or a DVI cable, choose the DVI option.

HDMI cable



If you want to get the very best out of a television use a HDMI cable.

This will be the only way for most televisions to receive high-definition pictures from set-top boxes.

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Comments
Saturday, 26 March 2011
LutonFan
sentiment_satisfiedGold

3:01 PM

barjacks- Use a second HDMI lead and use that to connect your DVD to the TV. Insert a scart lead into the output socket of your video; the other end into the TV.

link to this comment
LutonFan's 382 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
C
caz
11:04 AM

I'm trying to record some old videos to dvd's, I heard you can use just a scart to do this.(and obviously a dvd recorder nd video!) can someone please tell me which order i have to connect the scarts? in basic terms please cos I'm a bit dense when it comes to things like this! thanks :-).

link to this comment
caz's 1 post GB flag
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
I
ian, notts
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

11:17 PM

caz, yes to the scart question but to be fair the quality would probably be poor, if the videos are favorite films then dvd's rereleased will be better quality, and cheap, if not, you WILL know a friend with a dvd/video combi where the process is much easier. hope this helps

link to this comment
ian, notts's 253 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
S
Sari - London
3:27 PM

Hi All,
I am stuck with my V Box HD set top. My old television died (SCART connection) and left me with the temporary solution to connect the box to my laptop (HP HDX16 Win7, incl. tv tuner card) via HDMI. Virgin changed the settings from SCART to HDMI within the box (I was told on the phone), BUT I have still had not luck in seeing the cable television on the laptop. Any advice?
Much obliged for your assistance?

link to this comment
Sari - London's 1 post GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

5:06 PM

Sari - London: You can't use HDMI like that, the connection on your laptop will be an output.

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Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Rickety
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

12:27 PM

I want to record from my Panasonic TV which has Freesat built-in.
The TV has a record facility but I can't seem to get it to work with my VCR (via Scart lead) and it is no good for HD.
I have two feed leads from my Satellite dish: one for the TV and one for an old Sky Box. What's the best option - A. to get a HD DVD recorder or B. get a Foxsat PVR? I plan to connect with an HDMI lead to the TV and presume either would work 'straight from the box' or maybe not?

link to this comment
Rickety's 22 posts GB flag
C
Chris
4:52 PM

Rickety, when you say record from your TV do you mean you want your recorder to record a signal fed from the TV tuner ? You mention the recorder as being VCR. Is it a Panasonic VCR with Viera link ? If not I doubt you will be able to record as I believe it is Viera that enables the "output" of the signal to the recording device.

So if you want to record Freesat programmes yoiu probably need an external recorder.

There is one other option which is to buy an "external USB drive" such as a Seagate Freeagent GoFlex 250gb drive from Maplin £35. Check your TV manual to see if it has USB ports. If so then you can record to this device. HOWEVER, you can't watch a different channel at the same time. (50,1.37) 

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Chris's 13 posts GB flag
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Rickety
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

8:33 AM

Thanks for that, Chris. Yes, the VCR is a Panasonic with Q-link and the TV, also Pansonic, has a Viera link so when you select a programme on the TV you have the option to View or Record.
There are several pages in the manual as to how to do it so will have to try again. My other unasked question was with regard to a Foxsat PVR: I have 2 satellite leads so if I want to record 2 programmes do they both have to plug into the Foxsat PVR and then linked to the TV by HDMI or is it one in the Foxsat and one in the TV? I suppose the easy way is to buy the PVR and find out for myself!

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Rickety's 22 posts GB flag
Friday, 15 April 2011
D
David Sinnett
12:44 PM

When I first installed my Bush freeview set I could receive BBC1&2 but not any of the main commercial channels. Since mid this week and having done a retune twice I can;t get any steady channel. They're all very pixellated and bitty sound. Any ideas? I'm in a block of flats with a communal aerial.
Also, how do I cable in the freeview box to the DVD AND VCR? the instructions just show the DVD.

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David Sinnett's 2 posts GB flag
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