Sky+ & 40' LCD

[rosscotdi]

I'm having problems with my sony KDV-40V3000 and connecting my sky+ box.
The picture quality in Freeview is better than sky.
In sky it is soft/blurry/cloudy.
I have upgraded my scart to a Monster 3 scart to scart which helped with the colours but still aint helped.
I have (for day's) adjusted the picture settings for both freeview and sky, made them both the same- still no luck!
The freeview is built in does this matter???

Thanks Ross

 

[ash_s3]

Make sure your Sky box output is set to RGB
Check your signal strength and quality too, shouldnt make a difference though

Your built in freeview will probably be a better picture because it is built in and doesnt have to be connected via scart etc..

How long is the cable you are using? Are you sure its the picture quality and not that your too close to the screen even the best screens look dodgey when your up close to them!

Ash

 

[rosscotdi]

Make sure your Sky box output is set to RGB
Check your signal strength and quality too, shouldnt make a difference though

Your built in freeview will probably be a better picture because it is built in and doesnt have to be connected via scart etc..

How long is the cable you are using? Are you sure its the picture quality and not that your too close to the screen even the best screens look dodgey when your up close to them!

Ash

Thanks for the reply.
Yeah its on RGB, and the cable is only 1m which is the minimum it can be.
I'm not sitting too close, which is good advice when anyone is in the shops looking because you are usually too close!
Anyone anymore ideas or does this happen to other people too?

 

[neil.c]

Even though you have selected RGB on your Sky box it may not have switched over you need to check the input on your TV too. Our Sky box seems to switch from RGB to video even though the display indicates RGB, it then has to be forced back to RGB

 

[happyarthur1979]

Hey,
Anyone know how to put sky+ box to RGB?
The issues described above sound like whats happening to the in-laws, maybe this can help them!

Cheers, graham.

 

[Nilz]

Press services on the remote, then 4(pic settings), then change video output to RGB, make sure you then go down to save new settings, press select on that and it should be set for you...

Hope that helps.

 

[Amchlolor]

LCD's, Sony in particular in my experience, give a shocking picture when connected by old-hat scart.
It is an analogue connection, after all.
You should invest in a HD box, even if you don't want to pay the HD subscription.
You can then conenct via HDMI (proper digital connection) and you won't believe the difference, even on SD channels.
If you already have SKY+, you can self-install HD.
Just a straight swap, then phone SKY to match the box and card.
Like I said, you don't even have to take the HD channels, if you don't want to.
Oh, you get double the recording capcity of SKY+ too.
Best £199 I ever spent.
My SD HDMI pictures are superb.
HD is better again, but that's whole different argument!

BTW, don't spend extra on a fancy HDMI cable.
Waste of money.
Being a digital connection, the little '0' and '1' s either get through, or they don't!
So the one that comes with the HD box is perfectly fine.

 

[Nilz]

Bowfer, so are you saying that you have a Sky HD box from Sky, but you are not paying the £10 per month, I was under the impression that if you had one of those boxes you had to subscribe to the HD channels???

Also how many HD inputs/outputs does the sky HD box have???

 

[Amchlolor]

Bowfer, so are you saying that you have a Sky HD box from Sky, but you are not paying the £10 per month, I was under the impression that if you had one of those boxes you had to subscribe to the HD channels???

Also how many HD inputs/outputs does the sky HD box have???

I do subscribe to the HD channels, but you don't have to.
Many people, including me, buy their own HD boxes off the net and plug them in themselves.
They then benefit from the HDMI connection, which greatly improves all channel picture quality, and superior recording capacity.
They can always add the HD subscription later, when more HD channels appear.
I could live without the HD channels, but I couldn't live without the HD box.
BTW, the HD box has one HDMI socket.

 

[rosscotdi]

Thanks for the reply's
Bowfer i like that idea, were did you buy your HD box from, sky are wanting between 250 and 300.
Does it carry a warranty etc

 

[boggym]

Interesting stuff, I've just set my Sky + box settings to RGB and yes, it made quite a difference. Thanks for the advice.

Sorry to change the subject, but if I bought a Sky HD box to replace my current Sky + box, does anyone know if I would be able to use my Sky + box elsewhere in the house?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mitch78]

:thumbsup:

 

[Nilz]

Again going off topic for which I apologise, but do the USBs on the front of the Sky+ box do anytyhing, i mean, can i plug a memory stick in and copy from my planner to it???

 

[Amchlolor]

Thanks for the reply's
Bowfer i like that idea, were did you buy your HD box from, sky are wanting between 250 and 300.
Does it carry a warranty etc

I got mine from a company called Pennine Plus, for £199.
The usual 12 months warranty came with it.
The first box I got was noisy, which should have meant boxing it up and sending it back to Pennine?
I decided to phone SKY direct and 'play dumb' though.
They just sent an engineer out with a new one, just as if I 'd bought it from them as normal.
Just goes to show what an incompetent shower they are, but I was delighted.

 

[coupe-se]

Like Bowfer I ditched my Sky+ box and bought a new Sky HD box from Ebay for my Samsung HD Tv. Installing the HD box and pairing the viewing card is a simple 10 minute job.

The picture using the digital HDMi lead/connection is far superior than the picture I got from my old Sky+ box via the analogue scart lead.
I don't subscribe to Sky HD anymore as I found the content to be a bit poor for an extra £120 a year. BBC and CH4 HD are free to view tho.

If you've paid all that money for a good Tv, you may as well get the best picture possible on it!