Calling All Videophiles

[jbowman1993]

I just had the new Truevisions PVR installed a few minutes ago. Programing won't start for a few hours, but I wanted to ask a question regarding cables. It seems that there are two connection options from the PVR box to the TV - the component (red, yellow, white) cables, or a single cable called an RF.

I have always used the component cable, but was wondering if that RF cable would create a better picture. Also, should I invest in those high level cables (the gold tipped ones) or will I not notice much difference?

Thanks

[LivinLOS]

Both horrible.. You have composite (not component) or RF.. Both god dam_n awful.. Probably composite is better in this case.. And no.. gold contacts on a dire connection does not a good connection make.

Is there seriously no s-vid or component ??? I mean let alone HDMI or anything.

Really you can buy a 3700 baht dreambox (clone), configure it to use (hack) the one week EPG that they now broadcast FOR FREE !! act as a networked PVR, act as a networked display node of PC based downloaded content, stream from the dreambox to any PC in the house.. AND it can use its scart output and a config tweak to output YUV component !!

Tell me how this UBC box at almost 4 times the price and a monthly charge beats that ??

[jbowman1993]

Both horrible.. You have composite (not component) or RF.. Both god dam_n awful.. Probably composite is better in this case.. And no.. gold contacts on a dire connection does not a good connection make.

Is there seriously no s-vid or component ??? I mean let alone HDMI or anything.

Really you can buy a 3700 baht dreambox (clone), configure it to use (hack) the one week EPG that they now broadcast FOR FREE !! act as a networked PVR, act as a networked display node of PC based downloaded content, stream from the dreambox to any PC in the house.. AND it can use its scart output and a config tweak to output YUV component !!

Tell me how this UBC box at almost 4 times the price and a monthly charge beats that ??

Thanks, unfortunately i didn't understand anything you said after the second paragraph, so Im going to have make due with this.

[jbowman1993]

Actually i mispoke, there is also a component? plug (Green, blue, red). Would those be a better way to go?

[meadish_sweetball]

If you have component video that is a significant step up in quality from composite.

[dave_boo]

Yes, component video (YPbPr), is the way to go. Granted, it won't magically improve the source material, but it will show everything in the best possible light.

Gold plated connectors do work in that they prevent corrosion. However, if your reciever and TV don't have gold plated plugs also, it's a bit of a waste since they'll corrode.

BTW, RF sends video and audio down one coax cable. Composite (the red, yellow, white connectors) send video and stereo down seperate cables. S-Video has a little round plug that has 4 pins. This sends the video down two seperate paths; one for brightness and one for colour. You need an audio cable if you use S-Video since no sound is sent down the cable. Component cables (usually green, blue, and red) used to use the RGB with sync on green. Now, they use a system that carries a mono-chromatic signal and usually 2 more cables that provide the color information. This actually imiproves bandwidth potnetial since instead of defining 3 different values for a single pixel, it rather defines the pixel's brightness and colour. Note that this is another system that you need to provide seperate audio with. HDMI is a 100% digital option, and this offers audio over the same cable--cleaning up your installation quite a bit. Also, being digital, it offers the best picture, since at your source the signal isn't converted from digital-analouge and sent down the cable where it has to be converted from analouge back to video for the display.

[LivinLOS]

Component (and as its here in asia it will almost certainly be YPbPr, RGBs is more for Europe component) is the best you will get for that box.. Check in all its menus to see if it has a widescreen output, or even progressive.. You should see a noticable difference in RGB over composite. The UBC's macroblocking is in the source !!

Someone did say this box properly handles widescreen however as I have experimented with the MPEG data stream that they broadcast and none of it is broadcast in widescreen format only letterboxed 4:3 I have my doubts (the poster never replied to my questions either so again I am doubtful to the claim).

Edited April 22, 2008 by LivinLOS

[jbowman1993]

Thanks for all the help guys.

So if i want to use the component cables (red, blue, green), do I need a 4th (or separate) cable for audio? Or will the three cables take care of me?

Thanks

JB

[Old Man River]

JBowman1993 I can't answer any of your questions, but since I also have installed the PVR I am grateful for your asking the questions. I also don't know what LivinLos said. I think he does know what he is talking about, but he doesn't speak the same language I do.

My friend was one of the beta testers for the PVR, and he has told me that his biggest problem with it is that from time to time the programs he records freezes and can't be replayed. I am now new to the system and haven't experienced this, but he told me that when he complained to True about this problem they said many of the beta testers had that problem and they believe they now have if fixed. Hopefully so.

[Old Man River]

If you have component video that is a significant step up in quality from composite.

OK, similar to JBowman1993, I have a connection on the PVR with red, blue and green connectors and the same on my TV. However, True has provided a wire with yellow, white and red plugs.

I used the yellow, white and red plugs provided by True and connected it with the red, green and blue connectors on the PVR and TV in the same order and got nothing. I then went back and connected the yellow, white and red connectors from the PVR with the yellow, white and red connectors on the TV and got a clear signal. This is what the True technician did when he connected the system.

If the component video connection is better, then with the yellow, white and red connector wire provided by True, how do I do this? Do I need a different wire with red, blue and green connection plugs (I know the color shouldn't matter, but is a different type of connection wire needed)?

Also, as per JBowman1993's question, is a fourth wire needed for audio?

Thanks in advance.

[LivinLOS]

Thanks for all the help guys.

So if i want to use the component cables (red, blue, green), do I need a 4th (or separate) cable for audio? Or will the three cables take care of me?

Thanks

JB

Yes the RGB cabling is purely video.. Connect the red / white stereo audio jacks also..

BTW to sing its praises again.. the dreambox has an optical out, in Europe they transmit 5.1 audio on the sat movie channels.. we can but dream here tho !!

[LivinLOS]

The wire itself should make no difference, to a large extent the cable is a cable is a cable kind of thing (extreme videophiles excluded). The cable is not performing any conversions or anything so any plugged connection should work.

Its not a surprise that UBC only ships the cheapest low quality solution and thier techicians only use the lowest quality.. Most UBC STB's have an s-video cable otpion but UBC guys dont use those either.

As I dont have a PVR box I dont know but perhaps in the menus for the box you have to enable the component out or even specify what type of component out it should be (select YUV if its a choice). It may not be turned on by default. Component should be a big jump up in quality from composite.

Please let me know if and how it works out for ya.. Sorry for lapsing into speaking videogeek..

[Crossy]

I used the yellow, white and red plugs provided by True and connected it with the red, green and blue connectors on the PVR and TV in the same order and got nothing. I then went back and connected the yellow, white and red connectors from the PVR with the yellow, white and red connectors on the TV and got a clear signal. This is what the True technician did when he connected the system.

You did remember to select 'component' as the input on your TV didn't you?

[LivinLOS]

I used the yellow, white and red plugs provided by True and connected it with the red, green and blue connectors on the PVR and TV in the same order and got nothing. I then went back and connected the yellow, white and red connectors from the PVR with the yellow, white and red connectors on the TV and got a clear signal. This is what the True technician did when he connected the system.

You did remember to select 'component' as the input on your TV didn't you?

ha ha.. Well done crossy..

Could also specify its plugged in and turned on with that kind of tech support skills..

[quiksilva]

Does the True PVR have a digital audio out? (a small square socket)

Plus how is the picture with PVR via component leads, any improvement?

I hope that this is the next step (folowing their trials earlier this year) towards HD broadcasts.

[Crossy]

I hope that this is the next step (folowing their trials earlier this year) towards HD broadcasts.

Sadly the only thing "high" about UBC/True is, and is likely to remain, COST, HC broadcasts

I'd be happy if they just allocated a tad more bandwidth to the SD channels and got rid of some of the nasty artifacts.

[Old Man River]

I used the yellow, white and red plugs provided by True and connected it with the red, green and blue connectors on the PVR and TV in the same order and got nothing. I then went back and connected the yellow, white and red connectors from the PVR with the yellow, white and red connectors on the TV and got a clear signal. This is what the True technician did when he connected the system.

You did remember to select 'component' as the input on your TV didn't you?

ha ha.. Well done crossy..

Could also specify its plugged in and turned on with that kind of tech support skills..

Now now. I have never said I know much about this kind of stuff and am great full for all your help. Hopefully, I am not beyond it.

[recycler]

And have you been able to record anything?

I had mine installed over 2 weeks ago and I havn't been able to record a single program yet. Only the delay function (stop and start watching later) works.

Waiting for the Truevisions service guy again to fix the problems. I don't expect much, will be the same guy that installed the machine he had never seen before and speaks no English....

About the cables; if you are not using high-end audio equipment don't worry about gold tipped connectors. Also the difference between component and RF video is barely noticeble as the original signal is not extreme high quality. If you want to connect a TV further away the COAX is less likely to pick-up interference and you can use a single in stead of 4 cables.

Any other experiences on using PVR?

[Crossy]

I used the yellow, white and red plugs provided by True and connected it with the red, green and blue connectors on the PVR and TV in the same order and got nothing. I then went back and connected the yellow, white and red connectors from the PVR with the yellow, white and red connectors on the TV and got a clear signal. This is what the True technician did when he connected the system.

You did remember to select 'component' as the input on your TV didn't you?

ha ha.. Well done crossy..

Could also specify its plugged in and turned on with that kind of tech support skills..

Now now. I have never said I know much about this kind of stuff and am great full for all your help. Hopefully, I am not beyond it.

Just for information, I've tried 'component' from my DVD player down a cheap 2m red-white-yellow cable no problem although I'm sure that a proper cable will work better.

[LivinLOS]

Also the difference between component and RF video is barely noticeble as the original signal is not extreme high quality.

The difference between component and RF should be huge on anything less than the lowest quality display.

Between RF and the composite however (single yellow plug) there will be marginal difference.

[Old Man River]

And have you been able to record anything?

I had mine installed over 2 weeks ago and I havn't been able to record a single program yet. Only the delay function (stop and start watching later) works.

Waiting for the Truevisions service guy again to fix the problems. I don't expect much, will be the same guy that installed the machine he had never seen before and speaks no English....

Any other experiences on using PVR?

I have no problem recording. After the technician sets it up if you still can't record PM me and I will walk you through the process step by step.

The only problem I am having is that once you record, if you watch part of the recording and then exit it, you should be able to resume to the spot you left it at. For some reason on some recordings, it goes back to the beginning so that I have to fast forward back to where I was when I left it. Not earth shattering, but still a bit of a pain since the PVR is supposed to do this.

[recycler]

Thanks, it works finally. The guy that installed it never saw the PVR before and so did the guy that came to solve the problem. The last one even asked where the UBC box was while standing right in front of it.....

Finally my wife went through the installation procedure on the phone and found out that the PVR needs an external loop on the back to record this loop cable was not installed. It's a strange patch, but it records now.

[LivinLOS]

So to confirm..

Can you record one channel while watching another different channel ??

[recycler]

So to confirm..

Can you record one channel while watching another different channel ??

Yes, you can watch a program while recording another. I still have to try if you can delay the program you are watching while you record another.