freesat and recording

[porkie]

Hi there, I have just registered and hope no-one thinks I'm stupid, but I am trying to help my parents who are struggling to understand the digital switchover.
They have had a freesat box fitted by some one who had no time at all for them.
Basically they have a portable tv with only one scart plugin and a video recorder and the feesat box wth only one scart.
They want to record with the video recorder but does this mean they need a new tele and digital box or is there a way round it?
They have freeview dvd recorder in the lounge and are wondering if they should have stayed with that.
Can anyone help us?

[GastonJ]

Does the video have 2 scarts, 1 in one out? If so plug the scart from the freesat into the video recorder and then from the video recorder out to the TV.

Alternatively something like:

Smart-SCART Switch : A/V Splitters & Switchers : Maplin

Which indicates at the bottom that it can be used the way you want, although dropping into the shop and checking wouldn't hurt.

HTH

[porkie]

Thankyou for your reply, We have done as you say and it does record but the picture is not right. It is continually going across the screen. Does it need tuning in somehow?

[GastonJ]

Not really since it all should be on AV. However I have had the odd dodgey scart lead in the past where the pcture seems to go out of sync, usually a bad solder joint on the lead. Have you another scart lead that you can swap out?

[porkie]

Thanx once again for your reply. I don't have one at the moment but I will try that (probably tomorrow) and let you know. Happy New Year.

[porkie]

Hi, I have tried using different scart leads but theres no difference. It does record but the picture is moving around the screen. I feel like it is something very simple that I am missing.

[GastonJ]

The only other thought that struck me is:

Is the satellite receiver and the VCR using the same channel, or attempting to?

I don't have a VCR but, from memory - a long way back, they used to be set to UHF channel 38 by default. It could be that the same channel is being used by your receiver as well.

Unfortunately I don't know the asnwer, but it could be something to do with that. It's been a very long while since I only had a single scart in the back of a TV, even longer since I've owned a VCR.

Incidently that's assuming that you plugged it in thus:

Sat receiver->VCR->TV

Otherwise, if you used a multi scart switch, it could be that both the VCR and the receiver are trying to automatically switch in at the same time.

Sorry I'm not much more help.

Regards,

GJ