Different pic quality when switching between 'TV' and 'Sky' on the remote

Jip

I have my decoder connected up via my first scart socket and DVD through my second. When watching the channels on AV1 the picture is excellent but then a strange thing happens when I press the TV button on the remote.
Once pressed the picture brightens up a tone or two. Then when I press the Sky button again the picture goes very dark for a second and then returns to normal (although slightly darker than what it is when I press TV).
The only thing bothering me really is that on certain stations I feel the picture looks better when I press the TV button and on others after I press the Sky button.
Anyone got any ideas

As an aside, I got the white/creamish Pace decoder but it doesn't look to bad beside the silver DVD player. The decoder itself is alot faster than other decoders I've used although they've been over a year old.
I went directly thorught Sky, I rang them Monday and by lunch time Thursday had everything sorted. If I had chosen to go through Dixons they told me it could take about 4 weeks because the demand is quite high at the moment.

watty

Perhaps the Digibox is switching between RGB and Composite on the SCART.

It will do this on pressing TV (even if TV remains on AV) if SCART on and RGB on are set in Picture menu.

Sometimes one or the other mode (esp. on some TVs) looks "better". RGB does not have colour crawl on fine detail nor patterning on Solid strong colour as Composite does.

Jip

Ok, need a little further help please !
Is the picture mode setup on the decoder through the services menu ? I haven't had a chance to play around with it yet, I've only read the guide but don't recall such a thing being mentioned.

I take it RGB is prefferable over composite.

watty

yes

and

yes

thrillseeker

When you press TV, the TV SCART switches from RGB to composite. Pressing Sky reverses the change.

Anyone know a reason why it does this?

watty

If it didn't on many TVs the Teletext background and all OSD would have a rolling/ scrolling Sky image on the blank bits.

Worry if it didn't.

byte

Yes, watty, I think you'd be right on the reasons. Try changing channels with a PS2 plugged in (with RGB scart) and you'll see a diagonal scrolling of the game in the background if you were to try viewing teletext (sometimes noticeable on TV's Onscreen Graphics).

Jip

I had a play around with it the weekend and the setup is fine. The scart out on the digibox is set to RGB and it's connected to the RGB compatible scart on the T.V.

One final question, the digibox is set up for 4:3 or whatever, the t.v. is a 28inch widescreen. Should I change the setup from 4:3 to the other one ? When I do I don't notice much of a difference as the t.v. adjusts automatically to the picture anyway.

Sheesh, I remember the time when I used to be well up on all this stuff, now technology seems to be passing me by :rolleyes:

watty

Set Digibox to 16:9

Even some 4:3 (non widescreens) work better this way.

The quality *IS* better.


(some WS TV will "auto zoom" if wasted black lines of 4:3 LETTERBOX is detected in 4:3 mode, this is reduced resolution. Some 4:3 TVs can reduce the height in 16:9 mode, using all the lines, this is increased resolution compared with old 4:3 fixed height TVS that need the digibox to output dark grey blank lines).

Jip

Cheers Watty, your help is much appreciated.