# multiple TV outs



## Marzbar (Jan 16, 2002)

Hi

I have an old 15" LCD TV in the kitchen which has always been connected to the TiVo just via RF - for the size of the screen that was fine.

However my better half has persuaded me that we should get a third TV for the dining area and the best option was a 32" - now I'm pretty sure that using RF will look pretty poor on something that size, as well as not passing stereo.

I could splash out on a scart splitter with amp (about 30 quid from Farnell) but something in the back of my mind said it's possible to get svideo-out from the VCR SCART; have I misremembered?

If not is there a better way of getting two quality pictures from the TiVo?

Ta

Geoff


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

Do p need two or three outputs?


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## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

I have a tivoHD and feed the TV by way of my receiver thru the hdmi and feed a dvd recorder from the RCA jacks for R/L audio and video.


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## drgeoff (Nov 10, 2005)

Marzbar said:


> Hi
> ......but something in the back of my mind said it's possible to get svideo-out from the VCR SCART; have I misremembered?


I have doubts. As far as I can tell from consulting the setup guide for a Sony Series 1 the US TiVos, although they had two sets of composite video and stereo audio phono socket outputs (for TV/VCR/amp) had only 1 S-video out socket (intended for the TV). (They did not have any RGB or component connections.)

The UK Thomson Tivos were electrically very similar to US S1s. SCART sockets replaced all the video/audio connectors except for a pair of stereo out phonos. The input and output ICs did have a lot of flexibility and could be programmed via their I2C buses to deliver composite and RGB instead of composite and S-video

However the clicher may come from SCART pinning - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCART. We know that the UK S1 accepts RGB from an external device *into* the VCR SCART. When a SCART socket is used to output S-video, the chrominance signal *output* is conventionally on pin 7. But pin 7 is also Blue *input* for RGB use. Can the Tivo's chippery and PCB tracking cater for that? I don't know .


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## drgeoff (Nov 10, 2005)

SNJpage1 said:


> I have a tivoHD and feed the TV by way of my receiver thru the hdmi and feed a dvd recorder from the RCA jacks for R/L audio and video.


This is irrelevant in the context of the original UK (Thomson) TiVo which have 3 SCART Sockets (out to TV, in from STB and in/out for VCR). HDMI did not exist when these TiVos were manufactured.


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## drgeoff (Nov 10, 2005)

TCM2007 said:


> Do p need two or three outputs?


My interpretation is that he wants three:

1. The TiVo's TV SCART feeding his main TV.
2. The RFmodulator feeding the kitchen set.
3. Another output for the recently added TV in the dining area. He can get composite video and stereo audio from the VCR SCART but would like better than composite video.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

I thought that too, but that isn't what he actually says.


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## mikerr (Jun 2, 2005)

It's possible to get component (YPbPr) video from the scart

Ironically it was the OP, *Marzbar* who posted the HowTo in 2005 
http://archive2.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=230291


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## drgeoff (Nov 10, 2005)

mikerr said:


> It's possible to get component (YPbPr) video from the scart
> 
> Ironically it was the OP, *Marzbar* who posted the HowTo in 2005
> http://archive2.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=230291


Yes, I can believe it is possible to get component from the TV SCART but my understanding is that the OP is already using RGB from that for his first TV and wants another output better than composite from the VCR SCART for a third TV.


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## AMc (Mar 22, 2002)

Marzbar said:


> Hi
> I could splash out on a scart splitter with amp (about 30 quid from Farnell) but something in the back of my mind said it's possible to get svideo-out from the VCR SCART; have I misremembered?
> 
> If not is there a better way of getting two quality pictures from the TiVo?
> ...


As you said you want two quality pictures - I've been using a B-Tech Quintro+ to get RGB SCART from several devices to both a TV and projector simultaneously. This is (to my eyes) perfect. If you can find one on ebay etc. then this is a great option but if you only want Tivo to two screens then it may be overkill.

You can't get S-video out of the VCR SCART it's composite OUT only. The TV SCART on a UK Thomson won't do S-video out of the box either.


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## katman (Jun 4, 2002)

This is what you need.

http://www.js-technology.com/store/product.php?id_product=17

Takes the RGB output from Tivo and generates an S-video output but also feeds the RGB out as well so you can feed your main TV with RGB and another TV with S-video.

I have been using one for several years and they are superb.


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## drgeoff (Nov 10, 2005)

katman said:


> This is what you need.
> 
> http://www.js-technology.com/store/product.php?id_product=17
> 
> ...


Surely the OP's original fall-back of a £30-ish RGB splitter-amp is £40 cheaper and better quality.


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## katman (Jun 4, 2002)

drgeoff said:


> Surely the OP's original fall-back of a £30-ish RGB splitter-amp is £40 cheaper and better quality.


Agreed. Missed that bit and was commenting on the requirement for an S-video signal.


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## Marzbar (Jan 16, 2002)

drgeoff said:


> My interpretation is that he wants three:
> 
> 1. The TiVo's TV SCART feeding his main TV.
> 2. The RFmodulator feeding the kitchen set.
> 3. Another output for the recently added TV in the dining area. He can get composite video and stereo audio from the VCR SCART but would like better than composite video.





drgeoff said:


> Yes, I can believe it is possible to get component from the TV SCART but my understanding is that the OP is already using RGB from that for his first TV and wants another output better than composite from the VCR SCART for a third TV.


Thanks everyone for the responses. Yes, that's a much clearer way of writing what I blathered on about.

So is the consensus that without additional hardware the UK S1 TiVo will output composite and RGB and that's it?

I suppose I could try composite and see if that comes out any better than the RF, which (as I suspected it would be) is utterly awful.

Ta


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## drgeoff (Nov 10, 2005)

Marzbar said:


> So is the consensus that without additional hardware the UK S1 TiVo will output composite and RGB and that's it?


Yes. With some software hacks you might get S-video or component out of the TV SCART and maybe S-Video or component into the Aux SCART, but no-one so far thinks you can get other than composite out of the VCR SCART.


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## Marzbar (Jan 16, 2002)

drgeoff said:


> Yes. With some software hacks you might get S-video or component out of the TV SCART and maybe S-Video or component into the Aux SCART, but no-one so far thinks you can get other than composite out of the VCR SCART.


Can I take SVideo _and_ RGB out of the TV SCART? That would be good enough, I think - I can easily split the two signals from the one connector (I think I even have an inline SCART adaptor to extract SVideo already!).

And the SVideo out reusing the "R up" and "B up" pins wouldn't be a problem on the TV SCART, since there's no "up" to conflict.


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## TCM2007 (Dec 25, 2006)

I very much doubt it.


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## drgeoff (Nov 10, 2005)

Marzbar said:


> And the SVideo out reusing the "R up" and "B up" pins wouldn't be a problem on the TV SCART, since there's no "up" to conflict.


Don't know how you come to that conclusion. SCART pin 15 is either Red or S-Video Chrominance out to the TV ("up"). It can't be both at the same time.


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## Marzbar (Jan 16, 2002)

drgeoff said:


> Don't know how you come to that conclusion. SCART pin 15 is either Red or S-Video Chrominance out to the TV ("up"). It can't be both at the same time.


Duh. That's me getting confused. It's easily done.


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## katman (Jun 4, 2002)

Marzbar said:


> Can I take SVideo _and_ RGB out of the TV SCART? That would be good enough, I think - I can easily split the two signals from the one connector (I think I even have an inline SCART adaptor to extract SVideo already!).
> 
> And the SVideo out reusing the "R up" and "B up" pins wouldn't be a problem on the TV SCART, since there's no "up" to conflict.


NO. S-Video isnt available from the TV Scart but using the converter I posted a link to you CAN feed RGB to your main TV and S-Video to your second TV.


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