# Virgin Media Samsung SMT-2110C boxes



## Tim L (Jan 5, 2002)

I've got two questions about these, which while not Tivo-specific, there are probably other people around here who use them:

1) The sound sync on BBC3 is terrible. It may do it on other channels from time-to-time, but it's been consistently out on BBC3 lately. Is this something that happens to this box a lot?

2) I'm thinking of getting a freeview box to replace the VM box for Tivo duties. Point 1 above is a factor in this, but there are other advantages, mainly that it would leave the VM box free for watching VOD/other channels without interrupting Mr Tivo. I notice the VM box has a second SCART socket - does it do RGB passthrough? It would seem to the most sensible place to put it is between Tivo and my TV. Well, actually between Tivo and my DVD recorder - it's getting to be quite a chain!

I was just going to get a fancy twin-tuner freeview PVR, but find myself reluctant to part with Tivo.


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## mikeyp (Dec 22, 2005)

I've had no issues with this box other than blipping on the sound on ch 400 (filmflex previews) but tbh I couldn't give a hang about that.

If you're having problems with the box, I'd get onto VM about it and either get it replaced or get a tech to come out and sort it.

I doubt it does RGB passthrough, though I could be wrong. To be honest your setup is starting to sound rather hairy. If you haven't got any spare scart sockets you could use on the tv, I'd go with a scart switch.

That said, no one knows your setup better than you, so try it out, if it works, great, if it doesn't, keep experimenting till you get there.


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## ColinYounger (Aug 9, 2006)

Why not take the UHF output from the TiVo and put it into the Freeview box?

That's what I do, and it works great.


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## Tim L (Jan 5, 2002)

ColinYounger said:


> Why not take the UHF output from the TiVo and put it into the Freeview box?
> 
> That's what I do, and it works great.


I'm afraid I don't follow you?

To be clear my current arrangement is this:

VM box -> Tivo -> DVD recorder -> TV

This works well and has no noticeable issues with picture quality.

What I'm hoping to able to do is this:

Freeview box -> Tivo -> VM box -> DVD recorder -> TV

The plan would be to have the VM box switched off when not in use, allowing it to just pass TGB from teh Tivo through. It is, as mikeyp says, looking a bit hairy at this point, but I'm not sure what my alternative is. I'd rather avoid a switch if I can, as it's one more thing to fiddle with, and doesn't actually reduce the number of connections the SCART chain has to go through. I suppose putting it between the Tivo and the DVD recorder would be the best place, and my only option if the VM box doesn't pass through RGB.

Actually, writing that out has helped me think about it a bit clearer.  It would still be nice if someone could let me know whether the box does pass through RGB though, as I don't fancy pulling my cabling apart to find out.


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## mikeyp (Dec 22, 2005)

there's a way of finding out for yourself without pulling it all apart...

your freeview box puts out rgb right?
set tivo to aux passthrough, you should get the VM box on rgb
follow me so far?
plug the freeview box in the back of the VM box, and see if you get the freeview in RGB or composite... just... make sure you've got your freeview box actually set to output RGB! I made that mistake once and took me ages to figure out/notice!


as for the scart switch, I meant you'd put it between the tv and the two recorders. That way you'd have
freeview > tivo > switch > tv
VM > DVDR > switch > tv
anyway


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## Tim L (Jan 5, 2002)

Ah - the problem there is that I don't actually have a freeview box yet.  I should however stop farting around and just swap the Tivo and VM cables around and see whether it passes RGB through.

As for the switch, it would have to go between Tivo and DVD recorder really, so I can record to DVD from Tivo.

Thanks to everyone for their advice though - I know I'm somewhat thinking aloud here, but the whole process helps.


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