V+ HD Box with component output?

[herbs]

Good Evening all,

I've just moved flat and thought I'd treat myself to an upgrade to V+ HD. I also bought a Slingbox Pro HD (streams TV to laptops) before the move.

The Slingbox only has component inputs, no HDMI. When I ordered cable I understood it to be that the box would have both HDMI and component output. It is a Samsung box, has scart and HDMI, but no component. I spent a *long* time on the phone to VM after the install trying to get it swapped for one with component but none of the several people I spoke to even understood what I was on about. I have managed to get an engineer visit tomorrow afternoon to swap the box, but then the guy went on to say it might be a none HD box as there was no point in HD if I couldn't connect it. So I'm not very confident I'm going to get anywhere.

Am I right that there are V+ HD boxes out there with component? Do you think I've got any chance of getting one off them? If not I may have to look at getting some kind of HDMI to component converter, which I'm yet to research properly. Not sure it will even work.

Currently watching with an HDMI cable and have another seemingly unsolvable problem. The picture does not fit the screen, despite trying all the resolution settings the first 'B' of the BBC HD logo is off the edge of the display. Not willing to keep it if bits are going to be chopped off the edges. I don't have that problem with any other sources.

Any thoughts please?

 

[oneman]

You'll need the Scientific-Atlanta Explorer 8300DVB box which has componant output. However there have been a lot of discussions as to the boxes stability and generally VM seem to prefer to use the samsung box instead.

From what I understood its down to what the engineer has in the van at the time of install.

 

[herbs]

Cheers. I'll hope they have one with them, if not I'll just downgrade to normal V+ which I'm sure will have component. Bit of a disappointment, but Slingbox is more important to me than a few HD channels.

 

[oneman]

Cheers. I'll hope they have one with them, if not I'll just downgrade to normal V+ which I'm sure will have component. Bit of a disappointment, but Slingbox is more important to me than a few HD channels.

I am not sure if all V+ boxes have them either.

Does your slingbox not support scart input ? Though be aware that the samsung box can't output HDMI and scart at the same time and I am not sure if the SA box can either.

 

[herbs]

Yeah it will take scart, but no point in having the HD box if I'm going that route. It seems my options are to either get the SA HD box, or downgrade to a non HD V+ and use the scart.

I have heard of people using the VCR out scart at the same time as the HDMI out, that could be a possibility with the current Samsung. Also heard conflicting reports of that method not showing the on screen display on the VCR out, I do need the OSD for the Slingbox. I think I'll try that out when I get in.

Might have to downgrade anyway if I can't fix the other problem of the picture extending off the edges of my screen. I have no idea what that is about, TV is a 5 year old LG LCD, no options on it to make any difference... No problems with laptop connected. Very strange.

Thanks again, nice to know the score before the guy arrives.

 

[oneman]

OK I checked the virgin support forum (good place if you want to talk to a virgin techie who knows what they are talking about) and HDMI and scart should work at the same time.

 

[herbs]

Cheers for that, still hoping for an SA box though so I'll only need to take audio for the slingbox from the scart (I have an adaptor).

Although it's very expensive, I'm tempted by this in order to keep HD.
Click HD Fury 3 on the left - HDFURY, HDfury2, hdfury3, hd fury

 

[oneman]

What upload speed are you using for the slingbox ? It is worth staying HD ?

 

[herbs]

Engineer turned up with an SA box for me
Have got it running off component, with audio to the Slingbox from the phono output and audio to my amp from the optical. No problems at all. Box isn't as pretty as the Samsung, but that's not important.

I had to go out again and have only just got back so am about to start playing. Need to sort my wireless out, go through the channels, keeps dropping out at the moment. I've had a quick go and the picture is excellent on my laptop with 1080 screen. I had a Slingbox Solo at my last address, this is a lot sharper.

I rarely use it outside of my home network, mostly for the bedroom and kitchen. I think it probably isn't worth the extra for the HD version if primary use will be over the internet. The Solo would peak at about 3500Kbps on the LAN, this one is hitting about 8000Kbps. I think my upload on 50Mb is 1Mb, so unless they've changed anything with the encoding I can't see there being a difference. Maybe if upload ever goes up to 5Mb (think I heard something about that a while back) it would be worthwhile.

Also got 3 homeplugs to put in, rented flat so I can't cable it like I'd like. Not expecting them to cause a problem, they're rated at 200Mb so they'll have to be performing pretty badly to impact the streaming.

Slingboxes are great, love them.

 

[redhound]

the sa 8300 has to be set to hdmi or scart sd for those without hd,i bought two of these and couldn't get into the diagnostic menu through the scart on one unit,the unit was set to hdmi output and that was the reason.

its a hulk of a box,there are plenty of outputs but the drives can play up.