Foxtel and Infocus

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I'll be honest. I haven't hooked up the PC that often through to the X1. I
was considering it as an alternative to buying a progressive scan DVD
player, but the remote operation options got too complex for me at this
time. Maybe I'll get round to it later.

I have hooked it up a couple of times though and the picture from a dvd was
excellent. I didn't compare it with the component input (S Vid) though cos I
didn't have a component lead at the time.

The one thing to watch with this method is the resolution on the computer. I
hadn't done any tweaks or used Power Strip so the output from the PC had to
be 800 x 600.

Hope this helps a bit (though not sure how)

Have fun and play around with it.

:-)

matt

http://forums.eyo.com.au/membe r.php?action=getinfo&userid=84 89

There's no problem in you watching it. If your S Video port's free then
that's fine.

But if your S Video port is being used by your DVD player then you will
either need to use the composite input, get an S-Video switch or have a HT
amp that does S Video switching.

The other alternative is to have a progressive scan DVD player and connect
that using the VGA input, thereby leaving the S Video input free for your
Digital TV broadcast.

The reason I was kicking up a stink about it was the fact that the *only*
ways to connect the Digital TV broadcast is either by S Video or composite.
You cannot use a component connection from the Foxbox to the X1.

I've done a variety of tests lately and the difference between the component
input via (7 pin) S Video and the basic (4 pin) S Video is definitely
noticeable.

matt

I just wanted to ask you also Matt,
my pc is hooked up to the projector via the vga monitor cable which
has
15 pins, is this the best picture i'll ever get on the projector ?
Through the vga connection rather than s-video and composite.
I'm gonna see also maybe i can buy a digital pc tuner card.

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Thanks for that Matt i appreciate it. I was just getting worried there
that i was gonna have trouble watching digital tv on my x1.
I just need to learn more about all these inputs and outputs
and signals and all the other jazz to do with home entertainment
Cheers

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Thanks for that. I've given it a go and the D-scaler's pretty damn good. I
get a much better picture than I get with my Winfast TV card.

I tried it running the S-video cable from the FoxBox straight into the tuner
card. The only problem is I must have some serious interference caused by
something in my PC because I get interference lines on the picture.

Have you noticed anything like this?

<snip>

<Snip>

You've got me intrigued by this bit. Could you explain a little more?

Man this is confusing the hell out of me,
Scart ,rgb etc
I just bought the x1 projector and hope to go to digital tv but whats
all the
comotion, can i watch digital tv on my x1 projector or is there a
problem, I'm watching normal tv on it at the moment with a 2metre
picture on the wall and it is good, but read that digital was alot
better. Iv'e got my pc hooked up to the projector and just want digital
tv also as soon as i work out whats going on?
So if my s-video port is free on the projector can i have digital tv?
These bloody manufactures want you to have some sort of degree to
understand all the crap they come out with on their products.
Sorry about that but nothing's ever simple is it.

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I can use a cheap "Fly TV Prime 34" card that has a Philips capture chipset
and S-Video / Composite inputs to capture the S-Video output of the Foxtel
box and convert it to progressive with a program called D-scaler
www.dscaler.org

Now because my Video card in the home theatre PC has DVI Output (Cheap
Radeon 9200SE) I can output native video to the LCD in the projector.

Now I know the X1 doesn't have DVI, however you could output an 800 x 600
VGA signal from a HTPC into your X1's VGA input.  This *may* allow you to
get better quality.

*however* as the X1 has the renowned Farouja chipset in it anyway, you might
find the quality from the S-Video in on the X1 might be excellent (I'm
guessing it will be)

So in short, it is probably not worth it for the X1, however if you own a
projector that doesnt have Farouja proessing, it may be something to try.

I think you'll find S-Video will give excellent results with your new Foxtel
Digital box and projector.  I can't wait!

:)

That may have been true in the past with only Loewes, Grundigs, Metz, etc
being available, but now that the Japanese sets are available in
widescreen(and with RCA plugs) the figures will go the other way.  They're
idiots for picking SCART, and they won't have done it because more people
have that connection, but simply to save $$$.  Probably a UK box ripoff with
new software for us.

You're right.

I actually did a check on this before I sent off a long (and probably
boring) e-mail to Foxtel on the subject.

Out of the top FTA SD set top boxes in Australia at least one of each of the
DGTEC, TEAC, Thomson, Panasonic, Topfield and Toshiba all put out component.
Only the Strong and Samsung boxes put out RGB instead of Component.

When you have a look at the TV's from mainline manufacturers only High End
Plasmas and European sets can receive a direct RGB signal.

Considering most people will buy an Asian manufactured set which (nearly
all) accepts component choosing the option to go to RGB seems a little short
sighted. I do hope Foxtel bites the bullet and goes with the Component
software upgrade of the scart socket's output.

We shall see.

Cheers,

I know what you mean about the widescreen TV's and the SCART sockets. Great
if you've got an expensive widescreen tv, just not great if you've got a
projector.

I guess I'm just a little peeved that Foxtel are going on about their
digital rollout under one of the slogans that you don't need a new TV set.

From what I can make out a lot of the FTA SDTV boxes currently on the market
over here have a combination of outputs including YUV either by SCART or RCA
ports but the new Fox box doesn't.

I've just heard back from the technical bods over at PACE (UK) and the SCART
socket can be configured to output YUV with a software upgrade (the guy even
gave me the pin assignments). Unfortunately that software upgrade is
Foxtel's responsibility.

I know it's probably not worth it but I'm gonna give Foxtel a push and see
what they say about possible software upgrades.

G'day Matt,

Just feed the X1 an S-Video signal using one of the $8 SCART > S-Video
coverters you can buy at JB-Hi Fi

The quality difference between Composite and S-Video is amazing.  The
difference between S-Video and Component/RGB is much less noticible and
considering the amount of mpeg artifacts on Foxtel, is probably not going to
help much.

Alternatively this box has great reviews and will convert from Scart RGB to
Component Video (the Infocus X1 supports component through a special cable
that comes with it that goes into the Svideo port - the Svideo port has
extra pins wired for component)

http://www.js-technology.com/r gb-yuv/

It's going to cost you about $350-$400 though!

Cheers,

BofH

Actually matt, I think they did the right thing including SCART, because
most of our widescreen TV's come from Europe (PAL after all) and have SCART
connections.  SCART also supports auto 4:3 and 16:9 switching which is a
must if you own a Widescreen TV.

Only the cheap TV's from DSE etc I have seen with component inputs.  Of
course Projectors are all the other way, with component inputs because they
are made primarily for the US market.  Now if they supported the low refresh
rates of non-progressive interlaced video, you could actually easily use a
SCART RGB > VGA cable (cheap) - (after all VGA is transmitted using RGB)
Unfortunately most projectors don't.

The PACE boxes don't have component output as an option as far as I know so
I think Foxtel has our best interests at heart on this one.

Luckily you can pick up a progressive scan DVD player *cheap* at the moment.

I think with my projector I will probably just run the Svideo into dscaler
running on my HTPC, which will then output DVI into the projector.  I don't
think I'll lose too much sleep over the lack of component.  Remember it's
not HD, It'd only SD so it doesn't really matter too much.

There is no difference between SCART > Svideo and an Svideo output as the
Svideo signals are actually sent on certain pins in the SCART socket

BofH

The Good Guys were selling some cheap
progressive scan multizone Omni $99 DVD
players that had a VGA 15 pin Dsub out as well as component video etc. I
plugged in my PC monitor
to the VGA out and it tested fine. So perhaps you could
get one like that for your Infocus. They play all
burned DVD discs too.

SCART RGB is no good for VGA conversion
because it has the combined sync VGA has seperate
horizontal and vertical refresh pins
and it's refresh of 50Hz may not  be
tolerated by the Infocus. So don't pursue
that method.

No, they have got RGB via SCART but no component.

If I'm interpreting this right then it looks like the port which would
accept RGB on the X1 only accepts 576p and not 576i and Fox Dig will be
576i.

So I, along with other X1 owners will never be able to see the benefit in
having an SDTV signal from Foxtel.

Anyone know if there's an alternative satellite set top box I can buy that
has component out instead of RGB and that will work with Foxtel Digital?

Or as a last resort will any of the Satellite TV decoder PC cards work with
Foxtel Digital? I could put one of them in a HTPC and input straight to the
projector with a VGA cable.

It's bloody incredible this.

Yeah, I just found that box. An expensive little addition isn't it?

I wonder why Foxtel is investing all this money in a system that is
primarily European and doesn't suit the inputs on our TV's? Maybe Foxtel
believe there's gonna be a change over here and we're all gonna switch to
RGB sets in lieu of the numerous YUV ones out there.

It's bloody annoying and also means that I'm gonna have to go out and buy
either a progressive scan DVD player or a remote operated S Video switchbox.

Bloody Foxtel.

btw. do you notice much difference in the quality between the Scart to S
Video and the stand alone S-video output?

What are you serious?  The new Foxtel Digital boxes aren't going to have RGB
SCART or at least Component Output?!?!?

Tell me you're not serious!

If they only have Composite output and RF we will be the world's laughing
stock!

BofH

Matt,

Unless the UEC720 can output a progressive scan signal on the RGB, you are
still going to be out of luck.  The only other alternative is to give up the
component output and use S-Video for both DVD and FoxTel.

David Benet

Thanks Dave,

Do you know if the S-Video port will accept the RGB so I can input a
progressive scan DVD via the VGA port?

I can't believe that Foxtel are gonna release a box that doesn't do
component only RGB. Doesn't make sense.