Samsung UE46B8000 - Help!!! - Dreadful picture using the EXT (GRB) breakout connector to SCART for my Sky+ box

[admin_exported]

Hi

Apologies, but I am very new to the world of flat panels and HD content... having stuck to my Sony CRT and Toshiba Rear Projection sets and avoided the tempation of Plasma or LCD and HD content for so long.

However, having spent hours trawling through various reviews and speaking to people who have bought this set, I have plumped for the Samsung UE46B8000 LCD (LED backlit) TV. Persuaded finally by the £200.00 cashback offer from Samsung and the Costco price of £1,609.00 including a 5 year warranty and a 90 day money back guarantee.

I picked up the set last night and took it out of the box, wow, aesthetically it is a great looking TV and sits very nicely in my lounge.

So, I connected it to my Sky+ box (non HD) via the EXT (RGB) breakout cable and using a QED SCART lead. I do not currently have any HD setup or bluray player. I will be upgrading to Sky HD, but wanted to get the TV first.

The resultant picture is terrible, it is blurred, pixilated, patchy, cloudy and has ghosting... I tried a film on sky and the credits were just about unreadable as it was so dark. I have tried playing with the settings using various suggested ones from various forums, and trying my own combinations... and whilst some of them have helped the general look, the pixelation and ghosting is still very apparent.

So the question is...

Is this way of connecting Sky+ just not right ?

Has anyone else tried connecting using this EXT (RGB) connection for Sky+ ?

And if so, do you have the same issues ?

Perhaps there is an issue with the connection itself on the TV or the cable, but how would I know ? is it possible to test these ?

Or perhaps this particular set is just dodgy !!!

I didn't have much time last night, but I am going to try a few things with the set again tonight. Someone at work has suggested connecting via my standard aerial and using the sets freeview tuner, just to check that the set is ok. They have the 40 inch model and say that this set up is good for them. Also another collegue has suggested that once I have the Sky HD box connected via HDMI, that all my troubles will dissapear.

Any help would be very gratefully received.

Regards

Paul

 

[The_Lhc]

plane_co: So, I connected it to my Sky+ box (non HD) via the EXT (RGB) breakout cable and using a QED SCART lead.

What exactly do you mean by "the EXT (RGB) breakout cable"?

Surely you just plug the QED scart lead into the scart socket on the back of the Sky+ box? The one marked TV, not the video one obviously. And check that the Sky+ box is outputting RGB in the picture settings, I think it's set to that by default, so it probably isn't that.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, sorry probably not clear in my opening gambit...

The EXT (RGB) socket is on the TV, there is no actual SCART socket on the set. The supplied cable for the ext socket converts it to a SCART socket.

I'll check the setting on the sky box tonight.

 

[The_Lhc]

Oh, yes I see, hmmm, manual says it can be an input or output, but I can't see anywhere in the manual where you specify how you're using it. Is there anything in the menus to indicate whether it's accepting a signal or trying to output a signal through this connector?

 

[tvspecv]

this set is better through hdmi for scart it is dreadful for hd much better

check that your sky plus setting (picture) are set to rgb not pal might make a difference

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply

Do you know if I can connect standard Sky+ box through hdmi connection ?

I'll check the sky+ picture setting is rgb tonight.

 

[tvspecv]

no you cant set the picture to default movie adjust the sharpness to about 50 and turn the 200hz motion off (dynamic contrast should always be medium or high this setting should help.

 

[Anonymous]

OK, just thought I would update this thread...

If you do buy this set, do not judge the picture on first appearances

or do if you like what you see

.

For me, this is clearly not a plug and play setup... you need to play with the settings to suit the conditions in your room and to suit your own particular tastes. It's a pain in the A, but as I have found out, it is well worth the trouble.

Watched transformers last night with the Standard definition from Sky+ and it now looks great.

Playback from DVD's also looks great.

The basic sound with this TV is not very good, very tinny, no bass to speak of.

Added my jamo dvdr50 surround sound set up and it makes all the difference.

Just waiting for my Sky HD box which arrives on Monday to see the full glory of this set with HD content.

 

[The_Lhc]

plane_co:
OK, just thought I would update this thread...

If you do buy this set, do not judge the picture on first appearances

or do if you like what you see

.

For me, this is clearly not a plug and play setup... you need to play with the settings to suit the conditions in your room and to suit your own particular tastes. It's a pain in the A, but as I have found out, it is well worth the trouble.

The same pretty much applies for EVERY HDTV on sale at the moment to be honest. Not to the extent of seeing ghosting however, I don't think you should ever get that, you sorted that out presumably?

Watched transformers last night with the Standard definition from Sky+ and it now looks great.

Playback from DVD's also looks great.

The basic sound with this TV is not very good, very tinny, no bass to speak of.

Again, pretty much what you'd expect form a flat panel, there's no room to put decent speakers in the set.

Added my jamo dvdr50 surround sound set up and it makes all the difference.

Just waiting for my Sky HD box which arrives on Monday to see the full glory of this set with HD content.

Well to get the FULL(HD) glory, you'll need blu-ray, SkyHD is only 1080i, not 1080p, although it still looks good. Blu-ray will look even better.

 

[Anonymous]

plan_co, are you still watching SD dvd thorugh the scart adapter lead?