SCART three-way extension lead

[koster]

I have a TV, a Freeview box and a DVD player.

The TV has one SCART socket.

Normally I have the Freeview box plugged in, and swap this for the DVD player when I want to watch a DVD. When I switch on the TV, I automatically get the Freeview input.

I didn't want to keep plugging in and unplugging the Freeview box and DVD player, so I bought a SCART extension lead with three sockets on it. However, there were two problems. The volume was noticeably quieter on the input from the Freeview box than it was when watching TV through the normal aerial. Also, when I switched on the TV, it was on the aerial input every time and I had to use the AV button to switch to the Freeview signal.


So, I've now stopped using the SCART extension lead. Is there another way?

[mjwman]

Get multiple scary terminal box from Argos, eBay, or Aldi or use an Hdmi cable on any kit that has it.

[rojash]

SCART auto-switching is governed by one of the pins in the SCART lead (I think it's maybe pin 8). Not all SCART Connectors (especially cheap ones) bother to run all 21 wires of the SCART specification (partly because the spec itself is not exactly "official").

It may be that your three way adaptor simply doesn't have all the wires! (A full spec SCART lead is a very fat fellow).

[AlBags]

It is pin8. When it sees 12v it will switch the TV to that particular input .. until it sees another.
Freeview box will switch the TV input to it's scart when powered up so long as fully wired scart lead (with Pin8 wired)
Regarding volume .. check the freeview box/remote for a volume. Many have them.

[AlBags]

(otherwise new technology is going to get the better of you, and a freeview TV will need to be on the cards)

[koster]

This is what I bought:

Scart Splitter 3-Way: http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.208-8055.aspx

All of the cable have 20 pins on the plug, and the sockets on the splitter are also 20-pin. But does this mean that the plug could have all 20 pins, yet the cable inside would have fewer wired? How can you tell? The specification on that Tesco product page doesn't say.

My Freeview box doesn't have a volume control.

[rojash]

"But does this mean that the plug could have all 20 pins, yet the cable inside would have fewer wired?"
Yep
"How can you tell? "
Short of doing continuity test (or taking it apart) you can't!

[challenga]

Cant believe you paid £8+ for that...Exactly the same item from Poundland & only &1....XD

[AlBags]

Fully wired scart leads .. as has been stated before, have fat cables and all pins present and connected.
Video connection scart leads only have around 8 cables and pins fitted, and are very easy to identify. These are the minimum requirement for playback from an external device to another (like VCR to TV)

[AlBags]

^ Just look at the connector plug(s) to see how many pins there are.
If they are full, and the cable is fat .. it is fully wired.