Page 1 of Pulling hair out over wiring up DVDR, Sky and TV!!

Hi Folks, I`m writing to pick your brains. The good news is that today I treated myself to a Sony DVD Recorder RDR-GX300. The bad news is that I`ve spent the last 4 hrs trying to wire it up. Please can somebody help me?!

This is the situation. I am finding the Sony installation handbook hopeless to follow. It is if it has been translated from Japanese! I have the following 3 pieces of equipment which I wish to wire up:

1. Samsung TV (with 2 Scart points at the back)

2. Thomson Sky Digibox with 2 Scart points (1 says `VCR - Scart` and the other `TV Scart`). The Digibox is a standard one which comes with a Sky installation.

3. Sony DVDR RDR-GX300 with 2 Scart points (1 point says `Line 1 - TV Scart` and the other `Line 3 - Decoder`). The Recorder is UK spec and was purchased in the UK.

Currently, my main objective is to get the DVDR to play a DVD and for the DVDR to tune the channels and correct clock time automatically (ie very basic stuff) without my manually overriding them, which is what I am having to do. I believe my main problem is one of not hooking up the equipment correctly. This evening I visited 3 stores at the local retail park (Currys, Comet & Dixons) and was given 3 different suggestions of how to hook up the 3 pieces - hence I stumbled across this site which looks as though people know what they`re talking about ;-)

I have 2 Scart leads in my possession - another question is: Is this correct or do I need a third?

If anyone has any advice, please could they give it to me in simple language - I am an electronic illiterate!

For info: I live in England and all equipment is standard UK purchases.

Many thanks for any help out there - it would be much appreciated!

Grant

Easiest option is:

Aerial from roof/outside/loft/wherever into the aerial in of the SKY box
Aerial OUT from SKY to Sony Aerial IN
Aerial OUT from Sony to TV Aerial IN.

Now, Sky VCR Scart into the LINE: TV Scart of the Sony
Sky TV scart to AV1 on telly.

If you were to look at all the scart cables as "merged" into one cable, then you would have the Sky box apparently joining the TV and the DVDR unit.
To record TV stations, normal stations on the Sony
to record Sky, you`d have to set the Sony to AV1 or LINE 1 or whatever it calls it.

You may find the Sony will also show DVD playback on a TV station, as my Panny E50 does, but Emilyhoward (another forum member) has quite a few models listed that apparently don`t, and it`s no biggie drawback anyways!

When you hit play on the DVD you`ll get it overriding the Sky to TV scart, but not the aerial connections, so if you have sky wired to the bedroom too it won`t disrupt it by watching a DVD.
Obviously you`ll need to run the auto setup on the Sony too, which should auto set the stations and the clock.

If you want, you can add a third scart cable to have independant selection of DVD and Sky on the TV, but TBH, it`s not necessary.

Oh, and btw, you have to set the TV to it`s AV1 to watch Sky or DVD too.
HTH :D

Jimbo : oÞ

Jimbo, just saw your response.
I`ve just bought an rdr gx300 and cannot record tv stations onto it.
Sky+ works fine recording to Line 3 but TV won`t record at all.
How did you set up the TV stations on yours ?

Thanks

paul