Page 1 of Help please with Scart Switch box problem

My set up is as follows:

VCR SCART> SKY DigiBox SCART> "SCART SWITCH" >TV
DVD > "SCART SWITCH" > TV

No problem when EITHER the VCR/SKY is connected to the switch OR the DVD is connected to the Switch.

BUT, when the DVD and SKY/VCR are both connected to the switch at the same time: whether the DVD is ON or OFF, the SKY picture suffers - a lack of contrast, hazy, colours muted. As soon as the DVD lead is unplugged all is OK. So in order to watch DVD I need to plug in the scart lead to the switch only when I am using it, or put up with the poor SKY quality all the time. Not really a problem but the life of the connectors will drop with all the unplugging. The DVD picture is fine whatever.

Anyone have any ideas what causes the SKY picture to deteriorate when the DVD player happens to be plugged into the switch box? It`s a Maplin switch box - 2 inputs to one output, little switch to toggle between the two inputs.

Thanks in advance

I`m guessing here, but it may be a fault with the switch box.
If you have a switch, then I would have thought that one should be isolated when the other is selected. Maybe there`s a short in the box between the two connecters. What if you swap the two leads around. Does the problem move onto the dvd?

Thanks for the response. I think when I tried it that the fault remained with the SKY side, but I`ll try it again tonight. The switch doesn`t seem to completely isolate the "OFF" circuit as it is possible to see ghosted images when watching a DVD when the SKY box is still on. Maybe that points to a fault in the switch as well. Does anyone out there sell a 2>1 switch that "completely" isolates each signal?

Thanks

I`ve got the same set up as you (even down to the Maplin switcher, I think), but with ONdigital rather than Sky.

Mine works fine - I`d guess you`ve got a faulty switcher.

Incidentally, the Maplin web site said that it would auto-switch, but I`ve never had this working - how about you?

Heather: thanks for the response.
My switcher is the one with the small button to toggle between the 2 inputs
ref BM84F
it`s the one with the built in output scart lead. Is yours the same or do you use the one where you need to supply a seperate output lead (and does it do RBG)?

Thanks
Andrew

I`ve got the BM86T (with the no built-in output lead). It works fine with RGB (and is £1 cheaper than yours!).

My initial mission was to find a 3-way *automatic* *RGB* SCART connector for under £20, but I think that`s almost impossible. Incidentally, French supermarkets/electrical stores have a far better selection of SCART accessories than England.