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Anonymous User
Not applicable

AV Output/Lead Sound Issue...?

Hello,

I purchased a NOW TV White Box a day and a half ago & already had quite a bit of hassle setting it up. I am connecting it to an old Hitachi CL28W440AN (CRT) TV which has no HDMI inputs, only SCART(s) and AV/composite inputs.

I can actually connect it with HDMI using an HDMI2AV adaptor then running av leads from the adaptor into a SCART adaptor OR av leads directly into composite inputs on the telly, both methods work BUT I run into the 'purple screen' issue which I have already read a lot about and seems an absolute nightmare. I have already tried some of the suggested methods of remedying that, but frankly have no intention whatsoever of faffing around bending down unplugging powering things on and off repeatedly etc etc.

Which brings me to the main point of my posting. Having settled on only being able to use it with this old telly using AV direct from the port on the NOW TV Box, I am getting issues where

a) if I push the jack all the way into the box it doesn't work properly (sound & vision all screwed) - so I have to have it sort of half way in which feels a bit amateurish but does work.

b) with the above method, although the picture is perfect as is the quality of the sound, I am only getting sound through one branch (the white one). Hence am only getting sound out of one speaker on the TV (which IS stereo). If I put the white lead into the red input on the TV it just makes the sound come out of the opposite speaker I.e. right. The red sound lead seems to be doing nothing.

Ring any bells with anyone else?

The AV lead I am using is NOT the official Sky one but IS surely exactly the same type indeed I did my research before buying just I don't see the point in paying £5 for a 2 quid lead. Is there something hidden on the official Sky lead like a special shape on the jack that goes into the NOW TV Box?

The box outputs in stereo using HDMI but alas no picture due to dreaded purple screen as already described.

For something I only really bought to 'catch up' on some TV occasionally (as I don't like watching on a little smartphone screen), I feel it's already given me a fair bit of stress, starting to have an "if it seems too good to be true it usually is" taste to it...

I would appreciate any advice on the above technical issue (the AV sound one, unless someone actually found a silver bullet one-time fix for the purple screen).

I can understand Sky not including AV cables in each package, as obviously most people won't need them. However, it would be a nice touch perhaps if they could stick them in the post complimentary, it would sugar the pill a bit, so to speak, for the likes of myself who already have our work cut out trying to get the box to work.

Thanks
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Anonymous User
Not applicable

You need the official Sky cable. Others have different lengths on the polls, have ground in different positions and can have colours the wrong way around. Unfortunately there was never a standard set, so camcorder makers just did what they wanted. 

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18 REPLIES 18
Anonymous User
Not applicable

You need the official Sky cable. Others have different lengths on the polls, have ground in different positions and can have colours the wrong way around. Unfortunately there was never a standard set, so camcorder makers just did what they wanted. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I have the same issue with my quality lead. In reply to " so camcorder makers just did what they wanted " doesn't work with me. I have sold 3 phono to 3.5mm jacks in the trade and they all work with Camcorders and TV's alike with no compatability issues. A normal av cable should work with the NOWTV box, if that's not the case, then unfortunately it is SKY who have designed it to work only with their lead to create more revenue. It has to be said that SKY love to make it difficult. You will have to live with a mono signal and dodgy connection or succumb to SKY's prices. 

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User the "Sky" cable which is supplied by Roku is exactly the same as the one made by Nokia. There is no such thing as a "normal av cable", just lots which look similar.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Well let's agree to disagree on that point! It still doesn't help those that require a lead to fit the box which works with fine everything else in the home!

Anonymous User
Not applicable

worthyness wrote:

Well let's agree to disagree on that point! It still doesn't help those that require a lead to fit the box which works with fine everything else in the home!


I can't agree to that. For example Apple used two different layouts between the iPod and the iBook. This post about the Raspberry Pi B+ shows at least 5 variations of cables and this post about different cables has the line "again, without a set standard, the pinouts inside the female socket from one manufacturer to the next could change."

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@Anonymous User I know it sounds strange, but @Anonymous User is right on this one. When we first launched the white box, we checked stacks of different cables and the poles are different lengths on them, as we were temporarily out of stock of the correct ones.

 

The cable for the box is a proprietary cable designed by Roku. I agree it'd make more sense if there was a common standard, but unfortunately that's not the case. The Nokia AV cable for some of their older handsets (I think it was the N95s and later N series models) does work - again, that's a proprietary Nokia cable that just happens to have poles of the right lengths and in the right order.

 

The best way to get watching is to get the correct cable. I know £5 seems like a lot, but if it's any consolation, it costs more than that for us to acquire them and post them out. We're not profiteering from selling them.

 

Lastly, on the purple screen issue, that'll be happening because the HDMI output on the box uses HDCP for content protection. There's no "handshake" if it's not connected to a TV at the other end, which is why the box shows a purple screen instead.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

ukbobboy
Legend

Dear Tom-R

 

This may seem a silly question but bear with me because I believe it may become increasingly important as users/customers try to connect Now TV boxes and other devices to older TVs.

 

HDCP is a protection protocol designed to prevent the copying of digital multi-media, obviously when something goes wrong users/customers are left with a blank purple screen as the protocol is triggered.

 

However, I have noticed that a good amount of customers are connecting Now TV boxes (increasingly) to their older TVs, now I do not personally know when HDCP was introduced but I am reasonably certain there could be TVs out there that are too old to know about, let alone understand, the HDCP protocol.

 

Therefore my question is this, when is a TV too old to use with a Now TV box, as well as other devices that use the HDCP protocol?

 

 

UK Bob

 

PS. I also understand that HDCP 2 is not too far off from being ratified, which could cause even more problems.

commanda6
Legend 5
Legend 5

@ukbobboy wrote:

 

PS. I also understand that HDCP 2 is not too far off from being ratified, which could cause even more problems.


Hi @ukbobboy

 

I think you mean HDCP2.2 and it's already been ratified, but it's only used on 4K protected content at the moment, so it's only really used on the 4K content pushed out by Netflix and Amazon instant video.

 

As now TV isn't anywhere near 4K at the moment. I wouldn't worry too much about HDCP2.2 Smiley Happy


I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.
ukbobboy
Legend

Hi Commanda6

 

You said:  "HDCP2.2 .......  already been ratified, but it's only used on 4K protected content at the moment."

 

Cheers for that bit of info.

 

UK Bob