That's right, the seperate colour cables are the ones to get. The left/right/video lead is called composite, and the picture quality is naff ;)

Component is one of the best options for good picture quality (as long as your amp supports it)...

Cheers.. I was getting a bit of brain-fade there.....

I Didn't know you could get scart-component leads.... sounds the easiest option, so all the prossesing is going through the component input/outputs on the AV reciever... good thinking.. :D

My amp is the new Denon 1905... so no problems there..

Sorry, I had a bit of brain fade as well :(

The sky box is connected via scart to my dvd recorder, and that is connected to the amp via a component lead (so no scart->component lead).

Too early on a Friday morning to be thinking about this stuff (must go and get another coffee) ;)

PMSL... :D

OK.

Thick question coming up...

Does the optical cable I am using from my sky+ box to my AV Amp, carry.........
the video signal too?.. or just the digital sound.....

Just the sound.

Got the same with my xbox - svideo for the video, optical for the sound...

so I am going to have to use svideo for my sky+ and composite for my dvd player.

Anyone want a quality QED scart to scart lead? ..PMLS

Probably did well to buy the viera and not bother waiting around for the HDMI board for the PW7, word at work today is that there may well be no board until the PW8.

There are a few folks on here getting formats mixed up.

Component will only need routed through your amp if you have another component source. As this is usually only found on a DVD player and if you only have the one then you are OK. You will need a three core cable for this, usually terminated in three phonos or BNC connections. So if you only have the one component source route it straigth into the panel.

S-VHS is not as good as the scart output of your Sky+ box so long as you set the output to RGB. So to get RGB from Sky+ you will need a scart lead.

RGB and component video signals are different things. There are also different types of RGB signals but don't worry about that just yet.

Don't worry about HDTV for the PW7 it only has a resolution of 852x480 pixels which would not take advantage of HDTV at 1024x768 pixels.

The only advantage of using an HDMI connection would be that is would have less loss than your analogue leads, you would not get the full resolution though. To exploit these higher resolutions you need to be looking at something like the Pioneer screens.

Hope this helps.

www.visionarysystemsuk.com

Or one of the Panasonic HD models, i.e. TH50PHW7 :)

That would do it. No point the 42" guys waiting with baited breath though.

You're quite right, no HD Panasonics planned in the sub 50" sector at the moment. I do, however, quite like the look of the TH65PHD7 but at £9k I may not be allowed that :D

Its strange the Panas despite their lower resolution do give a very watchable, film like picture, and in many cases out perform the higher resolution units when they are showing an inferior source like Sky for example.

Pioneer are bringing out a 60" screen at under £10k, should be a belter.

Not a big fan of the Viera, especially when it's on its stand. Looks very clumsy and contrived. Acres and acres of body work for no reason a bit like a car with flared wheel arches but only skinny little wheels.

This would not be a problem if it wasn't for the fact that the panel is available on its own in a nice slim package.

Alot of the Sonys are like this too, thay also seem to have huge brackets that make them stick out into you room. Strange.

cheers for all the advice Chaz,

You say use the conponent leads directly from the dvd player to the plasma..... will the plasma still "auto switch" to the new source like the scart does?
I onlt ask this because I have now bought 2 sets of component leads (dvd-av and av-plasma) and this way everything changes with the mode setting on the reciever.

Is there a loss in quality doing it this way? or just more expensive (due to more leads)

cheers

No the plasma won't auto change, you'll need to manually select "AV4C" via the inputs screen (toggle the blue fast-text button) but if you're running everything through the amp you may well just leave it on AV4C at all times :)

David

Chaz, so you aint a fan of the viera because of the fancy packaging? not because its a sh!te telly?

I imagine the 37" has the better picture as the amount of pixels for the 37 and the 42 are the same, which (in my mind anyway) means that the 37's picture will be better due to having the same amount of pixels, but over a smaller area.

Very nice plasma all in all, and I personally think the stand looks superb, suits the screen perfectly.

Managed to get the 37" with stand for £2k from Curry's, couldnt find it anywhere cheaper on the net or elsewhere, a few sites have the screen for about £1850, but then charge around £350 for the stand.