Entertainment For Lively Minds
ATM: Converting HDMI to SCART or component input?
Posted by stimpy on 19 November 2011 - 6:33pm.
I have an old, reliable CRT TV with SCART and component inputs, but not HDMI. I'd like to plug an Apple TV into the set but that requires an HDMI cable.
Question: does anyone have any experience of the HDMI to SCART converters out there? They're all around £100 so they're more than the cost of the Apple TV itself.
Can anyone recommend an alternative to an Apple TV? A box that connects to the TV and wirelessly streams ripped DVDs from my server.
Thanks
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Eh?
Bloody hell, I feel so out of touch with the modern age at times!
Me too, hence the question :-)
I've got a 25-year old Trinitron TV which still works fine so I have no intention of replacing it with a huge modern flat-screen monstrosity.
I remember you telling me about your TV...
when I was researching buying one a while back. I have to say that I would like to have simply replaced the old one I had before. I'm not totally convinced by all that LCD business.
Do they make vinyl TVs?
Vinyl TVs
The case of mine seems to be some sort of ABS, not quite PVC but close :-)
I have used an HDMI to VGA converter
(not what you asked I know) and been pleasantly surprised by the result, can't remember the brand I'm afraid. Climax Digital offer an HDMI to component box for just over £60 inc VAT
http://www.climaxdigital.co.uk/epages/BT3449.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops...
Got to be worth a try
Western Digital?
Have you looked at any of the Western Digital boxes? They always seem to get good reviews and this one for example:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Digital-Live-Media-Player/dp/B002LZUHMI/...
has an AV output and you can plug in a USB dongle to make it wireless. There are some that allow you to plug in a hard drive as well. Coincidentally I've been looking at similar boxes this evening. I'm quite keen on one of the Hot Popcorn boxes having had them recommended but it looks like you can't make them do wifi.
Having said that, if you're thinking of keeping your television for a while yet, an HDMI to scart converter might be a good investment. HDMI makes it sooo much easier to plug a laptop into the television and the number of things without a scart output is going to increase... also, you get to add a few inputs to your television.
EDIT: I've been doing a bit more research... for my own benefit so I thought I'd share... and a box that's getting some glowing reviews is the ACRyan PlayOn! series of boxes. This one:
http://www.acryan.com/downloads/manuals/ACR-PV73800/English_PV73800_Manu...
is fanless (so silent) and you can add a £20 wireless dongle. Personally I'm considering the version with a hard drive but what I really want is the ability to stop a programme in the middle, watch something else, and then go back to the spot I left the original one at, just like a Sky+ box.... have you found anything that fits that bill?
Also, don't forget that you may not really need a wireless set as you could use (and may get better performance from) a pair of mains network plugs instead.
Digital to analogue
I think you'll find you need a box to convert the digital signal of HDMI to analogue for SCART. It isn't a simple problem of finding a cable with the right connectors. Try your local electronics store.
Apple TV v1
Do these still work? They have many more outputs than the current box; maybe you could pick one up off eBay.
I repurposed an old netbook by installing Boxee, which works pretty well. You can also buy Boxee set-top boxes.
Ooo looks like the ATV v1 has component and analogue outputs
as well as HDMI. Looks like that might be worth a punt.
Thanks
Update on my search
I cracked and bought a WD Live box (http://www.dabs.com/products/western-digital-tv-live-streaming-media-pla...). I've just set it up and the first impression is that it's brilliant. It really does seem to play whatever you throw at it (including Flash). The fast forward/rewind seems to work fine. There's easy access to YouTube plus loads of other Internet content including hours and hours of PBS. I'm not convinced by the need for a Kanye West channel but I expect someone is. I noticed loads of (ahem) classic B&W films available too.
It has two USB sockets for content (At the moment I've just plugged in a 16G stick in one) and it will find files (video, music, photographs) on (seemingly) any network device. (apparently it's even better when it looks at media servers but I haven't got one set up properly at the moment so I can't comment). It's got Wireless-N built in as well as a "proper" ethernet socket.
Only £90 and it comes complete with an AV lead (we 21st century boys are the ones that need to buy an HDMI lead for our televisions!).
On top of all that, it resumes a video from where you left it last time which not all boxes like this do.
The FPO has already suggested getting another one for elsewhere in the house!