Information wanted on VirginMedia VHD box

[cjcj1949]

I'd like to get one of these boxes to look at HD programs. My TV doesn't have a HDMI socket only Component and Scart. The TV is better than SD but not full HD but I get a better picture on HD via Scart from my Humax Fresat box. The VirginMedia info seems to say that you don't get a Scart output when watching a HD program via the VHD box. Is this true? I've posted a question on the VirginMedia Forum but it's not very active. It also seems very difficult to contact VirginMedia, does anyone have an email address?

[Mark_T]

The only HD box I know of that allowed HD material out over anything except HDMI was the first generation Sky HD box that shipped with component output, nothing since then has allowed this, mostly due to pressure from the movie producers as far as I know as HDMI allows for limitations on copying that you can't achieve with other means.

Also, your TV shouldn't be giving you a better result over SCART than you get over component unless something is wrong with the component signal path. SCART is only a connector type not a signal type of course but I'm guessing you are using RGB over SCART?

[cjcj1949]

The Humax box allows me to watch HD channels via the scart connector. The quality is better than the SD channels. I don't have a box that gives me a component output.

[Mark_T]

Sorry, misunderstood the original post.

The answer to your first question though seems to be 'yes', I think what they are trying to say is that you won't get an HD quality picture from SCART, not that you won't get a picture at all. Best to ask directly though.

I use Sky though so can't comment from personal experience.

[cjcj1949]

It seems I already had a VHD box. When we first had it it wouldn't work on HD without paying more. Now it works on HD as standard. It's the same as the Humax box. It's a better picture than on the SD channels, but not HD quality. Worth watching on HD though.