V+ Box connections, an idiots Guide

sapper

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V+ Connection Queries:


The V+ box, should be installed by the engineering staff of virgin's installation dept. However, it seems that they often are not trained, or experienced in the use of V+ connections.

As such I hope this sticky will be a list of valid methods, and fault finding advice.


There are numerous ways this box can be connected to a TV, or existing AV system, but in my experience, if possible it Is best to install it in the most simple manner to begin with. Here is the link to the V+ manual. http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/pdf/V+Manual.pdf

Change Display & Audio Settings Menu.

Finally, it will almost be necessary for you to access the settings menu with in the V+ menu system. The key strokes required to access the menu are

“Home” --> “8” --> “4”

This should leave you at the “change display and audio settings” page.


Sound Connections:​

The V+ has two types of audio only output, namely the typical left/right channel audio leads, and an Optical out.

If you do not have an AV system, but you have a home stereo amplifier with a spare set on inputs, using these outputs into your amplifier/system will generally give you a much better sound than using your TV boxes.

Hover if you have a dedicated AV amp, and then simply connect your AV amp to your V+ box by a quality optical audio lead. This will give you improved sound, and when available 5.1 sound as well; e.g. BBC HD channel. A quality optical lead should be available from a quality AV specialist dealer, or alternatively check out the cable power buys else where in the thread, or EBay?!?!?!?!?

We will come one to this in a minute, but if you use a HDMI lead, you will need to set the HDMI audio over wide on in the settings menu of the V+ box as described above


Picture Connections

The V+ box has three picture outputs, and in order of ascending PQ:

Scart:: Outputs RGB and composite
Component: Outputs Hi Def via component
HDMI The modern version of the Scart, carries RGB and hi-def signal

There are various methods for connection the V+ box to a standard TV. However always use the best method available, open to you, but often you will have to connect via scart initially.

Standard TV

If your TV whether flat screen or CRT only has scart connections, then this is the only system you can use. You will not be able to take advantage of the Hi-Def stuff, but it is also the simplest to set up, effectively connect and press go. Even if you intend to connect you're your Hi-Def TV to the V+ box, initially, at least you do need to connect via scart. If your plasma is a display only model, then you may need a Scart to composite connection to establish a picture on your display, so you can view the menus.

If you wish to toggle between 4:3 etc, then navigate through the settings menu to the picture/audio settings as stated above. You will then need to change the “TV Display Format” setting to your preferred choice.

Component Connections:

These are the three chunky leads normally in red green blue colours. These will allow Hi-Def signals into a component display (and DVD recorder?). Connect the V+ using both a scart and these leads, and turn on the display, with the scart input.

Then navigate through the settings menu to the picture/audio settings as stated above. You will then need to change the “TV Display Format” setting to Hi-Def Component setting. Follow the onscreen instructions, and you should finish with the TV receiving the Hi-Def signal on your TV

A ward or warning, using component will restrict access to some of the Hi-Def on demand content that Virgin offers, primarily films due to anti-priracy software contained within the specs of HDMI. However, AV-sales offer a gadget that may help solve these issues. I do not know how well it works but information can be found here at the AV-sales website.


HDMI Connections

Note: there have been several cases of people trying to connect the HDMI first time through the amp with no success. To minimise possible hassles, I would advise you to connect through directly to the TV first if you can. When you have a HDMI picture on your TV, and then add the AV amp into the loop, chain.

The HDMI lead is the one that resembles a modified USB lead of sorts. It is small and flat, and can only be inserted in one way. Having connected your V+ via scart, then connect via the HDMI lead.

There are several cases reported on these forums of the lead being faulty supplied by virgin. I would recommend a quality lead as recommended from an AV magazine for example. Alternatively check the cable power buy thread for a cable.

Once your V+ box is connected via both sets of cable; switch on both boxes, and navigate through the settings menu to the picture/audio settings as stated above. You will then need to change the “TV Display Format” setting to Hi-Def HDMI setting. Follow the onscreen instructions, and you should finish with the TV receiving the Hi-Def signal on your TV. You will then have to select the “V+ box Hi-Def Output” to an option of your choice from the four offered. This thread is not to discuss whether you select, 720, 720-Wide, 1080 or 1080-wide. Try them yourself, and use the picture that you prefer.



Other connections:


Scart – a Recorder.

It is possible to connect your V+ box to a DVD recorder or even a PC with a video capture card to archive your content. At the moment, it is my understanding that you cannot archive Hi-Def in HD quality, though you can archive in SD. DVD recorders again, as far as I understand can only record in stereo. Connect your scart lead to the DVD Recorder (or PC) and follow the instructions within the V+ TV Drive menu system. I have never used this facility, so I cannot help you further.

USB/SATA/Ethernet Connections.

These are currently disabled by the V+ software. Hopefully these will be enabled soon, and as and when they are, I will update this section.

Remote Control and Volume Settings:

Another regualr query is the remote control, and setting up the remote volume control to work on your TV volume.

Finding your YV volume code in the V+ system:

In the Home menu press...

9 Help & info
8 Help with your remote

Find the TV make you are looking for

Entering the code

Press and hold Vol + and the Mute button for 3 or 4 seconds until the yellow light flashes

Enter the four digit code

The light will flash and the volume up and down should then work, if not try the next code. More information on this feature can be found here

And Finally:

Please feel free to contact me if I have made an error, or you have further details to make this thread more useful. Moderators, feel free to make this a sticky, and to have all connection issues added to this thread if appropriate.

Adrian
 
Thanks Adrian,:smashin:
Having just had V+ fitted yesterday, I'm off to do some studying:thumbsup:
 
you indicate it's possible to set up so a dvd recorder can record from the V+ box but any idea exactly how? I have this set up

TV to V+ - HDMI
TV to DVD Recorder - HDMI (upscaling)
V+ to DVD Recorder - SCART

None of my channels are displaying the TV for recording of DVD though, just black screens and a grey one on HDMI2 (the port it's hooked to).

Any help?
 
you indicate it's possible to set up so a dvd recorder can record from the V+ box but any idea exactly how? I have this set up

TV to V+ - HDMI
TV to DVD Recorder - HDMI (upscaling)
V+ to DVD Recorder - SCART

None of my channels are displaying the TV for recording of DVD though, just black screens and a grey one on HDMI2 (the port it's hooked to).

Any help?

I will try, but I do not have my V+ connected to a DVD recorder/PC at present.

But haing read the manual, and soem other threads, I do beleive youahve to use the bottom SCART on the V+ box to connect to the recorder. Also, youhave to use the appropaite menu with in the V+ menus to oputput a source through scart when connected via HDMI

I hope this helps
 
I do beleive youahve to use the bottom SCART on the V+ box to connect to the recorder. Also, youhave to use the appropaite menu with in the V+ menus to oputput a source through scart when connected via HDMI


You used to be able to get a signal through the VCR scart if you were using HDMI but that was disabled in an update. I think you now have to change your display settings in the menus to get it to work.
 
Thanks to a post in another thread, added information onhow to over come the HDCP coding issue associated with HDMI connections.

Adrian
 
Information on the V+ box can be found from the manufacturer's web site.

There is also a PDF that viewers may be interested in.

Adrian
 
I will try, but I do not have my V+ connected to a DVD recorder/PC at present.

But haing read the manual, and soem other threads, I do beleive youahve to use the bottom SCART on the V+ box to connect to the recorder. Also, youhave to use the appropaite menu with in the V+ menus to oputput a source through scart when connected via HDMI

I hope this helps

Any further luck with it? I can't get it working even with it hooked up to the bottom scart. Which menu options in V+ as well? There appears to be nothing in the audio/visual one apart from auto recognising a scart connected box and that does nothing either.
 
Any further luck with it? I can't get it working even with it hooked up to the bottom scart. Which menu options in V+ as well? There appears to be nothing in the audio/visual one apart from auto recognising a scart connected box and that does nothing either.
Same problem here too:confused:
 
Hi guys - this might seem a really stupid question so forgive me!

When I get my V+ box I was going to connect it via HDMI into my tv directly. However, how will I then get the sound through my sound system? Does it get routed through the tv somehow so I can plug it in via optical? or should I plug it in via HDMI for the picture, turn off the sound on the tv and plug in a separate optical cable into my speaker system?

Please help :lease:

Cheers
 
Any further luck with it? I can't get it working even with it hooked up to the bottom scart. Which menu options in V+ as well? There appears to be nothing in the audio/visual one apart from auto recognising a scart connected box and that does nothing either.

I do believe youhave to use the TV drive recording menus to out put..

Press TVDrive --> 4 --> 1

This should take you to the Copy to VCR/DVD page.

Hope this helps.

I do not know if youhave to chage the TV-out under the TV & audio set up page
 
Hi guys - this might seem a really stupid question so forgive me!

When I get my V+ box I was going to connect it via HDMI into my tv directly. However, how will I then get the sound through my sound system? Does it get routed through the tv somehow so I can plug it in via optical? or should I plug it in via HDMI for the picture, turn off the sound on the tv and plug in a separate optical cable into my speaker system?

Please help :lease:

Cheers
Do the latter option. Turn TV sound off/down and use optical cable. You will appreciate the improved sound quality. In fact I'm surprised why more people don't route the sound through their audio systems.
 
Do the latter option. Turn TV sound off/down and use optical cable. You will appreciate the improved sound quality. In fact I'm surprised why more people don't route the sound through their audio systems.


Mark is quite right, in my opinion.

Routing your sound through a AV amplifier will produce a much better sound generally than the TV speakers. Additioanlly, the AV amp will decode and surround sound it may recieve be it dolby Prologic or smilair; or Dolby Digital with the BBC HD channel.

Even if you do not ahve a dedicated AV amp, routing the sound through your normal stereo, and placing the speaks roughly equal either side of the TV/display will improve the sound significantly.

I cant beleive how many friends I have who, always say how good my system sounds, but always use their TV speakers for DVD play back; they will not even place the speakers and use the stereo.

Shame, what a waste of sound...

Adrian
 
I do believe youhave to use the TV drive recording menus to out put..

Press TVDrive --> 4 --> 1

This should take you to the Copy to VCR/DVD page.

Hope this helps.

I do not know if youhave to chage the TV-out under the TV & audio set up page

So in essence I can't record something live off the television but have to go down the copy to dvd route? I'm looking at the former rather than the latter and currently the only way I can get that to work is to change back off HD settings to 'normal' and then it works regardless of which scart slot is used on the V+ box.
 
So in essence I can't record something live off the television but have to go down the copy to dvd route? I'm looking at the former rather than the latter and currently the only way I can get that to work is to change back off HD settings to 'normal' and then it works regardless of which scart slot is used on the V+ box.

As far as I understand, at the moment, yes.

You have to copy to the hard drive,a nd then archive to DVD/media pc as and when

adrian
 
Thanks guys :thumbsup:

I think I'm going to have to connect it via the optical and turn off the audio feed from the hdmi as you said. Although I only have one optical input on my AV so if I want to watch a DVD off my ps2 I'm going to have to manually unplug and switch them round for the audio (ps2 only has optical output too)
 
Is the component output also disabled when HDMI is in use?

This could just be a cunning way to output decent quality to a DVDR.
 
I think I'm going to have to connect it via the optical and turn off the audio feed from the hdmi as you said. Although I only have one optical input on my AV so if I want to watch a DVD off my ps2 I'm going to have to manually unplug and switch them round for the audio (ps2 only has optical output too)

Why not get an optical cable switch? They're cheap enough, and trust me, you'll soon get bored with swapping the cables manually ;)
 
I'm getting a V+ box next week and have looked through the (rather slim!) PDF manual but it doesn't really discuess settings at all. Could someone confirm whether all of the audio outputs work simultaneously? i.e. if we output the audio via HDMI for general TV viewing in stereo, does the optical output also work at the same time to feed my amp in stereo (or DD 5.1 if available). And do the stereo phono outputs work at the same time? I assume that if we're watching any 5.1 material, the HDMI and phono outputs will both contain a stereo downmix?

Also, I understand that when HMDI output is selected, both the SCART video and the RF video outputs are disabled.

Just trying to work out my cabling setup in advance.

Andre
 
Regarding to connections for recording, archiving from the V+ box, there may be some information in this thread here that may be of use.

Adrian
 

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