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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cuae2!ihnp4!cord!ebh
From: ebh@cord.UUCP (Ed Horch)
Newsgroups: net.video,net.audio
Subject: Re: MTS stereo decoders ?
Message-ID: <368@cord.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Oct-86 13:17:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: cord.368
Posted: Thu Oct 16 13:17:14 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Oct-86 01:33:11 EDT
References: <559@rna.UUCP>
Reply-To: ebh@cord.UUCP (Ed Horch)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Liberty Corner
Lines: 90
Xref: watmath net.video:3480 net.audio:9769

In article <559@rna.UUCP> dan@rna.UUCP writes:
>J&R Music World has one Recoton V-622 for $130. 
>I would prefer a device that conforms to the more critically audio
>performance specs of audiophile gear.

Well, you've just listed half of the MTS decoders on the (mass) market,
the other being the Radio Shack "Stereo TV Receiver", which costs $140.

I don't know how they compare sonically.  I bought the RS unit because
the Recoton unit does not decode the SAP, and the RS box does. 

The sound quality is by no means "audiophile", but I suspect that the
source is more at fault here than the decoder.  Hard to tell.

>	Since I get cable and use my VCR I assume all I need is a MTS
>receiver that will provide stereo audio output from TV channel 3. Right ?

Pretty much, but there are a few snags.  Consider the following 
scenario, which is what I had to deal with:

1.  Cable provides MTS-encoded signal       (win)
2.  Cable Converter does not pass L-R info  (lose)
3.  Local UHF station brodcasts in MTS      (win)
4.  Cable doesn't carry that channel        (lose)
5.  HBO et al come in stereo                (win)
6.  Cable system sends those on FM not MTS  (lose)
7.  MTS decoder is not cable-capable        (lose)

In order to handle all permutations, you'll need:

1.  A bunch of 75ohm coax cables
2.  VHF, UHF and FM antennas
3.  A two-way video splitter
4.  Two video switches

(All are available from Radio Shack) Connect them thus:

                        | unconverted
                        | cable
                        |
                  +-----------+
                  | splitter  |
            ___   +-----------+
     FM ant \|/     |       |
             |      |   +-----------+   ___
             |      |   | converter |   \|/ VHF ant
           +----------+ +-----------+    |
           | Switch 1 |           |      |
           +----------+         +----------+
                |               | Switch 2 |    ___
                |               +----------+    \|/ UHF ant
                |                    |           |
       Receiver |            MTS VHF |           | MTS UHF
       FM input |             input  |           |  input


Connect the LINE outputs of the MTS box to any LINE input on your
receiver, and connect the VHF and UHF outputs of the MTS box to 
the VHF and UHF inputs on your {TV,VCR}.  Here are the switch 
settings for the various scenarios:

1.  For normal FM listening, set Switch 1 to the FM antenna.

2.  For a cable station in mono, set Switch 2 to the 
    converted cable, and the MTS box and TV to Channel 3.

3.  For a VHF/UHF broadcast station in stereo and for any
    broadcast station not carried by cable, set Switch 2 to
    the VHF or UHF antenna, and the MTS box and TV to that channel.

4.  For a cable station with FM stereo, set Switch 1 to the
    unconverted cable, and the FM tuner to whatever frequency
    the sound is on.  Video is the same as #2 above.

5.  FM Simulcasts of broadcast stations are the same as #3, 
    but with switch 1 set to the FM antenna.

6.  FM Simulcasts of cable stations are the same as #4,
    but with switch 1 set to the FM antenna.

This same scheme, with slight modifications, works as well with
VCR's with built-in MTS decoders.  (I've done both.)  The only
real drawback of this scheme is that it limits the usefulness
of the wireless remote(s).

Hope this helps,

-Ed Horch   ihnp4!cord!ebh

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