It's a Smart-SCART
Buy Now...
For many years I lived in a totally SCART free environment. There were plenty of other forms of connection points but not a single device relied on a SCART socket as the means of its I/O connectivity. However since opening my door to that first SCART aware product (it was a new television), other devices have followed at regular intervals. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that the television was broadcasting messages calling other SCART devices to come and join it.
Silly as it may seem, the result was a confusion of SCART sockets all crying out for exclusive use of the one output device. That television set was never in more demand for its one SCART socket and I was cast in the role of arbitrator in deciding which devices would be connected. Fortunately help was just around the corner. Well perhaps not quite around the corner but near enough for me to get my hands on a Smart-SCART device from Bluedelta Design.
For those of you not familiar with Bluedelta Design, this is a company founded in June, 2001 and located in Melbourn (Cambs. – not the similarly sounding Australian version). Bluedelta is in the business of designing innovative consumer devices aimed at making a better viewing experience for the user by adapting technology for busy people. The company’s stated aim is to create solutions that make the home entertainment centre concept more enjoyable and hassle free. As mentioned earlier one of the company’s products is the Smart-SCART.
This device has been developed to solve the problem of having multiple SCART enabled components attached to a single television. Previously this type of situation could have involved regular sessions of connecting and disconnecting devices in order to create the required configuration for the evening’s entertainment. When this task fell to me, it could result in an outpouring of some strange sounding words (too indelicate to put down in writing) as I tried to find the appropriate socket inconveniently positioned at the back of a particular unit. This is not much fun especially, if like me, you suffer from a bad back and are not over-endowed with too much patience.
To look at, the Smart-SCART device is not all that impressive. It looks like a mini-gang socket constructed of black plastic. Measuring 185 x 75 x 30mm (L x W x D), the device has a power connection at one end with the rest of the unit holding five SCART sockets. Four of these sockets have a small red light that indicated which device is currently active and providing the output.
Depending upon your actual equipment and its features, the Smart-SCART is capable of being used in various configurations. For example those with a digital receiver (set-top box) with two SCART sockets could opt to link the television direct to the digital receiver which then attaches itself to the first socket on the Smart-SCART. Of course if the receiver only has one SCART socket then the television occupies the first position and relegates the receiver to the next slot. Other devices, such as camcorder, DVD player, games console and video recorder, could take up other slots. Internal record loop features allow for recording from one device to another.
At this point you might be wondering where the “Smart” part of the product’s title enters the equation. The Smart-SCART has built-in intelligence that enables it to decide which device has been selected on a priority basis. Each socket has been allocated a number which Smart-SCART uses to decide which device currently has control. The higher the input socket number, the higher the priority. So whatever device occupies socket input 4 will automatically take over control when it is switched on. Bluedelta provides several connection templates for attaching various combinations of devices. The company has also labelled each input socket with the most suitable device suggestions.
The Smart-SCART does make life easier when you have multiple devices competing for a solitary SCART socket. It has been priced at £34.99 and will be available from amazon.co.uk.
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