Can I use a Freeview box if there is no SCART connector on my TV?
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Very few of the current Freeview boxes have both SCART and UHF outputs, but you will have to check.
This is done mainly to keep the costs down, but it saves any possible interference from the box itself with the incoming Freeview signals.
So with the a few boxes - often PVRs - you can watch (and record) Freeview channels via a UHF channel.
However, the best possible picture quality is obtained using the "RGB" output on the SCART connector, so if you switch the box to a new TV at some point, you should use the SCART then.
All questions
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Tuesday, 21 June 2011
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Mike Dimmick4:36 PM
Nick: Well, I can only assume that the set overscans a bit more on one than on the other. No idea why it should do this, if the Sky box is sending the sync pulses at the same time on SCART as it does on the RF modulator.
My TV has zoom modes to reduce the black bars (e.g. 14:9 sent as 4:3, 16:9 sent as 4:3, which happens often on VIVA), any chance that you have a zoom feature selected when SCART is selected? Mine uses the same zoom mode for all inputs, but perhaps yours remembers the zoom setting separately for each input?
Otherwise you're probably down to hunting for 'timing' configuration options on the TV!
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Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Nick1:24 PM
Woodbridge
Nick: Thanks Mike, will investigate.
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Nick's: mapN's Freeview map terrainN's terrain plot wavesN's frequency data N's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 23 June 2011
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Nick11:09 AM
Woodbridge
Nick: Dear Mike or JB,
I have checked the settings again but cannot find why the Sky pic is slightly smaller and better via the aerial.
I have the same 'big' picture with the freeview box and would like to feed it via the aerial sockets to give a slightly smaller one. The freeview box will not feed via the aerial, though. With the talk of using the vcr, which I feed to the tv via aerial connections, is there a way to use this as my modulator? The freeview box has a vcr scart and the vcr is obviously tuned to 'transmit' to a certain tv channel which would presumably be used by the freeview box if successful. Would the vcr need to be on, rather than on standby? Many thanks.
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Nick's: mapN's Freeview map terrainN's terrain plot wavesN's frequency data N's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Sunday, 26 June 2011
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nick11:57 AM
Anyone know the answer re the vcr to use a digibox on a tv with no scart?
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jb388:06 PM
Nick: If you already have the TV in question tuned to the VCR's RF output, then all you do is couple the Freeview box into the VCR using a scart cable, then if you select "external input" (or whatever its called on your VCR) that will feed the Freeview box into your TV's aerial socket.
By the way the VCR will have to be left switched on to use the modulator, the only annoying thing with doing that being that you "might" hear (from actual VCR) the VCR's video head spinning for about 20 minutes or so before stopping.
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Monday, 27 June 2011
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John Fisher9:56 AM
I am considering a new Freeview HD recorder, for the switch in August, and have spotted a Panasonic one that has two Freeview tuners.
What I would like to know is will it need two aerial connections as with Sky and Freesat dual tuner boxes.
Thanks
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jb381:34 PM
John Fisher: No! as satellite equipment works on a different fashion altogether, that being why separate inputs are required for dual channel recording.
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Mike Dimmick3:25 PM
John Fisher: Satellite tuners need two connections as they aren't just inputs. They actually carry some control signals back to the low-noise block converter (LNB) on the dish, which tell it whether to select low or high range, and horizontal or vertical polarization (there are two receiving elements, one for each polarization). Each tuner in each receiver has to be able to individually control these settings, for its connection, to be able to access all the channels.
UHF aerials are completely dumb devices. They don't do any frequency conversion, and they are installed in one polarization, whichever is appropriate for your local transmitter. Therefore you can split the connection as many times as you like (though you do lose some signal on each split). The receiver just splits the signal between the two tuners internally.
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John Fisher3:58 PM
Spalding
THanks very much jb38 and Mike Dimmick.
Fully understand the situation now.
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John's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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