All posts by MikeB
Below are all of MikeB's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
MikeP: Sorry Mike, but as a neutral party, I have to say that Steven is correct.
Full HD TV's were described as such (or often as 'Full HD 1080') some years before DBV-T2 tuners became available in about 2010-11. 'HD Ready' normally descibed a x768/720 panel, when you think about it, it just said that the TV could take an HD signal, even though unless you had a blu-ray, Sky, Virgin or Freesat, you weren't going to get it.
Think just how many times people have complained about having a HD TV, but can't pick up HD - its because the HD part is about the panel, not about the tuner. Now, fortunately, its both, although I was asked at least three times today whether a TV came with Freeview!
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MikeP: 'Full HD' has always been taken to mean it had a 1080 panel, and hence could be used with a Blu-Ray player. But those appeared before DVB-T2 tuners appeared on the market.
For instance, this is a review of the Sony KDL W5810 Sony KDL-40W5810 review | What Hi-Fi? (the only TV Sony has made with a Freesat tuner) which appeared in 2009, which only had a Freeview tuner (and would only have that, a DVB-C or a DVB-S tuner), and yet the review refers to it having a 'Full HD LCD'. Thats because it had a 1080 panel.
One of the reasons why the industry brought in standard descriptions was to try to avoid the confusion of marketing descriptions which confused people - HD ready - Wikipedia - hence HD Ready meant just that, and even HD Ready 1080 was the official terms for 'Full HD'.
Even now, there are plenty of TV's which are 768 panels and discribed as HD Ready by their manufacturers, which actually have HD tuners. But those tuners can't make a 768 panel into a 'Full HD' one.
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Alan Cadwallender: I have no idea why you can only get the channel for a while in the afternoon (I'll leave that for someone else to sort out), but Talking Pictures is available on 306, if you look at the link in your post.
If you can get Talking Pictures at all, then your TV must at least have an HD tuner, so you do have an HD TV.
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StevensOnln1: Agree with the HD Ready v Full HD divide - its simply the display, and was certainly around in 2008 (Full HD cost more), before DVB-T2 tuners were even tested.
If you want to see what people who ask questions on this site think that terms mean, you can see an evolution in the question they ask. At the time of digital switchover, when people could finally get HD via their aerial, the complain was 'the person who sold me the TV said I could get HD - so why not?'. And you'd have to point out that the panel is HD, but the tuner is not. Then you got 'I've just bought a TV which is Full HD, but I can't get HD on it - why not?' And you'd have to point out that it was a cheap TV which wasn't equiped with an HD tuner, and the emphasis on 'HD' was a bit of a scam (which the govt finally sorted out last year). Now, its 'why can't I get Talking Pictures?'
I'd expect a TV to be labelled 'Freeview HD' these days, although even LG still has one TV in their range with just a DVB-T tuner, which really annoys me (it took us ages to twig that it didn't have HD, because thats just expected these days).
However, Freeview Play is different - its a smart function, and its nothing to do with the tuner (although I'd be amazed if such a set didn't have an HD tuner as well). Sony's use Youview, which works in a similar way, but current Samsungs still just use apps (which smart TV's also use, even if they have Freeview Play/Youview), but of course have Freeview HD, etc. So just as the tuner and the panel resolution are seperate, so is the particular smart functionality.
To be honest, this debate is slightly out of date. 85% of the sets in a main showroom will be 4K, and all of those will have a DVB-T2 tuner, plus a possible sat tuner, be smart, have wifi, etc. You will be lucky to find an HD panel at anything above 50in, and the likes of Panasonic has just one model of HD TV from 32-49, and even Samsung has just two. And the prices are increasingly very similar - you'll pay just thirty pounds more for the decent 2016 Panasonic x600 4K set in a 40in than you will for the Samsung 5500 HD set. I was shocked to find that the 49in Samsung HD which I've always liked was more expensive that the rather better 4K Samsung equivalent.
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Patrick: We dont have a postcode, so we have no idea if 60% is perfectly fine for your location. And 60% is evidently OK for you. The only problem is when the signal strength is falling.
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Dominic: See Steves reply to David Chambers Mendlesham (Suffolk, England) DAB transmitter - sounds like much the same problem.
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william davidson: We dont know your location, or signal strength on various muxes. But have you actually checked your signal strength? If your masthead amp is pushing up your signal level to the point its overloading the tuner, then that would cause problems.
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Michael: Tell us the make/model of the TV - its perfectly possible early flat screens didn't have HDMI, although it might have DVI, but scart should be fine.
If you want to just buy an HD box (I assume that would be the reason for an upgrade), then the Manhattan also has HDMI/scart (I've got one), and even if the TV just has scart, you can at least get the extra channels which only use a T2 tuner. But if your not worried about the extra channels, then unless your TV has an HDMI, your not really getting value for money.
Realistically, don't bother about the idea of a scart/HDMI adapter - the cost of one plus your HD box is getting on for sixty quid. Since you can buy a new 32in TV with an HD tuner for less than 200 notes (we had one that was reduced to clear at about 140 this weekend), and perhaps one with full HD and smart for 250 in a sale, you'd better better off saving your money and just buying a new TV in the long term.
If you want to buy a PVR (and I personally would be recommending Bush - try a marked down Humax instead for perhaps not much more money), then go ahead, they should still have analogue connections.
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Tim: I'm on Waltahm, and it looks fine. The classic reason your losing a mux is your own system
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Friday 14 April 2017 1:28PM
Anne Clulee: I know nothing about the brand, but since it does have a recording to USB function Finlux 32H6072-D 32 Inch LED Widescreen HD Ready TV with Freeview & USB PVR Recording Black (New for 2013) (discontinued by manufacturer): Amazon.co.uk: TV , I assume your using that.
Can't help you about it freezing - the normal thing would be to start with a software upgrade, but since it was discontinued 4 years ago, thats unlikely. Perhaps have a read through the manual and look to see on the net if anyone else has used it in this way and if they've had a similar problem - it could be the formating of the usb stick.
Best suggestion if all else fails is to get a proper PVR with HD, and just use the TV with that.