Read this: Apple TV, BT YouView and EE TV boxes
Summary: We put 11 models in our latest test Apple TV, Microsoft and Netgear streaming devices, plus 8 Freeview/Freesat boxes such as EE TV, a Panasonic PVR and Blu-ray player, and new sub-pound100 BT YouView box. Do you want a set-top box to watch Freeview or Freesat TV, a PVR to watch/record, or a way to stream films and catch-up TV such as BBC iPlayer In our latest batch we've tested a variety of models and found the best of the crop. - www.which.co.uk
www.which.co.ukApple TV, BT YouView and EE TV boxes…Transcriptions done by Google Cloud Platform.
Lots more recommendations to read at Trends - ukfree.tv.
Summaries are done by Clipped-Your articles and documents summarized.
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
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David Anderson9:55 PM
I have a Humax Freeview HD box hooked up to a Samsung plasma TV. All is working perfectly... but, for the life of me, I can't figure out how to connect my old VCR and a brand-new Toshiba DVD player. I want to use SCART connectors. MY TV has only one SCART socket, but I've just bought a Bush 4-way SCART block. Result? Still can't connect the darn VCR and DVD player. Any suggestions?
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MikeB11:02 PM
David Anderson: Ok - do you know what the model number of the Tv is? That will give us a chance to see what other connections its has.
I assume that you've used HDMI for the Freesat box, and you could then use the single scart for either the DVD or the VCR. The reason why the model number is important is that 3-4 years ago you might still have had RCA phono's as imputs, as well as a scart. If you do still have them (yellow, red and white), a cheap convertor/cable will allow you to attach it to a scart. If you've got a newer one (I havn't seen a Samsung plasma for a year, but I assume they are similar to LED models), then the scart switcher is the easiest way to go. Having said that, your likely to get iinterference and its not a great solution (I've got one).
Frankly, I wouldn't have bought the DVD player, and I'm not sure its really worth using the VCR. Most customers of mine seem to have a VCR under the TV, but they simply dont use them any more. If you've got personal tapes, etc, then you can get a convertor kit for less than £15 and digitise them with your PC (tapes tend to degrade, and they will look pretty ropey on a large HD TV).
I would have advised you to buy a blu ray instead of a DVD player. They play everything, are smart, and of course use HDMI rather than scarts (there is a reason modern TV's have lots of HDMI's, but only one scart!). Its the new year models, so a bit pricer than the 2014 models were some months back, but you could still do well for £70 with the Sony 1500. Or have a look in your local Richer Sounds - still some 2014 models around for less than £50. DVD's are an old technology, and I've long pointed out to customers that spending £30 on a dvd player makes little sense in relation to buying a blu-ray. You've also been unlucky - most DVD players these days actually have HDMI's as standard.
As far as the 4 way block works - plug in both devices via scart, etc, and then the blocks scart lead into the scart socket in the back of the TV - power up at least one of the devices, and select with the button for that device on the block.
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Thursday, 7 May 2015
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David Anderson7:05 PM
Oh, thank you for this, MikeB. I'll have a good study of your advice, and let you know how I get on. I very much appreciate all the time and work you put into your answer.
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Friday, 8 May 2015
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David Anderson6:25 PM
Hi again, MikeB. The model number of my Samsung is PS51D451A2WXXW. It is connected by an HDMI cable to a Humax HD-FOX T2 Freeview box (not Freesat).
The TV aerial is plugged into the Humax - but would you recommend also plugging a separate TV aerial cable into the TV as well?
I'll take your advice and buy an RCA phono cable tomorrow. Thanks again!
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Saturday, 9 May 2015
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MikeB10:27 AM
David Anderson: OK - your TV is about 4 years old (was it even sold in the UK?), and probably only has Freeview, not HD (its a 4 series), so just keeping the Humax reciever the way it is is fine, since your not really gaining anything by connecting up the internal tuner.
Frankly, the Samsung is a bit of a pain to find anything on - we never sold that model, so the best I can do is either look at the back of the D550 (a more expensive TV) or an Israeli version of the manual. According to page 9, you can use RCA phonos to output a signal (this possibility vanished about 2 years ago from most TV's). Use the left/right phono connections on back panel, and use the yellow phono on the right to connect up for video. A cheap RCA/scart convertor should give you the chance to connect both a dvd and a vcr.
However, this looks like a faff, and if you dont need the VCR, I wouldn't bother. In fact, if the DVD player is still boxed up, I'd take that back , and put the money towards a decent blu ray. The new non wifi Sony's are £69, and a new J6500 from Samsung (so wifi as well) is about 99. 2014 models are really vanishing, and I'm not sure the prices are all that great compared with this year.
A general lesson is not to buy anything with a scart these days - you've basically bought the same DVD player as you did 20 years ago. Your TV is totally different from the one you had 20 years ago, and so are all the connections.
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