Help tuning in a TV

Fratton Fred

Hi,

I've recently moved over from the UK and I have brought an old portable TV with me. We bought a new TV and have tuned it in ok to NTL analogue, but I can;t get the Portable tuned in.

Can anyone offer any advice on what I am doing wrong, the only channel I can get is E4 so I know the feed is ok from the cable.

Thanks for any assistance.

Mountjoy Mugger

I think the issue lies with the fact that it's an old UK portable. The tuner might not be able to detect the TV station here as we have different broadcasting ranges on UHF and VHF.

As far as I can recall, old UK TVs can only pick up stations broadcast on UHF, certainly since 1985 when UK stations stopped broadcasting on VHF.

The only solution I think is to buy a portable here.

Fratton Fred

Mountjoy Mugger wrote:

I think the issue lies with the fact that it's an old UK portable. The tuner might not be able to detect the TV station here as we have different broadcasting ranges on UHF and VHF.

As far as I can recall, old UK TVs can only pick up stations broadcast on UHF, certainly since 1985 when UK stations stopped broadcasting on VHF.

The only solution I think is to buy a portable here.

that would make sense. thanks for the advice.

watty

The UK VHF was 405 lines anyway. Most of Cable TV is VHF and Hyperband (between VHF and UHF). Some older Irish VHF/UHF sets don't have hyper band and thus not good for cable TV.

There is very little Cable TV in UK in the past, so UK sets did not have the feature.

L1011

E4 is on UHF on NTL I think, so that'd be why you're getting it.

NTL should be able to provide a STB for you for that box but it won't be free. This'd shift the VHF/Hyper frequencies to a UHF one that the TV can support.

Fratton Fred

MYOB wrote:

E4 is on UHF on NTL I think, so that'd be why you're getting it.

NTL should be able to provide a STB for you for that box but it won't be free. This'd shift the VHF/Hyper frequencies to a UHF one that the TV can support.

If it means anything to you guys, the TV only cover the range 400 to 900 MHz and E4 is around 471MHz, so this mayback up what you are saying.

NTL should (one day) provide me with a STB for the digital, but if I want more than one they will charge me their multiroom rate, which I don't want. Rather than mess about I will just go and get a new TV.

looks like another trip to Currys.

Thanks for all the advice.

Serbian

I think I essentially have the same problem. I bought a Panasonic PX60 plasma TV from the UK, but I can only tune in a couple of channels on the cable. I have Digital so it's not a big deal but I would like to use the cable channels sometime to record off while watching the digital.

Presumably, like the OP I would need a Set Top Box? Are you referring to the digital STB or some other device that would allow me to tune in the channels on cable?

Aquos76

A video would also work. Tune all your channels into the video and use that as your tv tuner

L1011

No, a very much analogue STB

Its the same unit used if you have Sky Sports/Movies/Playboy on analogue cable.

watty

Labgear used to do a VHF to UHF converter. But I think they are gone. I bought one in 1983 to convert Co. Clare VHF for my UK stuff.

The tax man

MYOB wrote:

No, a very much analogue STB

Its the same unit used if you have Sky Sports/Movies/Playboy on analogue cable.

Why would NTL supply an analogue stb when they don't use them anymore.
Also the problem has nothing to do with NTL. VCR route is the cheapest option.

L1011

The tax man wrote:

Why would NTL supply an analogue stb when they don't use them anymore.
Also the problem has nothing to do with NTL. VCR route is the cheapest option.

Guarantee you if you call them up and say "I can't get any channels other than E4 on my TV, I'm going to cancel" there'll be an STB out to you within a couple of days. Ditto if you have an engineer install and they can't tune the TV.

They "don't use them anymore" for pay services, but they still exist for when someone hasn't got a VHF capable TV.

The tax man

The TV itself is no concern to NTL. They didn't supply it so why should they do anything about it. The TV is not compatable with an Irish cable network. Is that NTL's fault.... NO.
Why would NTL hold onto old equipment just to sort out a problem that has nothing to do with them.
Next time your car breaks down,ring your dentist.:D
If you rang NTL and said what you posted above you may get a tech out but he's going to spot in 2 minutes it's a UK set, explain the story and options and then walk out the door.

You can't threaten to cancel a contract because your TV is the problem.

If you know where NTL have a load of old Cablelink equipment please let us all know because a guarantee you,you won't find any.

@Serbian What sort of stb do you have NTL or Sky and would I be correct in thinking you've a vcr(Irish spec).Should be able to sort that one for ya.

L1011

Clear that you don't work in any industry that provides a telecommunications service - you attempt to communicate to the user that their TV isn't "compatible" with a standard that -does not exist- (I defy you to find specs for an "Irish cable network" that aren't MMDS ones. 'cause there ain't any) and you lose customers. There is no standard for an "irish cable network" and hence the cable companies -do- provide equipment for users who require it.

Last time I checked NTL still did analogue installs - and because this is still a very real problem, they're gonna have boxes. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were still Cabelink era ones, considering the age of the "new" STB a neighbour across the road from me just got from Chorus :P

watty

Even the MMDS is a worldwide standard, but probabily not exactly on the On Air frequency. Both Cable and MMDS on the coax are standard PAL I (many countries) and the digital standard DVB. There isn't anything locally strange. It is actually the UK that are the odd ones out using PAL-I TV with only UHF. Obviously some manufacturers save about 50c by ommiting a 45MHz to 864MHz tuner and fitting one that doe s 470MHz to 864MHz instead.

Though there are other countries with UHF broadcast they are supplied with VHF/Hyper/UHF TVS so that they work on cable.

The tax man

MYOB wrote:

Clear that you don't work in any industry that provides a telecommunications service

How wrong you are:rolleyes: :rolleyes: I know alot more concerning this stituation then you'll ever know and what NTLs stance is on the matter.

Cooee

I don't think my question warrents a new thread - but I guess the Mod will decide!

I have Chorus Analogue cable in north Dublin - I have no set top box, just a cable in the wall.
I am thinking of buying a new telly - but online from Germany. Will I end up with the same problem as a previous poster that bought a PV60 from the UK? The problem being that the channels in the VHF range will not be picked up as the tuner will not cover that range of frequencies?

Is there anything I can ask the on-line retailer in advance to ensure that I don't end up in the situation?

Now to answer my own question (well sorta). I do have a DVD recorder that is tuned in to cable and that could work but I just wanna know in advance.

Thanks!

Mountjoy Mugger

PV60 is the European model. THe poster referred to a PX60 which has the UK tuner. PV60 should be ok, afaik.

watty

Unless it has NO sound. It needs to do PAL I, mainland Europe uses PAL D/K and PAL B/G. A TV only intended for German market WILL have VHF& UHF, but might not have PAL I. Without PAL-I there is no sound via RF analog. Digital RF (DTT, DVB-S, DVB-C) and SCART etc are not affected.

Mountjoy Mugger

I stand corrected, Watty. This was the PV60 I had been referring to: http://www.technikdirekt.de/main/en/lcd-plasma-tv/plasma-tv/121541/-/Article.html?fillspace=1

From the specs, it does have Pal I.

Cooee

so if I read the spec and it has Pal-I then I should be ok.

This is the TV that I was looking at:

http://www.screenmaxx.com/produkte/Panasonic/12000536/Panasonic_TH_50PV60E/info.php?osCsid=362e9e4b7bc44fb077534e0494fdb4f3

Thank you all for your assistance!