Some Help Please!

ABajaninCork · 17-07-2010 6:46pm #1

Hi

We've just bought a new telly from M & S to go in our bedroom. It's on a chest of drawers, so reasonably high off the ground. When we first tried to tune the channels (no Sky upstairs, so terrestial only), the picture was very snowy, so we bought an aerial from Argos which is supposed to be compatible with digital/analogue/Freeview (if it ever gets here!).

Seems the aerial's made things a whole lot worse! Can't get ANY channels now.

Where are we going wrong?

TIA

STB · 17-07-2010 7:06pm

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Hi

We've just bought a new telly from M & S to go in our bedroom. It's on a chest of drawers, so reasonably high off the ground. When we first tried to tune the channels (no Sky upstairs, so terrestial only), the picture was very snowy, so we bought an aerial from Argos which is supposed to be compatible with digital/analogue/Freeview (if it ever gets here!).

Seems the aerial's made things a whole lot worse! Can't get ANY channels now.

Where are we going wrong?

TIA

So you bought an indoor aerial. A UHF aerial. That would work fine for Irish DTT. But I bet your TV isnt DTT ready. M&S selling products for the British market.

What is the model of the TV. Chances are you will never be able to avail of the "Freeview" tuner. Thats because we dont have Freeview in Ireland and use a different broadcsting system for digital - MPEG4.

The analogue tuner again that you bought in Argos will work fine for DTT but will not work for VHF which you may find is the band used for TV3 in cork. Infact I guarantee you it doesnt have a VHF tuner on the TV

Model of Tv. If its not compliant, I would suggest bringing it back, especially given you are dependant on terrestrial in that room.

watty · 17-07-2010 7:15pm

Take it back. All the M&S TV's I've seen are not suitable for Ireland.

ABajaninCork · 17-07-2010 7:27pm

Back again!

Sorry, I should have been clearer. the TV we've got DOESN'T have Freeview. I know Freeview isn't yet here, and suspected the telly being British might not work here if I got the Freeview with it...

However, the aerial we got does work with Freeview/digital, etc.

watty · 17-07-2010 7:33pm

There is no such thing as a freeview or digital aerial. That's marketing. It's just an aerial.

Indoor aerials are generally a waste unless you can see the transmitter mast out the window. Amplified ones are pointless. Aerial amplifiers are to drive a long cable from a outdoor aerial or to drive passive splitters for 4 TVs

STB · 17-07-2010 7:40pm

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Back again!

Sorry, I should have been clearer. the TV we've got DOESN'T have Freeview. I know Freeview isn't yet here, and suspected the telly being British might not work here if I got the Freeview with it...

However, the aerial we got does work with Freeview/digital, etc.

It also a UHF aerial.

Freeview will never be here. Irish DTT is here though.

What is the make and model number.

ABajaninCork · 17-07-2010 10:06pm

Hi - thanks so much for trying to help! I really appreciate it...

The make and model no is Marks & Spencer MS2251D, which is an LCD TV.

STB · 18-07-2010 10:53am

Take it back. Tell them it is not suitable for use in this country. The tuners do not work for Ireland as we use a different spec. That LCD was launched in 2007. It is for the British market.

When you get your money back get a

Samsung LE19B450C4WXXU 19

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/catalogId/1500002251/partNumber/5293850.htm

Half price the moment at Argos. 169 EURO. Has an MPEG4 tuner for Irish DTT.

ABajaninCork · 19-07-2010 8:07pm

Well - spoke to M & S today and asked if the set we bought was indeed compatible for Irish tuners.

They expressed surprise, and told me they were assured that the TV's were good for the Irish market. So I told them what STB told me here. Cue slight panic....:cool:

Either way, they're gonna get me a TV that will actually WORK here!! I'll keep the thread updated...

STB · 19-07-2010 8:28pm

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Well - spoke to M & S today and asked if the set we bought was indeed compatible for Irish tuners.

They expressed surprise, and told me they were assured that the TV's were good for the Irish market. So I told them what STB told me here. Cue slight panic....:cool:

Either way, they're gonna get me a TV that will actually WORK here!! I'll keep the thread updated...

Point to the Information to retailers part.

http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/National+DTT/Useful+Information.htm

A lot of the UK chains sell the same products that have been geared towards their main market ie the UK. Ultimately this means that people who dont understand the technology (people who dont read tech pages like this forum!) will be dependant on the retailer. Its unfortunate. In this case the branded LCD is made for a UK chain so it is not geared to Ireland at all (they are made by Matsui).

I think you have a right to get your money back in this case. Some good bargains to be had - there is no coincidence in that price drop at Argos another UK chain that is trying to get rid of stock no longer suitable for the UK as HD and MPEG4 are no longer 2+2=4 in the UK as they are using a diffrent platform in DVB-T2 for HD transmissions. To the benefit of the Irish consumer!!!!

There is a 26" in the one I linked to above (as found by Mike65). Its heavily reduced to €279. http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5293898.htm

ABajaninCork · 19-07-2010 8:47pm

STB wrote: »

Point to the Information to retailers part.

http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/National+DTT/Useful+Information.htm

A lot of the UK chains sell the same products that have been geared towards their main market ie the UK. Ultimately this means that people who dont understand the technology (people who dont read tech pages like this forum!) will be dependant on the retailer. Its unfortunate. In this case the branded LCD is made for a UK chain so it is not geared to Ireland at all (they are made by Matsui).

I think you have a right to get your money back in this case. Some good bargains to be had - there is no coincidence in that price drop at Argos another UK chain that is trying to get rid of stock no longer suitable for the UK as HD and MPEG4 are no longer 2+2=4 in the UK as they are using a diffrent platform in DVB-T2 for HD transmissions. To the benefit of the Irish consumer!!!!

There is a 26" in the one I linked to above (as found by Mike65). Its heavily reduced to €279. http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/5293898.htm

Thanks very much for the link, which has proved to be very informative! I'll certainly pass this on to M & S for their comments. As the set was bought with vouchers, I want to give them every opportunity to rectify the problem first. They did offer to give me my money back if all else failed, so fair does to them!

BTW - interesting to note the sets are being made by Matsui. I wondered who made them.:)

STB · 19-07-2010 9:15pm

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Thanks very much for the link, which has proved to be very informative! I'll certainly pass this on to M & S for their comments. As the set was bought with vouchers, I want to give them every opportunity to rectify the problem first. They did offer to give me my money back if all else failed, so fair does to them!

BTW - interesting to note the sets are being made by Matsui. I wondered who made them.:)

Actually initially i though that it could be a rebadged Matsui from the model Number.

Infact I gather that a UK based company called Cello Electronics actually are the people behind "assembling" the M&S TVs. In most cases the original manufacturer will never be known to the joe public as they are usually companies that you will have never heard of in Shenzen, China. And yes they are Freeview products, thats why they dont work here.

http://www.celloelectronics.com/partners/marks-spencer-10507

One of these ?

ABajaninCork · 28-07-2010 3:46pm

Well - after much to-ing and froing between ourselves and M & S...

They took back the TV and sent me another of the same model, which has the DTT (MPEG4) tuners on it. Although we need to get an aerial, even with tuning the TV in, the picture's much better. When we plug the HDMI cable in, the picture's brilliant! Sadly, we can't use the HDMI as the Sky's run off it, but a great improvement all the same. We also received E100 of vouchers as a thank you for our patience.

I guess this is as good as it gets though. Thanks for all your help guys, especially STB:D

Now - can anyone recommend a decent indoor aerial?

Antenna · 28-07-2010 4:33pm

STB wrote: »

VHF which you may find is the band used for TV3 in cork.

TV3 is only going to be on VHF on cable systems.
All TV3's terrestrial transmitters are UHF

STB · 28-07-2010 5:07pm

Antenna wrote: »

TV3 is only going to be on VHF on cable systems.
All TV3's terrestrial transmitters are UHF

Of course, its the RTEs that are VHF on analogue in Cork from Mullaghanish.

* VHF D / 175.25 MHz (Vertical) - RTÉ ONE
* VHF G / 199.29 MHz (Vertical) - RTÉ TWO

Glanmire was VHF up until the 90s also.

The point of course was about lack of VHF tuners in any event and its lack of suitability as a result for even analogue.

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Now - can anyone recommend a decent indoor aerial?

The one you got in argos should be fine. Make sure its near the window.
Anyhow a good outcome from M&S ABajaninCork.

Some Help Please!

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