LCD TV buying and linking all the equipment up

LMT_3

Hi all,

I have placed this thread here but hope to hear a non-techy response!!

I currently have a very old 15 inch portable TV, an old video player and dial up internet although I have just been bought a new DVD player for Christmas in order to try and bring me a little more up-to-date!

I would like to buy a new LCD TV to link to my DVD player AND my video recorder, with a view to purchasing a freeview box once I have a digital aerial fitted, but I keep going round in circles, what do I get first etc

My Dad bought a lovely 28 inch LCD tv, DVD recorder and freeview box from John lewis a while back. There are so many controls to use and he is only able to record on digital and watch a different program on analogue. Presumably once analogue has been switched off tehn he will be unable to watch a different channel to that that is being recorded. Other members of my family have also bought nice new equipment only to find that it does not integrate with existing equipment.

I am an educated individual but it all seems so competely comfusing at the moment :mad: , with the big push to switch off analogue, HD readiness coming in and the fact that we will now have so many different appliances there are so many questions that prevent me from making a purchase...how will they all fit together, will there be enough scart sockets etc etc.

So, my questions are:

1. How do I ensure that a purchased tv will not be out of date in a couple of years without having to buy one with every gadget going at the moment - what are the most important features.

2. Integrated freeview in the LCD TV: Is this a viable option? Would you then be faced with an issue of not being able to view a different channel to the one being recorded? What happens if the freeview bit breaks down?

3. What is the best way of linking up the TV to video to DVD player to freeview box? Is there any way of limiting the number of controls that you would have?

4. My sister has a TV, freeview box, video recorder and dvd player. Her new freeview box only has one scart socket and she is now finding that if she cannot ever record the programmed channel...this is a difficult one to explain but if you have any suggestions....again its probably a matter of connecting everything slightly differently...

AAAAGHHHHHHHH!!!