Digi TV switchover question

MarrowFarmer

yorkie98 wrote: »

In laymans terms, your aerial should connect to your digibox first as if you have a VCR first (for example) it may output a signal which then passes on into your digibox and causes interference.

Yeah but the aerial doesn't go anywhere else, the output signal is to the tv via scart so any interferance is going to be caused by some setup in the box that I have no way of changing? I do have a VCR/DVD player plugged into the box via scart, could that be the problem?

Kurtis_Blue

yorkie98 wrote: »

Nobody said you could but whatever method is used, a dual tuner box does NOT need more signal than a single tuner, these boxes have circuitry included which compensates for any such losses, the same way as when you loop the aerial cable thru a VCR, it does not reduce the signal that then passes on to the TV.
The simple fact is that some boxes will require more signal than some others due to the different sensitivity of tuners used and manufacturing quality etc but the number of tuners is not a factor.

None of this however is particularly relevant to the problem th OP is having so I suggest we move on and get back on topic.

Oh and just for the record, I am a former TV/Satellite installer of 20 years experience and I now work as a broadcast engineer so I have the credentials to know what I'm talking about.

If both tuners are using the same signal there are losses, you should clearly know that it is not possible to simply "compensate for losses"

It is very relevant to the OP as it is the ONLY thing in the house experiencing issues related to signal quality, and I whilst I congratulate you that your credentials seem to match mine my practice experience with this type of installation backed up by knowledge of RF reception makes this a no brainier PVRs need more signal.

MarrowFarmer

Maybe you guys could meet up at my place and settle this once and for all. I'll provide light snacks and refreshments; winner is the one that fixes my problem first.

Seriously though the interference angle does seem to be making more sense than an overloaded/weak signal. Whatever I tried yesterday seemed to make no difference to the symptoms!

Kurtis_Blue

1. What box do you have?
2 Retuned it yet?
3. Factory reset?
4. New BBC channels arrived within the 800 numbers?
5. BBC channels on the pvr that are breaking up are your local bbc channels?

MarrowFarmer

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

1. What box do you have?
2 Retuned it yet?
3. Factory reset?
4. New BBC channels arrived within the 800 numbers?
5. BBC channels on the pvr that are breaking up are your local bbc channels?

1) Will post this info tonight when I get home, it's one of the ones TopUpTV were giving away when they had Setanta sports a few years back.
2) Had 2 replaced in the past because of knackered hard drives but no way is it covered now.
3) Have the "secret" instructions for the factory reset and did try this on Saturday with no joy.
4) Did see 800's on some of the tv's/boxes in the house but didnt notice on this one, channels seem to be on the right place.
5) All BBC channels (1,2,3,4,News, Parliament (not checked kids channels)) are breaking up. Everything else is ok but a little "no signal" logo appears top of the screen all the time.

Kurtis_Blue

Cool, the Thomson are not very good boxes I'm afraid, if you post the exact box and transmitter im sure some one will advise on whether that is the issue and whether it is solvable.

MarrowFarmer

MarrowFarmer wrote: »

1) Will post this info tonight when I get home, it's one of the ones TopUpTV were giving away when they had Setanta sports a few years back.
2) Had 2 replaced in the past because of knackered hard drives but no way is it covered now.
3) Have the "secret" instructions for the factory reset and did try this on Saturday with no joy.
4) Did see 800's on some of the tv's/boxes in the house but didnt notice on this one, channels seem to be on the right place.
5) All BBC channels (1,2,3,4,News, Parliament (not checked kids channels)) are breaking up. Everything else is ok but a little "no signal" logo appears top of the screen all the time.

It's a Thomson DTI6300
transmitter is "East Midlands."

I suspect I will need a new box but any help appreciated.

The 800 channels are showing but they have the same issue.

yorkie98

I would at least wait until Full DSO has taken place and then see what happens, looking at various forums, this seems to be a common problem during DSO1 so hang on in there and see what happens, any changes you make to improve the situation now may have a negative effect in a few weeks time.
In the meantime, take that VCR/DVD combi out of line altoghether from the aerial line and see if that improves things.
As the box was working before the change, I don't think there could have been much wrong with it, despite the fact that it might not be the very best box out there, it was obviously adeqate and up to the job beforehand and its the switcover which has upset things, so I wouldn't be too keen to rush out and buy a new box as it may well not be the box and a new one may not solve it.
Before the change, what was your BBC2 analogue picture like on this set? Was it weak or grainy looking, or maybe some patterning of the picture? This may point to interference on the channel where the BBCA mux has been moved to..

BTW, there is no such transmitter as "East Midlands" that's the BBC/ITV region. I'm guessing though that you are on Waltham in which case, full DSO day is 31/08/11.

MarrowFarmer

Yeah I was pretty much set on doing nothing until the 31st.

I was always under the impression I was on Waltham but the details on the box actually say "East Midlands."

I can't remember the last time I watched analogue tv on any set tbh.

Thanks for your help.

MarrowFarmer

Sorry for the double post but thought I'd update this incase anyone else gets the same issues.

Did some Interweb research and time again I came back to dodgy capaciters so I bit the bullet and splashed out £4 on a pair of replacements at a decent rating. With zero experience of fiddly electronics and a borrowed soldering iron I managed to get the old ones out and the new ones in tonight.

I had resigned myself to a replacement box so was in a no lose. Well would you Adam and Eve it, just powered it up and the box only flippin works again :T:j:beer::rotfl: