can you get freeview on tv without scarts?

hotpot1000

Thanks again for all your help everyone
From memory, the other 2 sockets are just grey metal and stand out from the back of tv, I will have to have a proper look at all sockets in a couple of weeks when I go around.
ta for explaining all ins n outs

peterbaker

Hi there ...

I had exactly the same problem setting my elderly parents up with Freeview and eventually replaced their tv. The reason actually wasn't because the freeview box had no modulated RF output, it was because my parents insisted on continuing to receive two local analogue stations which at the time had not started broadcasting digital. I was able to arrange that of course, but they were getting confused with how it all linked together and how to switch between analogue and digital. They also had to contend with an old VCR and a new DVD and again, how to switch between them.

There were also bedding down problems with the aerial. At first I managed to get digital signals with their original aerial. However, it was far too sensitive to upset and they were frustrated from time to time with broken reception. So if your uncle has an older aerial, might be best to budget for a new one from the outset.

If your uncle is getting on a bit, and because you are adding an extra box and remote, you might need to consider the problems of how easily he will be able to operate it with no knowledge of SCART/line in/line out/AV-TV switching and the like. I found that managing a good solution for that was a bigger problem than choosing the kit.

Might I suggest, again if your uncle is old, that you need to manage the associated power sockets too. It is far to easy to have multiplug adapters spewing cables like spaghetti around an older tv thesedays. My parents were unsure which ones they could switch off at night.

In such a case, a separate RF modulator (and power supply) would just be one more thing to worry about/get confused about.

MarkyMarkD

peterbaker wrote: »

My parents were unsure which ones they could switch off at night.

Easy - just leave them all on.

Really all this unplugging/switching things off at night is extremely unnecessary and paranoid.

hotpot1000

well my uncle is a bit OCD so could be paranoid, I just replaced his old phone for a digital one and he went crazy when he saw it had 2 leads- 1 for he electric as well as one for phone socket.
But he has a new digital aerial, which is a plus.
I'll probably aim for freeview into the video option.
Thanks

BexTech

That would be a new aerial for digital, as there is no such thing as a digital aerial, an aerial is an aerial, just that at the moment the digital channels are transmitted at much lower power, so you need an aerial that has higher gain to pick up the weaker signals which would be the same if it was weak analogue channels. Some people are in a strong signal area, hence not having the need for a new aerial.

ryouga

Only thing I could suggest is getting a VCR with scart, very cheap you can pick one up for around £5 at market now, even ones which a few years ago were £100 new! I got a Sony one which was top of the range only 3 or 4 years ago!