Multi Standard TV / Combi

[Wizzer]

Could anyone please advise me regarding Multi Standard TVs?

As I understand it, I need a PAL TV to receive UK programmes through a satellite receiver or a SECAM TV to receive French programmes through the aerial and one will not receive the other.

I therefore believe that if I get a Multi Standard TV, it will receive both of the above. If this is correct, can anyone suggest a cheapish model and is there a combi version with built-in video?

As I only have an old SECAM TV in France, I would like to buy something to receive Sky satellite progs, but don't want to buy a new TV and find it won't work.

Any advice gratefully received - thanks.

 

 

[PossumGirl]

Most of the TVs that I see here seem to be multi-standard PAL/Secam. We bought a Phillips plasma screen and that works fine with all formats. Actually, we're watching US DVDs on it as well, so I'm guessing that it also is NTSC compatible.

However, it wasn't cheap. I think it was around 2600€ at Conforama.

[Wizzer]

Hmmmm, that's a  bit out of my price range!

I'm looking to buy something in the UK to take out to France - the best I've seen is the following at £150 but I want to check it it's compatable.....

http://www.electricshop.com/invt/4066sam109094a&source=kelkoo

It obviously isn't a combi but at that price if it works, I could add a separate unit within my budget. 

[Baz]

The number of multi standard TV's that will receive French secam available in the UK are limited and tend to be more expensive. You are far better off to purchase in France where dual standard is the norm. Talk to the salesperson if you are worried and then if it does not work you should be able to change the set.

Baz

[Clarkkent]

Don't bother to look for a tv in England. Next time you are in France go along to your nearest hypermarket and decide what you want from the wide variety of brands and prices. You will almost certainly find one with built-in vcr and/or dvd.

It will be dual standard - all tvs now sold in France are!  Connect it to your satellite receiver with a scart (peritel) lead.

Why transport a heavy and bulky tv set all the way from England?

[Eslier]

You will find it quite hard to find a secam compatible tv in the UK. You might find TVs that are advertised as multi-std but you may find that this only means they are pal/ntsc which won't help you.

As has already been suggested, buy one in France and it will be pal/secam as standard. The reason for this is that all dvd players are pal/ntsc so aren't any use with a secam only tv.

Are you certain your old french tv is secam only ? They have had dual standard TVs over here for many years - it might be worth checking before you rush out an get a new one.

[Wizzer]

Thanks for the replies.

Re our current TV in France - it's an old Hitachi CBS288 if that means anything to anyone. There are no Scart sockets or anything similar, just an aerial in socket.

 

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote]Don't bother to look for a tv in England. Next time you are in France go along to your nearest hypermarket and decide what you want from the wide variety of brands and prices. You will almost certainl...[/quote]

"....Why transport a heavy and bulky tv set all the way from England?..."

Well one reason might be that all the French combis (of the VHS variety), which I've ever seen in the various hypermarche, are single speed. So if you've a stack of long-play tapes you want to wile away the winter with, then you'd be better off getting one on the UK. Try Philips which seem to have multi-standard tuners in them. Have a mooch around Comet or Currys and jot down a few model numbers (absolutely no point in asking an assistant if the model is SECAM capable as they - almost without exception - won't know the difference between PAL, SECAM, NTSC and Newcastle brown Ale) then look up the specification on the Philips website and check it there.

paul

[Wizzer]

Can anyone advise if a Sky box can be connected to a TV through an aerial socket or must it go through a Scart socket?  If it can it may be worth trying my old TV before I buy a newer one.

I know that some equipment like Playstations, will work through an adaptor (could be an RF adaptor?) so is there a similar thing for Sky boxes or would I just plug straight from the sky box with a standard co-ax (aerial) cable?

 

 

 

[andyh4]

Yes it can be but I think you are back to the incompatibility between a PAL digibox and SECAM TV - so it won't work properly ( only B&W or maybe not at all.)

 

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote]Can anyone advise if a Sky box can be connected to a TV through an aerial socket or must it go through a Scart socket? If it can it may be worth trying my old TV before I buy a newer one. I know tha...[/quote]

No :- you can't because the French TV (I'm assuming we're talking French), even if it is PAL-capable, will not process UK PAL (system 'I') properly. You will find that - unless you are really lucky - what you have is a SECAM/PAL-B/G set.

The difference between the 2 sorts of PAL is the spacing between the vision part of the signal, and the sound part. So you will more than likely get a beautiful clear picture entirely lacking in sound.

paul