TNT par satellite problem

[Hereford]

Hi

We have TNT par satellite for French TV plus free-to-air other programs - in practice the only useful English one is BBC World. We do not have UK TV.

The box seems to have a problem, we unplug box and TV except when we are watching (every little helps with electricity consumption).

Yesterday when we turned it all on the box seemed to freeze at the point where normally it says "Menu" and then goes quickly to whichever program was last watched. It never got past "menu" and the zapper would not even turn it off then though the zapper worked to activate in the first place. Just to be sure we have changed zapper batteries but this makes no difference. Same thing today (we lived in hope that it would right itself...)

We have checked cable and TV connection to the box and all seems OK.

Any ideas please before we go to the shop and look stupid because it is something simple!

We don't know anyone  else who has TNT this way so can't ask around.  All the "English" we know have UK tv.

Many thanks, we miss the weather lady.

H.

[Martin963]

Curiously enough our French neighbour's Fransat box has just died,  it never gets past the start up stage,   and just goes round and round trying to boot up.

Anyway,   do you have the same problem with the dish completely disconnected from the box?

Which TNTsat box have you got?

[Cat]

It couldn't be anything to do with TNT changing from analogue to digital on the 29th March could it?

I wouldn't think it very likely, for TNT received by sat, but who knows?

[Martin963]

That's what our neighbours said!  Very hard to disabuse them of the connection (or lack of it).

I've been vindicated though on my original recommendation (18 months ago) that they should opt for Fransat.   Their "antenne merdique" (installed in the Dark Ages by Monsieur) is now only picking up two MUXs off Bergerac Audrix in spite of the increase in transmitter power.    As a temporary measure I've lent them a conventional TNT box which has shown them that the aerial would have needed upgrading.

I've suggested that they should get the Fransat box repaired - it's probably a blown capacitor,   the Metronics are very prone to it.

[Hereford]

Martin963:

The box we have is a TNT SAT Tekcomm TCT 1400

We will take the cable out of the back and see what happens. When we have had odd happenings with it before we have removed the card and re-inserted it and that has worked, but not this time.  I have checked that the card is the right way round!

Will post again later.

Thanks for help

H.

[Martin963]

I asked about disconnecting the dish as a short-circuit (and I know you've checked but belt and braces) can cause some boxes to refuse to start up - very sensibly.

A lot of these boxes are "made to a price" - certainly Metronics have a poor reputation in some quarters,  although ours have been fine.

[Hereford]

Well: unscrewed cable from back of box and then  turned on tv etc as  usual. TV came up with "searching for an update" presumably because there was no signal.  Previously nothing had come up on TV.

So: screwed cable back in and voila (sorry no accent). All seems well.   Very odd but saves a visit to shop so very many thanks martin963 for your input.

Have just turned off TV for now and will try changing channels etc later.

H.

[Martin963]

Fingers crossed. 

I'm not going to claim any credit here,   I think it was just luck.   But it's always worth trying everything.