TNT recepteur

[bubbles]

We bought one of these today to give us local satellite channels.

On reading the instructions it said NOT to plug it into our DVD but to plug it straight into the TV.

Is this normal or correct?

If so, it means we will have to keep plugging and unplugging it when switching from the British channels to the local ones.

Any advice would be really welcome.

[Quillan]

Try it, it can't do any damage.

[bubbles]

Thanks.

Here goes!

[Jonzjob]

Just as a matter of interest Bubbles? Why do you need a special 'recpteur' for TNT signals? An ordinary TV ariel will give you French digital reception. That's all we have and we have something like 20 French free to air channels. Our satelite connector goes into the sat. socket the normal ariel into the ariel socket and all we do is hit the buttons n the remote to switch between French and U.K. channels, tres facile..

[Martin963]

I think there's a terminology problem here!!!

Which won't be resolved until OP comes back.

A TNT recepteur (or decodeur) is for TERRESTRIAL (ie from an aerial (rateau)) reception of those twenty channels mentioned.  It won't work on a satellite dish.

However,  I suspect that OP has bought either a TNTsat or a Fransat box,  which deliver said channels from the simulcast on satellite,  put there to help out people whose terrestrial reception is poor or non existent.  (Such as in our region of France where we are STILL waiting for Limoges Les Cars (a very high powered and important site) to be equipped for TNT.     In fairness Les Cars is one of the last major sites still lacking TNT and it's scheduled for late April this year,   although I shall believe it when I see it as the authorities still haven't announced the channel re-arrangements for all the relays whose analogue transmissions will be blotted out by digital signals from Les Cars,   but that's another story).

You can as has already been said plug the box into your DVD (recorder?) rather than the TV.   The only advantage of going direct to TV is that the RGB signals will be intact and give a better picture,  whereas pretty much all DVD recorders I've come across only pass through the composite video signal which does slightly degrade the picture quality when compared to Red/Green/Blue separates.

Let's see how OP has got on!

[bubbles]

Have pm'd you, JJ

[bubbles]

OH was too scared to plug the recepteur straight into the TV last night and had almost decided to go and get a "splitter" today.

Now we are sure that the only problem might be a not very good picture we're going to have a go.

Fingers crossed.

I'll be back.

Oh and thank you for being so kind - I notice you said "terminology problem" rather than "total ignorance of all things technical problem" (which would have been much more accurate)

[Martin963]

My dear Bubbles

This sub-section of the forum prides itself on its civilised and under-stated approach to its topics!

Let us know how you get on,  a splitter box should do the trick but occasionally they generate a whole raft of problems of their own,  such as background ghostly images!

[bubbles]

Well, the saga continues.

We plugged the recepteur in via the dvd.

Good news is we get a whole selection of Spanish channels that we couldn't get before (did I tell you we are in Tenerife?) and all of them have a brilliant picture.

The bad news is we can't get the original British channels while the recepteur is connected.

So, I think we will make another journey and get ourselves a splitter to see if that solves the problem. Ghosts in the background sound interesting!

Unless you have any more suggestions.

Thanks for your kind words.

[Martin963]

Into what is your "British" receiver plugged?

If it's plugged into the DVD as well,   you *should*  be able to toggle between the two using the input selector (AV source?) of the DVD machine (assuming it's a recorder).

If it's plugged into the TV direct (ie into one of the TV SCART sockets) whilst the DVD is plugged into the other,  then TURNING OFF both the DVD machine AND the new Spanish receiver *should* instruct the TV to abandon the DVD path and revert to the British receiver.

If it won't do that automatically under the last scenario described you should be able to get the TV to toggle through its AV sources,   possibly by repeatedly pressing on the button on the remote depicting a screen with a little arrow piercing it from the side....

Come back if that doesn't work,   or if I've misunderstood your wiring....

[Quillan]

Bubbles, once you got it all running get yourself a Logitec Harmony 885 universal remote control (cost arounf £75), best thing since sliced bread. After you have set it up you can put all your other remotes away and just use the one remote for everything, even your HiFi if that also uses a remote.