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PAL/SECAM 2nd TV query


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I have searched the forum but can't find the answer. Perhaps someone can help as my question seemd to be the other way round to previous posts.

Currently have Sky digibox and British TV via scart socket - no problem. DID have second (UK) TV running from the 'aerial' socket on Sky box - no problem.

Unfortunately the second TV has gone poof ( just short of actually catching on fire) so I need to buy a new one. I understand that France operates SECAM system L but that most new TV's bought here in France are multi standard. Loooked today at the shops and found most stated PAL/SECAM and BG ??.

Question is -If I buy one of these will it work with the output from the sky box aerial socket which I presume is PAL or is it more complicated than that.

Thanks - Tony

 

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'fraid so.. There are technical differences between the type of PAL used in the UK/Eire, and that used on the continent.  the 'B/G' you saw is actually  'PAL-B/G' whereas the UK system is, in fact, PAL-I,  and the main difference is a different size gap between the sound part of the signal, and the vision. most times you will get a perfect picture and no sound, or sound and no pic. The reason a SCART feed works from a Skybox to a continental PAL set is because the pic and sound signal come up separate wires.

('I' as well as the spacing means transmitted at UHF frequencies. 'B/G'  means transmitted on VHF/UHF frequencies)

Having said that, it sometimes works: a friend bought a little b/w portable in Stuttgart which would be PAL B/G, and it worked fine back in the UK.

You really need to borrow one first.

Good luck

p

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So if you buy a french TV and connect that to Sky via the scart - which you maybe able to branch to have the DVD come in via the same scart - or you just unplug one and plug the other, could you not then connect your UK TV to the digibox via the aerial connection?

 

 

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Logically that would seem to be the easiest solution except main (British) set is 28" and the second was a portable in the bedroom. Don't really want a 28" in the bedroom and then have to buy another 28" for the lounge. I was hoping to buy a reasonably good French portable and just plug it in.

Tony

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Check the Philips range;  there ARE system I sets available in France,  although if you find one that lists I in the manual make it a condition of sale that you can take it back if it doesn't work.   A lot of Philips sets do;  but Toshiba (for example) list I in the manual but it's greyed out when you try and select it on the menus.
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Martin, as usual you took the words out of my mouth. Having posted the above last night I switched off the PC and then went to go to bed. It was only as I was turning off my own Philips TV I realised I should have added a line about their multi-standard capability.

That might be the solution, Ssc.

p

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It's an I as HIJK!

Well no guarantees.   But it should allow you to watch from your Sky box via the RF (aerial lead) output.

re the Toshiba - well I'm 99% certain that in fact it was a sequence that went B/G -> D/K -> L -> B/G and that in fact what I wrote wasn't therefore quite accurate.   But as it's in 24 and I'm in Devon I can't check at the moment.  But it is a good point and I will verify next time we're over.   Presumably you meant select "UK" as the location for I;  in France it would look at L first.

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Last time I checked about 50% of the TVs on sale were both PAL I and B/G.  This was about three years ago in Bolanger and Auchan in Boulogne. Against this Carrefour in Calais had VCRs which were only PAL B/G on sale. Our El Cheapo Products 8 years old French purchased portable was both PAL I and PAL B/G.

If its a supermarket purchase get them to open the packaging and check the manual. Alternatively take a UK VCR with a UK tape and see if TV will connect and receive properly via Co Ax rather than scart. Alternatively if you cannot find a PAL I TV buy a 'Video Sender' ( which sits between sky box and first TV on the scart) and can then translit to a second unit which plugs into TV via a scart.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's another slant on this one. We have aUK TV working in France just fine with Sky. I fancy watching some French TV on a portable sized set (in the kitchen) but am dismayed at the cost of decent small sets in France. Can I buy a Philips portable in England, take it to France and tune in to Secam broadcasts there?

 I am expecting "Yes", but who knows?

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[quote user="Nearly Retired"]

Here's another slant on this one. We have aUK TV working in France just fine with Sky. I fancy watching some French TV on a portable sized set (in the kitchen) but am dismayed at the cost of decent small sets in France. Can I buy a Philips portable in England, take it to France and tune in to Secam broadcasts there?

 I am expecting "Yes", but who knows?

[/quote]

Possibly, probably, maybe, no, yes.... Grass is green. Everything green is not grass. Yes, all Philips TV's bought in France will work with PAL/I, my (expensive) UK-sourced Philips (about 4 years old) won't work with SECAM.

Best to look in the manual/ask the bloke in the shop.

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[quote user="nicktrollope"][quote user="Nearly Retired"]

Here's another slant on this one. We have aUK TV working in France just fine with Sky. I fancy watching some French TV on a portable sized set (in the kitchen) but am dismayed at the cost of decent small sets in France. Can I buy a Philips portable in England, take it to France and tune in to Secam broadcasts there?

 I am expecting "Yes", but who knows?

[/quote]

Possibly, probably, maybe, no, yes.... Grass is green. Everything green is not grass. Yes, all Philips TV's bought in France will work with PAL/I, my (expensive) UK-sourced Philips (about 4 years old) won't work with SECAM.

Best to look in the manual/ask the bloke in the shop.

[/quote]

Bloke in the shop won't have a clue and will probably confuse it with

NTSC, and the manual will be either be nowhere to be seen, or buried in

the box somewhere in the warehouse.

You'd be far better to make a

note of the model number and then come back and check it out on the

Philips' website where you can download a spec sheet and/or a pdf

version of the manual.

p

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