Digital Switchover and very old TV set

[Misky]

In a bedroom at home we have a television set that we've had for about 19 years that I sometimes watch channels 1-5 on. We have digital switchover on Wednesday of this week so I plugged in an old digibox then went to tune it in. The remote for the tv doesn't have the AV button. I think it may have been made before there was any choice and analogue was all there was so the set won't be able to work at all. Does anyone know? Is a trip to the skip on the cards?

[VHG]

If the TV has a scart socket then it will have some sort of button on the remote to switch it to that outlet.

It many not say "AV" but maybe have some other symbol, some remotes have a small arrow pointing right for example.

Have a look on the remote and see it there is a button that looks as though it may do the same as an "AV" button.

[rojash]

The AV button had nothing to do with digital/analog. It's used to choose which input to display a signal from. So for example, if you had a VCR, you could connect it via SCART, and then choose to watch input from the SCART socket by means of the AV button. Some tellies, instead, just gave the AV input a channel number, so that the AV input was selected using (say) channel 99.

Prior to that, tellies didn't have an means of connecting an external device except for the aerial socket, so VCRs and the like would have an RF out connection and you would tune one the TV channels to match the RF output frequency of the VCR.

How have you connected the digibox?
What's the make and model of the telly?

[MichaelZZ]

You should be able to tune it manually without the remote.
Ideally, the TV should have a SCART socket; if it doesn't you'll need a STB with a built in RF modulator. (Try Google)

[jrtv]

Put tv onto channel 8 then when you have your digibox switched on and a RF cable fitted tune in the tv via tuning knob on the set, keep turning until you find the frequency.

[VHG]

>>>the TV should have a SCART socket;

As the poster says they have already connected the digibox I was assuming (maybe wrongly) that the TV DOES have a scart socket.

[Misky]

It has a scart socket - I've connected that scart lead to the box and the digital aerial to the box instead of the tele. I tried all the buttons on the remote and went through all the channels manually on the tele itself. I don't know what make and model it is, I'll have a look tonight then try the help site. Things are looking up though, if the fact that it has a scart socket means I should be able to do something! Thanks very much X

[Misky]

JRTV - excuse my ignorance, but "tuning knob" - will that be a separate thing on the set? There's one for the colour, etc. and one that when pressed shows ---><--- Will that be it do you think?

[jrtv]

So instead of a AV button it might say exit or try 0

[jrtv]

You don't need to tune it in if you have a scart fitted

[Misky]

Thank you - all! I wish it was time to go home now so I could try this and impress the other half! Cheers x

[MichaelZZ]

You probably don't need the remote for the TV but you do need the remote for the digibox.
When you have connected everything up and turned the TV on, then switch on the digibox. You should get an introductory screen which you then scroll through, using the box's remote, to "First time setup" (or similar).
If you can post the make of the box as well as the TV I'm sure someone on here will walk you through the procedure.
(If you haven't got any digital channels yet it may be a good idea to wait until tomorrow.)

[MichaelZZ]

I meant to add that assuming you're in the Tyne-Tees region, the first stage of your switchover will be tomorrow. There will be more channels added to complete the switchover in a couple of weeks so you'll have to go through the retune procedure again after that.

[Misky]

Thanks Michael - I had forgotten all about first time set up for the box. We do have digital channels, I've just never bothered about getting them on the upstairs tv. I don't want to mark anyone as best answer coz you're all great.

[Misky]

IT WORKED! Thank you all for your help. Mind you, now I remember why we bought a new box, that one's rubbish. Still, a new box is a lot cheaper than a new tevision. Thanks again X

[MichaelZZ]

Before you splash out twenty quid or so on a new box it might just be an idea to adjust / readjust the brightness, contrast, colour settings on the TV - especially if you've been tinkering with them in your efforts to get the box working. Also, as you know there are a number of different settings on the box menu (screen format, picture scaling and output format). If you adjust these, probably by means of the box's remote, you may find some settings that are more to your liking. If you try this and are worried that you might have "messed up", you can always go back to the "First time setup" and start again.

[Misky]

Thanks Michael, I'll have a go at all that, but I remembered that we bought a new one because that one kept freezing, making the programmes almost impossible to watch. I have no idea why we didn't throw it out in the first place!

[MichaelZZ]

It's not an aerial lead / connection problem, is it? If your aerial is on an extension, it's a good idea to undo all the connections at the end of the aerial leads and re-do them. Also, make sure that both ends of the scart lead are properly inserted. If those things don't work you're maybe in for a bit of expense. However, as you say, a new box is cheaper than a new telly!