Freeview

[Mumble]

My Freeview box has gone up in smoke - literally.

 

I bought mine several years ago when Freeview just came out - it was the most basic model available and cost just under £20. I had to connect it to my TV with a SCART cable and also plug in the indoor ariel (I don't have an outside ariel).

 

I've had a quick look for a replacement in the hope I can get one this weekend (I can't get TV normally as the indoor signal is too weak) but they all seem more expensive than I paid and seem to do lots of things I don't want and have lots of connectors that I wouldn't know where to plug in. My TV's the old box change channels by pushing buttons type rather than a flat one if that makes any difference.

 

Also, will the box blowing up (it went bang and smoke came out the back! ) have affected any of the wires or will it be okay if I can get a similar replacement just to unplug the wires going into it at the moment and plug them into the new box?

 

Does anyone know if/where I can get a really basic Freeview box that works well on an indoor ariel? I'd rather go and get it from a shop so I can get it quickly rather than order online if possible.

[baddad]

My Freeview box has gone up in smoke - literally.

 

I bought mine several years ago when Freeview just came out - it was the most basic model available and cost just under £20. I had to connect it to my TV with a SCART cable and also plug in the indoor ariel (I don't have an outside ariel).

 

I've had a quick look for a replacement in the hope I can get one this weekend (I can't get TV normally as the indoor signal is too weak) but they all seem more expensive than I paid and seem to do lots of things I don't want and have lots of connectors that I wouldn't know where to plug in. My TV's the old box change channels by pushing buttons type rather than a flat one if that makes any difference.

 

Also, will the box blowing up (it went bang and smoke came out the back! ) have affected any of the wires or will it be okay if I can get a similar replacement just to unplug the wires going into it at the moment and plug them into the new box?

 

Does anyone know if/where I can get a really basic Freeview box that works well on an indoor ariel? I'd rather go and get it from a shop so I can get it quickly rather than order online if possible.

 

Blimey - an indoor aerial! You must be close to a transmitter, I should guess? The ones with all the new wires etc are probably all HD - which is lovely if you've got a HUGE LCD that's HD ready, but pointless otherwise. If you haven't binned it yet, check the manf on your old one and buy the same again, as chances are the tuners will be of a muchness and so will the software - a bit less risky than buying 'cold' for one with a good, sensitive tuner for that indoor aerial. Remember you want freeview not freesat - unless you happen to have a sat dish you're not currently hooked up to on the wall outside. The scart lead you have should be fine - if anything had got as far as it it would have fritzed the telly too! The very basic twenty quid jobbies now often don't even have a box around them You just plug 'em into the scart socket on the back of the telly, then plug your aerial cable in the side. That and a remote, and your off!

 

Currys and the like should have something for about twenty quid, but you might even pick one up in Tesco's etc somewhere near the magazines for half that. Or try 'freecycle'.

 

HTH

 

L&P

 

BD

[Mumble]

Thanks BD Yes, I do live near a large TV transmitter - if it weren't for the block of flats in the way I'd have a good view of it - perhaps that explains why I'm so doolally

 

I did look up the make to find the same one but couldn't find any by that maker, so I'm guessing they don't exist anymore.

 

The very basic twenty quid jobbies now often don't even have a box around them You just plug 'em into the scart socket on the back of the telly, then plug your aerial cable in the side. That and a remote, and your off!

I saw these having a look on the web - do they not even have to be plugged into the electricity? That would be ideal if they work with my aerial as I have a slight problem with limited sockets in my room.

 

And QI starts again tonight - gonna have to watch it on my laptop - shame, won't be able to get any work done then...

[call me jaded]

I would go for a freeview recorder if you can stretch to it. There's some on amazon for under £100. Or if you buy a flatscreen TV you can get DVD player and freeview built in for under £200. Tesco have £500 of extra clubcard points on Tesco Direct right now - bought a new tumble dryer today. We have a TD counter in store.

[Mumble]

There's some on amazon for under £100. Or if you buy a flatscreen TV you can get DVD player and freeview built in for under £200.

... and you can get lottery tickets for £1! Sorry, I'm sure that would be a great idea but I just don't have that money to spend. I'm going to struggle with the basics this year, let alone any luxuries

[baddad]

 

I did look up the make to find the same one but couldn't find any by that maker, so I'm guessing they don't exist anymore.

 

 

I saw these having a look on the web - do they not even have to be plugged into the electricity? That would be ideal if they work with my aerial as I have a slight problem with limited sockets in my room.

 

And QI starts again tonight - gonna have to watch it on my laptop - shame, won't be able to get any work done then...

 

Could be that it was an 'own brand' name - like 'Matsui' or something like that which was currys or comets own brand at one point. they change the badge, but the suppliers are often the same. 'Techwood' is a huge eurpoean manufacturer who badge for all sorts, so one of theirs might be a good, cheap, generic model. I think the 'scart adaptor' ones must have mains as scart doesn't draw any power from the 'host' (unlike USB or something like that). So you won't be able to save a socket point, but at least you'd have the box-space free.

 

QI - Yes 8.30!! Ben is allowed to play X-box until then or until our (possibly-last-friday-night-so-we-splurged-on-a-shopbought-one) curry arrives, whichever comes first. Good old Mr Fry, the lovely old puff! (would that it were, would that it were, Mahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)

 

Happy freeview shopping tomorrow

 

L&P

 

BD

[call me jaded]

... and you can get lottery tickets for £1! Sorry, I'm sure that would be a great idea but I just don't have that money to spend. I'm going to struggle with the basics this year, let alone any luxuries

 

You seemed rather desperate! And were going out to buy. Any friends or family got one lurking in the back of a cupboard?

[call me jaded]

What about TVCatchup. My 11 year old just told me about it, lol.

[Mumble]

What about TVCatchup. My 11 year old just told me about it, lol.

Ooh, that's interesting, I've not heard of that before. Is it legal? Do you have to have a TV licence to use it? If not, I could save myself lots of money.

[call me jaded]

You need a licence and it is currently legal more on wiki

[Jota]

You can legally watch the BBC iPlayer online too without a TV licence. Some other channels have their own version too.

[Mumble]

I got my new Freeview box. I specifically asked the woman in the shop if it would work with my indoor aerial. She said yes. I've plugged it in and it doesn't work. It's only found 11 channels and the majority of them are, erm, 'adult' channels. It hasn't found most of the ones I watch - ITV, Channel 4, E4, Dave...

 

Would I be allowed to take it back and say it don't work and get my money back or is it my fault it doesn't work because of the aerial I'm using? The woman did say it would work, but I don't have any evidence she did say that.

[chris54]

We got a new digital telly a few month ago, We have a real problem with the signal keep dropping out, I know where we live there is a poor signal to start with, we all have to have monster outside aerials to get anything at all.

 

I find that the slightest thing upsets it. Even wiggling the aerial plug on the back makes a different. And whats going on on the screen. Why cant we have our old analog back.

 

Then there's digital radio, got one of them, rubbish, switched it back to FM.

[baddad]

If you've kept the receipt and original packaging I think you can take it back anyway as long as you do so quickly (I think it's 14 days?). Don't bother with the woman 'admitting' what she told you, just say you asked, were told it would be okay on an indooer aerial and it's not, so it must 'therefore be faulty' and return it as such! They'll no doubt plug it into the stores socket and the HUGE aerial /splitter they have, tune it and say 'see it does work', but you just have to stick toy your guns and say 'no - it works here - not in my flat, on my indoor aerial which is specifically what I asked about when looking for a replacement for my defunct old one which did work perfectly well in my flat on my indoor aerial' (that pre-empts them saying, 'well we're not responsible for the equipment you're plugging it into and that's what's causing your problem', because you are stating that with a different model your equipment does work, and it is only the poor quality of the new one that's at fault). Be prepared to take an alternative model (not a like for like swap, because obviously the shoddy goods they've just sold you aren't as advertised, by their sales woman, as up to the task of working from an indoor aerial) and then be prepared to take that back if necessary!

I know that's all a bit confrontational and doesn't come easy, but you just have to put yourself in the right frame of mind by thinking about how badly you've been mislead. You bought it in good faith after asking, and being reassured on, all the right questions and they sold you a pup! As long as you stick to the 'not fit for purpose' - the purpose being the purpose you told their salesperson (regardless of whether she denies it or not - but chances are she won't because outright lies are much harder than 'I don't rememember' which leaves you, by default, in the right because you do remember) - reason for return, take it back immediately and stick to your guns I don't think there's much they can do but offer an alternative or money back once it's established that you don't want the same model again as you don't have faith in the product after the first one was found 'unfit for purpose'...

Of course, I may be wrong about the 14 days thing, but maybe someone else will know? That said, even if it is wrong, the bod in the store might not know that! TBH half an hour arguing with an indignant customer costs more than they make in profit on the sale of an item like this, so unless you come up against a real dig-me-heels-in type they'll cave in anyway!

 

Many Happy Returns.

 

L&P

 

BD

[Mumble]

Thanks BD I shall go and be 'persuasive' with your script tomorrow. I've had a look at lots of reviews for boxes and found one that people say has worked really well with indoor aerials so I'm going to try and get one of them instead even though it's a little more expensive than the one I will be taking back. If that doesn't work, not sure what I'll do - choice is a few channels or no channels

[call me jaded]

They might try to sell you a signal booster. You can politely decline. Because you asked before you bought, the sale was conditional on the product working as assured. This is technically a verbal contract and it does not need to be written down in any way. They should refund you without any quibbles.

 

If it's any consolation I never took anything back until I was about 25 - charity shops did really well out of me!

[Mumble]

Aaaaarrrrrrrggggghhhhh!

 

So I went back to the shop, first thing in the morning so they wouldn't have had any irate customers and would be in a good mood (good plan? huh? )

 

Explained the problem, told them the one I would like as a replacement (one they sold and in its review says specifically good for indoor aerial). They didn't have it in stock and told me all the other London stores that did. Most were in areas I didn't know and wasn't feeling up to venturing somewhere unknown, so I walked miles (literally) to the one in a place I did know.

 

Explained the issue again. They were fine, did a swap, I had to pay the difference, cost about £10 more than I wanted to pay (so no choccy or donuts this week ) but I thought well, if it works... Explained and was reassured that it would work with an indoor aerial and the booster whatsit I have.

 

Got it home, plugged it in, it searched for channels. And searched. And searched. And it found channels - so long as I want to watch the adult channels (why do they have a better signal???? ) or the home shopping channels. I give up, dunno what to do - my old one isn't made anymore and is beyond repair - the transistor blew, whatever that means , an electrician looked at it for me.

 

So option is probably to keep the box as when I live somewhere nicer with a proper aerial it should work. But (oh yes, always a but) - it whistles like anything, even when on standby. The only way to stop it whistling is to unplug it but then I have to retune it to watch my adult channels It may be worse because I'm feeling ultra sensitive at the moment and living in ear defenders anyhoo, so I may wait and see if it still seems unbearable in a few days. But if it is, can I really take it back because it whistles?? Maybe this is just a hint that I shouldn't be watching telly and should be focusing on my studies. :lol: