The stress of having a new television!

[CaroleF]

We have a rather individual, or should I say odd, system of storing our TV in our sitting room. We don't like having a TV as the main focal point in the room so it's in a cupboard and when we want to watch the TV we just open the cupboard doors. All well and good but it does mean that the TV can't be one of those huge ones, or even one of the large ones. We had a TV which was 26 inches, which to some people would seem minute, and it worked well, we had the Virgin set top box, the router and a DVD player alongside. Then John decides he wants a bigger set - well bigger for us - of 32 inches. This meant that the arrangement of shelving in the cupboard had to be altered - no problem John is very good at doing things like that - even to building extensions but that's another story. So last night he decided to beat the queues of today and went and bought a new TV.

This morning, shelving being altered, old TV was disconnected and new one connected up. That was the easy bit. Now John as I have said can do the most amazing things, but what he is no good at is when you hand him any sort of video/DVD/TV controller - absolutely useless. So we manage to get the Virgin Box, and the DVD plugged into the new TV. Then comes the switching on of the TV - all fine. Then you have to go through the set up on screen - hopeless! We have cable, no ariel so that seemed a problem, no then we got through that bit, the whole which country, which language - managed that! Then comes up - Weak or No signal. Switch it off try again. No luck. So John says he'll phone the Help Line - no brochure giving directions comes with the TV, all the instructions are on screen! So I insisted he had the controller as if I had it I'd get told I must be pressing the wrong button.

After a few mutters, and pressing various buttons on the phone he gets through to a person. Then he presses one button on the Controller and miraculously the TV programmes appear - all of them! He says thank you and hangs up. Then I get told - Well all we had to do was press the Source Button and put it on to HDMI 1! You should have known that!
Why should I have known that?
Well you're the one who usually works the TV!
Oh the stress of it! Amazingly it was an English voice on the help line and he said we would get a call asking how good the Help Line had been.
So about 10 minutes later the phone went and I assumed it would be the Help Line people - no - it was a foreign gentleman telling me he was very sorry but our BT internet connection would have to be disconnected! I informed him we didn't have a BT internet connection and hung up!
Anyway we have a working TV and the DVD player even works too!

Our cupboard only has one door at the moment, the other one has been taken away and I've been told we will have a new single door that will be hinged so it opens one way - he can do that but not operate the TV control!

John's next project is putting an extension on our cottage we have in Dorset - it will be wonderful, he's very good at that sort of thing. He's putting in a new bedroom with ensuite and a balcony overlooking the countryside. It will be wonderful - as long as we don't want a TV in the bedroom! We've never had a TV in the bedroom, even at home but maybe if we do he'll now know how to set it up!

Carole

[qbman1]

Good tale Carole - thanks for brightening my lunch break !

Our DVD player is so old I've just had to buy a replacement remote control. Also got a new sound bar that is too wide for the cabinet so I need to get my head around that this weekend !

[Manoverboard]

The ' latest ' TV control boards are extremely touchy about temperatures and clearance spaces to the side and rear of the set ... assume your man checked out these details ?

[CaroleF]

Oh dear Moby, yes the clearance spaces of the TV, the set top box and the DVD player are fine. The one that I'm worried about is the router. John has got it behind the TV, against the wall and I told him I thought it was in a too confined space and we might have problems but he assured me it will be fine. It's still ok as I write but fingers crossed, otherwise he'll have to sort out the whole set up as he says the lead is not long enough to move it away from the TV! Then the whole business will start again - oh no!

carole

[Manoverboard]

Netgear routers have a reputation for playing up if they get too hot, allegedly ... but I don't understand why the lead cannot be extended, try Maplin or similar ?

[Silver_Shiney]

If your router is from Virgin, you must keep it away from the TV, with the blue light facing the room

[qbman1]

All this is akin to a foreign language to me !!

[allatc]

Only loosely associated with this topic but I have a huge number of video tapes and DVDs of programmes recorded off the TV. I don't know if you have noticed but there are now very few DVD recorders on the market.

I found an article which said that the big entertainment companies like Sony don't mind people storing programmes on the hard disk of a set top box because sooner or later they will have to be deleted to make space for new stuff but what they don't like is people being able to make separate copies.

So, if you like to keep programmes and films for "ever" it might be worth buying a DVD or Blu-ray recorder while you still can.

[Keechy]

Only loosely associated with this topic but I have a huge number of video tapes and DVDs of programmes recorded off the TV. I don't know if you have noticed but there are now very few DVD recorders on the market.

I found an article which said that the big entertainment companies like Sony don't mind people storing programmes on the hard disk of a set top box because sooner or later they will have to be deleted to make space for new stuff but what they don't like is people being able to make separate copies.

So, if you like to keep programmes and films for "ever" it might be worth buying a DVD or Blu-ray recorder while you still can.

I like to make holiday videos, so a lot of our past holidays were on video tape. The editor I use (Magix Movie Edit MX Pro) has a facility to copy from Video to DVD so I bought the adaptor and did just that. I play them on a Samsung DVD player with HD upscaling and it's amazing how much better they look. At worst, they are as good as the original.

However, I doubt this would work with a digital recorder (DVT) as the format my be wrong. I might give it a go one day.

[Keechy]

... respecting copyrights of course!

[Silver_Shiney]

I've used a variety of DVD recording devices in the past but regardless of the type of disk used, playback has never been successful - they always stick or jump. I put my home videos on YouTube now (which also means I have an off site copy)

I recently acquired a used TV but there was no instruction book so I don't know how or if I can change the default volume level. There's also no power switch so it has to remain on standby

[Meg 50]

our latest TV only picks up online signal if turned through 90 degrees- which means sitting on the dressing table to watch it rather than on the bed!


You know what? - we now do the online watching on the computer.....

[Meg 50]

I recently acquired a used TV but there was no instruction book so I don't know how or if I can change the default volume level. There's also no power switch so it has to remain on standby

google the model and the problem -I'd put money on you'll find the answer somewhere.


Or ask in here....

[Silver_Shiney]

Wouldn't sitting on the dressing table be more comfortable?:sarcasm:

I keep forgetting to Google it, Meg!

[Manoverboard]

,,, I recently acquired a used TV but there was no instruction book so I don't know how or if I can change the default volume level. There's also no power switch so it has to remain on standby

The manufacturer, or third party, generally has a support section within their website allowing you to download the instructions for any model.

As for sound ... some Panasonic TVs have an ' Option ' button on their controller, within this there is a ' Sound Correction ' feature. Other TVs, Samsung for example, have a Sound Panel within Set-Up which permits adjustment of volume with or without an equaliser. Headphone volume adjustment may also lurk within.

[Stephen]

Don't mention TV's to me.
We, sorry, Mrs S has decided that a 49" TV is going to be too big and that a 43" TV is more suitable. But, trying to find one suitable is a bit of a nightmare. You read the reviews on one shop web site that give it a glowing report only to have it slated on the 'Which' site

[anneed]

Just hope my old TV (one of the early flat backs) keeps going for many years - and the faithful old fat back Video combi I watch in the bedroom.

But if I do have to get a new set I'll be off to John Lewis and happily pay the extra for a nice chap to come and set it all up for me.

[Stephen]

Just hope my old TV (one of the early flat backs) keeps going for many years - and the faithful old fat back Video combi I watch in the bedroom.

But if I do have to get a new set I'll be off to John Lewis and happily pay the extra for a nice chap to come and set it all up for me.

[qbman1]

No, Stephen, she didn't mean you !! Anyway, Anne wants a "nice chap" to come round !

[Stephen]

They don't get nicer than me.

Out of interest qb what sound bar did you plump for.

[Manoverboard]

The nice chap from JL that bought our new ( replacement ) TV recently couldn't manage to get the stand erected in less than an hour .... I could maybe get his name if he is the sort of JL chappie you are looking for

[Stephen]

The nice chap from JL that bought our new ( replacement ) TV recently couldn't manage to get the stand erected in less than an hour .... I could maybe get his name if he is the sort of JL chappie you are looking for

I'm inclined to agree with you Moby. They give it all the hype on the web sites, only to send some oik to hook it up for a hefty fee who doesn't know his a*se from his elbow.

[qbman1]

They don't get nicer than me.

Out of interest qb what sound bar did you plump for.

I eventually got an LG one, working on the theory that it should be compatible with the telly. Afraid I still haven't set it up as it is far too big for the unit the telly stands on !

[Stephen]

I've gone for a sound base on the same assumption, that as all our entertainment kit is Panasonic hopefully there won't be any issues. Time will tell.

Panasonic SC-HTE200EBK

[Silver_Shiney]

You don't seem to see 5.1 (or higher) surround sound systems any more...