Help connecting Freeview & NTL Analogue to TV

[goblin]

Hi,

I need "Help connecting Freeview & NTL Analogue to TV". I have the following devices:

LCD TV
Scientific Atlanta Cable Box
Yamada 6600 DVD Player
Playstation II
Gamecube
Pacific Freeview Box

Some of the channels provided through NTL Analogue don't display too well on the tv, they look faint and there is some visible ghosting. With this in mind, I thought I would introduce a Freeview box to clear things up. Today, everything but the Freeview box is connected.

I can now receive the channels BB1\BBC2\ITV1\Channel4\Channel5 through the TV tuner. In order to receive the Cable Channels, I tune to channel 6 on the TV. I would like to be able to tune to channel 7 and receive broadcasts from the Freeview box.

What would be the easiest way to connect both the NTL Analogue and Freeview box to the tv? As presently, I can only seem to have either NTL Analogue connected or Freeview.

If you are wondering; Why don't you just upgrade to digital? Well the answer is, that I don't know how strict NTL is going to be as regards broadband capping. If they strictly apply the cap. I'm leaving. So don't want to take on another 12 month contract.

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

[homealone]

I'm surprised you have problems with some channels on analogue, I have the same Scientific Atlanta decoder & the display is fine on all channels.

The 'problem' with connectivity here, I presume, is that the analogue stb does not have a scart or phono connector, only RF.

Does the analogue stb have the combiner dongle on the back? Assuming the Freeview box has an RF output, you could try plugging it into the combiner.

The main problem I would forsee is if the Freeview signal & the Analogue stb signal were similar frequencies & interfered with each other.

[goblin]

I'm surprised you have problems with some channels on analogue, I have the same Scientific Atlanta decoder & the display is fine on all channels.

Is that using an LCD TV? Using a standard CRT I never had problems, but with the LCD, things appear "grainy" or I get some "Ghosting" (imagine very faint mouse tails)


The 'problem' with connectivity here, I presume, is that the analogue stb does not have a scart or phono connector, only RF.

Correct.


Does the analogue stb have the combiner dongle on the back?

No. All it has is a small silver metal box tacked onto the back of the SA 8602 covering what looks like a copper coloured lead going into the back of the box. Upon this metal box are two connections Input\Outpu both taken up by two NTL cables. The one on the left is connected to the ariel whilst the one on the right goes to the tv. There doesn't seem to be any other connections available upon it.


Assuming the Freeview box has an RF output, you could try plugging it into the combiner.

I don't suppose you have a picture of the "combiner dongle" to which you refer do you? As to be honest, I have no idea what one looks like :(


The main problem I would forsee is if the Freeview signal & the Analogue stb signal were similar frequencies & interfered with each other.

Hopefully, this will be a problem I don't face. But, I imagine I shall at some point how shall I get around it for when the time comes? :)

[homealone]

Is that using an LCD TV? Using a standard CRT I never had problems, but with the LCD, things appear "grainy" or I get some "Ghosting" (imagine very faint mouse tails)

It is a tft monitor, I have the cable decoder plugged in to an ATI Radeon 'All in Wonder' card. What is the pixel refresh rate on yours? Mine is 25ms (slow), but I don't seem to get any ghosting???



No. All it has is a small silver metal box tacked onto the back of the SA 8602 covering what looks like a copper coloured lead going into the back of the box. Upon this metal box are two connections Input\Outpu both taken up by two NTL cables. The one on the left is connected to the ariel whilst the one on the right goes to the tv. There doesn't seem to be any other connections available upon it.

that sounds different to mine


I don't suppose you have a picture of the "combiner dongle" to which you refer do you? As to be honest, I have no idea what one looks like :(

look at http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=22287 post #5


Hopefully, this will be a problem I don't face. But, I imagine I shall at some point how shall I get around it for when the time comes? :)

I don't know, i'm afraid, sorry - it would mean changing the output frequency of either the stb or the freeview box.

[Lew]

Can you not connect the FreeView box via SCART? If lack of SCART sockets is a problem you may be able to connect your 6600 to the VCR SCART on the FreeView box and it should take over the connection when the FreeView box is in standby mode.

[goblin]

It is a tft monitor, I have the cable decoder plugged in to an ATI Radeon 'All in Wonder' card. What is the pixel refresh rate on yours? Mine is 25ms (slow), but I don't seem to get any ghosting???

To be honest, I have no idea. The set is a Tevion 28 inch LCD. As far as I have been able to ascertain, it is between 16ms and 25ms. Though noone who purchased one knows for sure.


look at http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=22287 post #5

Hmm, I wish I had one of those. Unfortunately, I don't. How would I go about getting one?



I don't know, i'm afraid, sorry - it would mean changing the output frequency of either the stb or the freeview box.

Well it was worth a try. It at least gives me something else to prepare for :)
__________________

Can you not connect the FreeView box via SCART? If lack of SCART sockets is a problem you may be able to connect your 6600 to the VCR SCART on the FreeView box and it should take over the connection when the FreeView box is in standby mode.

I think we tried that. The result was two extremely grainy pictures from both sources. Neither provided a clear picture.