*WHAT* kind of box...??

Graham · 07-06-2005, 20:14

Excuse me, this is going to be a minor rant...!

When you get your TV through Sky or Freeview, what sort of device do you need?

Answer: A set-top box.

Sorry, what sort of box what that?

"Set Top".

Ah, right.

SO *WHY* does it seem that *EVERY* bloody small TV you get these days has a *ROUNDED* top or it *SLOPES* or it's *TOO DAMN NARROW* to put a box on without risking the thing *FALLING OFF*?!?!?

My old TV has just died (I have a picture about 1 pixel wide!) so I wanted to get a new one, but because I have a set-top box (and also a video that emits a very directional high-pitched whistle that I can only avoid by putting it on top of the TV so it goes over my head instead of into my ear!) I wanted to get a new TV that, like my old one, has a *flat* top.

But it seems that *all* the ones available on the market today have "exciting" designs or narrow tops that mean that it is impossible for me to site my STB and video on top!

*WHY*???

Russ · 07-06-2005, 20:17

And the award for the most number of asterix in a single post goes to........

Scrubbs · 07-06-2005, 20:20

Why not set the tv on top of the box?? A bit radical I know but two bits of wood as a spacer... for heatgetoutability?

cookie_365 · 07-06-2005, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham

My old TV has just died (I have a picture about 1 pixel wide!)

Is that widescreen or 4:3 then?

Will blu-tak do the trick?

danielf · 07-06-2005, 20:32

Perhaps you can borrow Gary's Scaffolding tower and put the box on that?

Roy MM · 07-06-2005, 20:36

"heatgetoutability" And the award for the best new word this month goes to, taaaraaa Scrubbs

paulyoung666 · 07-06-2005, 20:56

for very little extra you could get a tv with built in freeview , the the tv could be shaped like a smartie and it wouldnt matter

edit , of course that would only help with freeview

punky · 07-06-2005, 21:06

It is style over substance. People starting putting the boxes under TV as it made more sense to keep it there. You didn't have to worry about it getting knocked off, etc. Because of that, people made the top curvy, because it looked nicer. Now people have big centre channel speakers, they have started to flat top TVs in the high end. If you REALLY want it on top, you can put a centre speaker stand on there and put the box on that. It is a flat piece of plastic with a long threaded bolt with a self levelling knob at the end. you screw the knob down and it matches the downward slope at the back of your TV leaving it flat at the top. If you get what I mean.

07-06-2005, 21:55

you all forgot get a 'video' that doesn't emit a 'high pitched whistle'

Mal · 07-06-2005, 21:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by homealone

you all forgot get a 'video' that doesn't emit a 'high pitched whistle'

True. Get a new video as well then. They can't be that expensive now

**Paul** · 07-06-2005, 22:09

Try putting an STB on top of a TFT screen

Why not just put the tv on a unit, and put the video/stb/tivo/whatever in the unit.

07-06-2005, 22:31

Most Tv's come with a stand. USE IT!! and stop whining

or is that your video making the noise

zoombini · 07-06-2005, 23:29

So in reality, they are a SetBottomBox as mostly they go underneath & not on top of the TV.

Graham · 08-06-2005, 03:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mal

Get a new video as well then. They can't be that expensive now

Except that it *is* a pretty new video (about a year old) 6 head, nicam and all the bells and whistles, there's just *one* particular whistle I can do without!!
__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary_580

Most Tv's come with a stand. USE IT!!

*What* stand? I said a "small TV" ie a portable.

Let me try and make things clearer, this is the current state of play...

The TV is to the left of the monitor. The one there at the moment is one left behind by the previous residents when I bought this place, but the earpiece socket is dodgy and occasionally you have to jiggle the bit of matchstick that's stuck in it to get the sound to work!

As you can see the video is currently hanging half off the back of the TV because the top of that set isn't deep enough.

The STB feeds into the video scart socket because the TV doesn't have one (which is another reason why I want a new TV)

Oh and the "radar" looking thing is the video sender that beams the signal into the workroom so I can watch TV in there.

All I want is a TV that will fit in that slot and that I can put the video (and the STB if needed) on top of it.

It's not *that* much to ask...!!

Lord Nikon · 08-06-2005, 03:05

If it's within the year, send it in for repair, complain that it emits a high pitched whistle.

Thing is, NTL STBs are better off not enclosed, that way you can pull the power lead easier when the front panel reset fails after you have mistakenly hit the self destruct (red) button. And yes, the TVs are rarely designed to allow easy placement of set top objects, I think this may have something to do with people placing vases etc on top of the TV and watering the inside of the TV when they water the contents of the vase. (electrical appliances are run on smoke, when you see it escape from the appliance, the chances are it won't work so well)

As a matter of thought though, what make and model is your old TV? (model is normally on a sticker on the back) I may be able to point you in the right direction to repair it

[edit] looking at the picture, it looks like a Ferguson TX series, or the ITT version of it... usually there are a couple of variable resistors on the board inside it, one marked VERT and one marked HORIZ which govern picture size, if the vert one fails the picture drops to about 1 pixel high, and they are easy to replace