DVD player question

[Rossluck]

Sorry to bother you all with this, but we've just bought a new DVD player and we now think it's incompatible with our system. We have a set top box running a plasma screen. We can run DVD's on the new player (Panasonic DMR EH55) but I can't for the life of me get the television running through it. I've tried a myriad of combinations, set top first, and then in between the plasma, nothing works.

Do I need a DVD with an inbuilt digital tuner?

[Rossluck]

Actually - it is a DVD recorder with 160Gb HDD. Does this make a difference to whether it needs the in-built tuner compared to a normal DVD player

[Stuart]

DVD recorder comes with a built-in tuner. Aerial plugs into DVD recorder, DVD recorder into set-top box. (I think). When you want to watch what the DVD recorder is seeing, you need to set the TV so it can see the set top box's signal, and the set top box to AV. (So it can see the output from the DVD recorder). If you are playing DVDs in the DVD recorder and can see them, you are pretty much there already.

You need to then make sure the DVD recorder is outputting TV. Set it to the HDD, and choose a TV station on it. You may need it to autotune to find the Australian TV channels, but that is normally already programmed in.

I have the same DVD/HDD recorder btw.

[Rossluck]

DVD recorder comes with a built-in tuner. Aerial plugs into DVD recorder, DVD recorder into set-top box. (I think). When you want to watch what the DVD recorder is seeing, you need to set the TV so it can see the set top box's signal, and the set top box to AV. (So it can see the output from the DVD recorder). If you are playing DVDs in the DVD recorder and can see them, you are pretty much there already.

You need to then make sure the DVD recorder is outputting TV. Set it to the HDD, and choose a TV station on it. You may need it to autotune to find the Australian TV channels, but that is normally already programmed in.

I have the same DVD/HDD recorder btw.

Thanks Stuart. I'll give it a go.

[Iain]

What Stuart said except our plasma has inputs for 4 AV's, 1 RF, 2 S Video , 1 Fibre optic and 1 RGB, the choice is really yours depending upon what you have.

[Rossluck]

Brilliant Stuart, Thanks Iain. A little detective work solved the problem. When I came home from work I assumed SWMBO and teenage son had set it up, but the one of them (no names mentioned: the son), just sat it on the shelf, threw a DVD in it and watched it. When I ran autotune on Stuart's advice, it all started to work. Thanks very much.

[Stuart]

What Stuart said except our plasma has inputs for 4 AV's, 1 RF, 2 S Video , 1 Fibre optic and 1 RGB, the choice is really yours depending upon what you have.

That's teach you to have such a good TV. I can't afford anything but cheap crap I'm lucky to have AV input. My 23" Apple computer screen at work is better (wonder if they've noticed it's missing yet?)

No probs Ross - glad to be of assistance.

[TassieKiwi]

Be aware that until recently dvd's had only analog tuners, so even though they pick up a signal, it's not the digital one, so you can only record analog. DAMHIK . To record and view digital/HD, the DVD must be connected to the STB. Another bloody remote!

[Big Shed]

Be aware that until recently dvd's had only analog tuners, so even though they pick up a signal, it's not the digital one, so you can only record analog. DAMHIK . To record and view digital/HD, the DVD must be connected to the STB. Another bloody remote!

And what's more 2 timers to set!!!!!!!!

The logic of all this escapes me, we are supposed to be changing over to digital but 90% of DVD recorders have analog tuners! Only logic I can see in that is that they sell you another one in a couple of years.

[Stuart]

Means you now need to by a digital set-top box with built-in HDD recorder. At least some of these come with 2 tuners, so you can record 2 channels at once.

[Waldo]

My 23" Apple computer screen at work is better

G'day Stuart,

Gotta love the 23" Apple ACD. Now a 30" would be better and costs the same as when ai bought the 23" new. Colour accuracy is superb, just a bit of tinge on the edges.

[Big Shed]

Means you now need to by a digital set-top box with built-in HDD recorder. At least some of these come with 2 tuners, so you can record 2 channels at once.

Be careful though, not all 2 tuner boxes allow you to record 2 channels at once! Some allow 1 channel recording, 1 channel watching only.

This whole area is fraught with complexities and I find that most sales people, especially those at Hardly Normal, don't have a clue what they are talking about.
Most can't even tell you whether the tuners are analog or digital.

[Stuart]

Be careful though, not all 2 tuner boxes allow you to record 2 channels at once! Some allow 1 channel recording, 1 channel watching only.

This whole area is fraught with complexities and I find that most sales people, especially those at Hardly Normal, don't have a clue what they are talking about.
Most can't even tell you whether the tuners are analog or digital.

Bloody hell - can't anyone actually design and build a decent tool, rather than add half assed features that with just a little extra thought and work would be decent additions