set top box blues

[jerryc]

bought an STB.Problem is I'm not bright when it comes to electronics and the STB came with NO instructions.
Wife took all the cables out of TV, DVD and STB and said she could fix it. and of course the result is no DVD or STB working.

Cable from TV is six plugs. That is the only thing she left untouched.

So please -- please, help needed.

Jerry

[DJ’s Timber]

What brand and model is the STB?

You should be able to google the instructions or go the the manufacturers website.

Anyway if you've got a RCA cable, they'll be colour coded, RED and WHITE are for sound so they should go in the STB where it says AUDIO L & R and the Yellow one should go in the one marked as VIDEO, same again on the TV.

DVD player is same again if you're using RCA as well.

RCA cable should look something like this one

Attachment 108706

[wheelinround]

maybe STB is crap not working it happens

Jerry daughter bought one some time ago 2 yrs or so ellow at JB Hi Fi said roof cable may need replacing which I agreed with as it was old style also antena if old type to.

the problem maybe as simple as wrong cable in wrong hole lets hope maybe a photo of all plugs and back of units so we can help

[rrobor]

I fix set top boxes and the usual is capacitors in the supply. They are cheap Chinese and the Chinese capacitors are rubbish. pitty really the rest is usually great. For an extra $3 the thing would have lasted 15 years. As to the first question the usual is people try to tune the thing into the TV rather than selecting the AV position. The other trap is the TV has only one AV position and the DVD is plugged into that, You then have to get a video switch to create another input. Antennas in the roof space are out, on higher frequency the metal of the roof whether it be glazes on tiles or tin tend to cause too much loss. But there are exceptions to every rule.

[Barry_White]

I bought a HD set top box but my TV a Sony is about 8 years old and it doesn't have a SVideo or a RGB inlet. TV only has AV connections so it will only work in Standard Definition.

The STB does have a VGA outlet so I maybe able to get it to work with my Home Made projector which has a VGA inlet. Haven't tried it yet.

If you like I can scan my book I dare say that most connections are common to most TV's and STB's.

[Barry_White]

Here are some pics.

[rrobor]

What we needed was the picture of the back of the TV, we knew the set top box had an AV iout we need to know if your TV has several inputs and what type they are/

[jerryc]

Thanks to all of you for your help. Will never go to Harvey Norman again. Manager of electrical dept most unhelpful. It was manufacturers fault. Made no offer to obtain instructions or even bothering to give me address and phone number of importer. I found that info on the net (thanks DJ) and a phone call to Strong established that instructions should be in the box and that from my description the box had been opened. Promptly offered to help over the phone and posted the instructions.

Jerry

[rrobor]

Sorry but its easy to blame Harvey Norman but having been in this sort of field I can tell you HN gets a box which he sells and makes perhaps $10. Now there are so many products out there that you just cant keep up. Warranty is not done by repair its replace. I have tested radios which had flat batteries and the radio was replaced. So its a matter of how much can you do for $10. Without the TV he would have no idea what you were doing wrong, and most times explaining without demonstration will not work especially on someone over the age of 40 so its just tough all round.
The real blame lies with the public, we demand it cheaper and the first sacrifice to achieve that is service.

[jerryc]

Rrobur,
The issue with HN was the lack of service not the fact tht I am over the magic age of 40.
1 My wife when buying the STB told the counter jumper that she was not shopping on price, she wanted what was easiest to connect. Neither of us are senile idiots and can express our needs clearly enough.
2 She was assured it was just the matter of reading the INSTRUCTIONS and following the colour coding. But as I said earlier, there were NO INSTRUCTIONS.
3 The thing I complained about was the off hand way in which that complaint was handled. I repeat, the "assistant" ( that's an irony in terminology) made no effort to offer to obtain instructions or give us information as to where to get instructions. He shrugged his shoulders and blamed "the manufacturer".
4 This is not the first time we have had problems with HN. As Al Capone said "Once is tough, twice is happenstance and three times is enemy action." We had reached the third stage.

Jerry

[rrobor]

Sorry you dont quite get my reply, its not exactly what you want because a manufacturer can not manufacture for you, he manufactures for the general public as such out there each unit is roughly the same. Next is the over 40, well if you do this sort of thing as a one off, everyone gets confused. I worked with the general public and can say this is by no way a slight to your intelect, I had doctors that couldnt understand the concept that channel 1 on a TV was just a number and got confused when the video got any other channel on it. Kids at school were a dream run. The third point is you are blaiming the waiter for a bad meal. If you are not happy ask for the chef, if still no joy get the manager.

[DJ’s Timber]

Sorry you dont quite get my reply,

Think you're are missing the whole point here rrobor.

jerryc had trouble because the unit didn't come with the instructions and Harvey Norman had no interest in trying to rectify the problem by either getting a copy for jerryc from the their supplier or wouldn't/couldn't/didn't care to admit that the box may have in fact been opened before sale and said instructions were in fact missing, especially seeing that since then jerryc found info on the net via my hint and rang the manufacturer who says the instructions should have been in the box.

Try reading this post that I've Quoted so you don't have to scroll up again.

Thanks to all of you for your help. Will never go to Harvey Norman again. Manager of electrical dept most unhelpful. It was manufacturers fault. Made no offer to obtain instructions or even bothering to give me address and phone number of importer. I found that info on the net (thanks DJ) and a phone call to Strong established that instructions should be in the box and that from my description the box had been opened. Promptly offered to help over the phone and posted the instructions.

Jerry

[jerryc]

DJ,
Thank you.

Rrobor,
I have no difficulty reading instructions and acting on them. Perhaps that is because I have the ability to understand what has been written, (i.e) I did say clearly that my clash was with the manager. Never blame the monkey, go for the organ grinder. I do understand the real world and the concept of chain of command.

As to age and understanding, I have been in many jobs and the latter part of my life I taught kids. Age has nothing to do with intelligence, believe me. Just try this one test that I gave my pupils. Write clear instructions for someone who has never ever tied up his/her shoe laces.

Also I explained in my first submission why I was unhappy.
This was the third time I had been dissatisfied with HN. I had let the others go and tried again.

Reading and understanding is not something just applied to instructions



Jerry

[rrobor]

I dont know if you can or cant read instructions and really sorry but thats not in the end my point. If you have a beef with Harvey Norman, dont blame the store cos some snooty under manager needs his rear kicked. Get the big cheese out of the office and demand a sealed replacement. If that doesnt work go to head office attention Jerry Harvey. Its because people accept crap that crap breeds.