Setting up modern TV's

[ericmark]

An alteration with a vacuum cleaner resulted in the loss of the 41 inch TV, Black friday and replacement however things seem to have moved on.

So loads on inputs, three main ones aerial, dish, and telephone line vie a router. Plus Bluray, DVD and hard drives, and LAN connection to PC and all it's hard drives. So with so many options seems little point in paying for Sky any more.

However the freeview seems to work reasonable well, but satellite, not sure if freesat, or free to air, but unlike previous hard ware which was in a separate box, this TV (Toshiba 49"inch Alexa enabled Smart LED UHD 4K TV from Tesco) seems to have no way to set the order of the programs, nor a simple method to scan for channels.

As to what 4K means that I am not so sure about, I am just getting to understand HD, as to 4K I assume now I need to start saving pictures in a higher resolution, as to if HDMI link will work at 4K or anything other than USB not sure?

So deleted all the god and sex channels, and loads of duplicated BBC and ITV, however it seems there are very few channels with any new programs, it seems be it U-tube or broad cast channels all seems to be old programs, OK I suppose as not already seen many of them.

However finding it hard to work out which channels are worth watching. Be it MyTV or YourTV I am finding it hard, adverts for programs are not much help, with things like there is only one program called Drama yet I seem to have UKDrama and CBSDrama both which seem to say they are the only drama channel.

And BBC1, and ITV1 both seems to have different programs at times, all with same name, but most of the time there are 20 odd programs all the same. So today publications like Radio Times seem to be useless, but what is used today?

 

[foxhole]

Just bought a new TV , setup was simple ,self tuned and picked up and ID all connected [bluray, etc].
Not sure what the rest of your post is asking?

 

[Tigercubrider]

I am not sure what you are asking either

Yes, loads of channels dedicated to repeats of programmes.
Drama- the channel - is part of UKTV which is part owned (or was) by the BBC so a lot of content is older BBC
Loads of channels will clim to be "the only" channel for drama/sport etc

1k (not referred to as such) is standard definition TV which is hardly ever used for production nowadays
2k is HD (twice the resolution of SD) and is the defacto standard for most broadcasts
BluRay is 2k
4K is UHTV ( twice HD) and only used by a few broadcasters although they may use 4K in production but not for transmission

 

[Lucid]

49".... UHD 4K.... smart features.... Alexa enabled........ and Tesco involved. Would this be the one for £279?

 

[ericmark]

49".... UHD 4K.... smart features.... Alexa enabled........ and Tesco involved. Would this be the one for £279?

Yes not expensive and the Freeview part seems to work well, as does the LAN part, however the satellite part seems a bit hit and miss, I am sure my dish is aimed to Astra, however the instructions seems to show a range of Astra satellites, I have tried all 4 but there and programs missing and loads of duplicated programs. Tried deleting rubbish and using the favourites menu. However the program guide like the guide on our stand alone box seems hit and miss showing programs.

However if the guide does not show what is on, clicking on the program it will not go to that program, and with out guide working impossible to record. Tried to set up favourites menu there are 4 favourites channels, but the guide is rather hit and miss as to what it shows.

Sometimes guide only shows satellite programs, some times only terrestrial, so in the main it will show most programs, however finding the program in first place is a problem. I am sure it's me doing something wrong? Even internet bits it asks for log in details but gives no way to set up log in details, so program I have watched on PC if I can remember log in name and password works, but there seems no way to actually set up an account.

It has instructions built into TV, however no instructions on how to access instructions.

The idea was to move the boxes around to allow TV in three main rooms, the Sky+ HD box moved from living room to wife's bedroom which means one dish cable free, this was to be rerouted to my bedroom where I would use the Icecrypt STC3250CCIHD so HD in every room and record in every room, I would lose the Sky specials but rare I watch Gold or Universal etc so not really worried.

However it all hinges on getting the new TV to work, Freeview has always been hit and miss, nothing so annoying to start watching a program on ITV3+1 only to get a message half way through to say ITV3+1 is closing down and have to find it on satellite. So need to get new TV working proper before moving the boxes around.

 

[winston1]

Quite likely the transponder details for Astra2 in the TV are out of date. If so it will never find the channels. If it has a blind scan option that would fix this. Otherwise you need to check the transponder details with a site such as Flysat and modify them as required.

 

[ericmark]

The TV did update its self on switch on. I remember last cheap TV an asda polaroid, on first using analogue was channels 1 to 99, and digital channels 101 to 600 and was a real pain as no numbers related to standard. However when I reset the TV some years latter, it showed standard Freeview numbers.

So I just wonder if I have with this Toshiba 49"inch Alexa enabled Smart LED UHD 4K TV from Tesco if I could have done something wrong maybe in the order used to scan channels which has resulted in a poor ordering of the channels, when I first set it up aerial booster power supply was off, so no terrestrial channels found, took ages to find out how to scan once fixed.

All instructions it seems are built into the TV, must be the worst TV I have ever had for instructions, very few buttons on the remote control, to have to navigate on screen to find the options. However one hopes this is a one off, and once set stays like that for years.

The Icecrypt STC3250CCIHD set top box was also a pain to set up, however once done and the programs set to order required it worked well, however can't find a way to change order of programs with new TV.

 

[cwhaley]

I find modern TV manuals to read like they have been translated from Chinese, to Malaysian, to English -- they are at best, barely adequate which makes it very difficult for the elderly to use them. The digital switch over sticks in my mind. My parents still use a Saisho set from the late '80s and the manual is descriptive, helpful and clear.

The functionality and usability of modern TVs though is far superior and for basic functions, makes the use of a manual redundant for those brought up with technology from a young ago.

 

[SFK]

Eric,
Sorry to say, but most Tuners do not give option to change order of Chanels. (I used to put my favoute most watched chanels first).
Icecrypt was one of the few that used to allow this.
Many BT and Humux boxes do not allow this.
Samsung TVs did not allow it, unless you told it that you were in Europe and then it would!
Some allow you to have a Favorites list, but again not seeing this as much - Sorry to disapoint.

Regarding the 4k question. - don't worry about and let the TV do the work as it will (try) and upscale from SD and HD to 4k.
But best to try and watch the HD channels (say BBC HD) over the SD channels as you will get a a better image.

SFK

 

[cwhaley]

Sorry to say, but most Tuners do not give option to change order of Chanels.

I'm going to politely disagree with this. Every tuner I've used including the ones I own allow this. Sony ones can be changed via the "Programme List Edit" option. Samsung tuners also do this via the "Channel", then "edit" function -- I've seen this on the build in and separate tuners. We used to have one that allowed you to re-name the channel as well.

I thought it was a standard feature?

 

[SFK]

Cwhaley,
I am glad you disagree - as desperately want to re-order channels to move most used to front and least to back. And put +1 channels next to each other.
Unfortunately I am finding it harder to do as I get newer equipment as was getting worried that manufacturers were not bothering with this feature.

As said I loved my Icecrypt and Samsung, but cannot now do it on my newest BT and Humux boxes and favorites on newer Samsung getting less uesful - like on your Toshiba?.
SFK

 

[ericmark]

It seems I need to use my phone or tablet. Not quite worked it all out yet, but it seems using an app with a tablet the EPG works as expected and programs are reordered on the tablet although not with TV remote.