Help! My family may break down entirely if we don't sort this out...

[lalalonglegs]

My family's sanity is hanging by a thread. We have a freeview box (ie. access to CBeebies) connected to our TV by scart leads. Normally, when you switch the freeview box on it overrides whatever terrestial channel is on, but now it no longer flips in even when you switch to the AV channel. We have tried our DVD as well which is on the same system and again, nada so I don't think there is a problem with the freeview box (unless the DVD player conked out at precisely the same time as well). We have tried a new set of scarts, didn't work. What is going on? It's been three days now and we're desperate here, people.

webdude: what's a UHF box? I've googled and am still none the wiser about what it does or where I can get one...

TV only has one scart socket.

sorry lll must have still been half asleep... "TV modulator"

FM radio was called VHF 500 50 years ago, and above VHF (very high frequency) there's UHF (ultra high frequency) - the TV signals via your aerial are UHF (roughly 550 to 850 MHz) and then there's SHF (super high frequency) - mobile phones go up from 900 MHz to 1800 and 2100 MHz.

The idea was to use a VCR (which you might already have, sitting idle and unused, or one from a relation or friend or neighbour) to convert from the SCART signal into a UHF signal to go into the TV through the aerial socket. It would be similar to the way the old Atari games console or other things provided a signal via the coaxial cable into the TV before SCART was used.

See www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/uhf-modulator.html

That's a dedicated unit, which would be smaller and neater (and at 20 quid, not as much as a new TV) but I hoped a VCR might be more easy to use without buying anything!

It really does seem as if your SCART input is dead based on what you've told us.

OK, thanks for that, I will investigate (although my husband now quite excited at thought of buying new telly...).

Well, I guess if that's on the horizon, I'd suggest getting one with Freeview already in it, if you can, and perhaps buy before VAT goes back up to 17.5%, but would it make sense for it to be a 'family' Christmas present (but still get some small items for junior family members!)

I'm sure you'd find lots of suggestions if you are after ideas from others on MN, and of course there's a chance of some pre-Christmas sales so you may find a bargain.