Jim asked

16th April 2010

I have been looking for a 26 inch television that has Freesat built in, but have not been able to locate one, they all seem to be 32 inches. Do you know of any makes tha do this model?

Also I assume that if I buy a 26 inch model with out built in Freesat, I will have to purchase a Humax Free Sat Box, and if I wish a PVR recorder another Humax Free Sat Recorder?

When I do get Freesat up and running, at digital change over do I have to re tune? One more before I go, I am told that there is some way to down load a remedy for noisy fans on the Humax recorder, know anything about that problem?

I've had a quick look and as you say there doesn't seem to be any Freesat TVs available in sizes less than 32 inches, I suspect due to their relatively lower price that would make in-built models noticeably more expensive. If we assume you're not going to find a 26 inch model they yes you'll need either a separate decoder or decoder/recorder to receive Freesat. Humax make the most popular models but you can always shop around of for other if there's a particular issue that concerns you with their products.

With regards to digital switchover you won't need to take any action if by then you have opted from a Freesat setup as it's one of the digital platforms available as a replacement for analogue televison broadcasts.

Doug asked

13th April 2010

I have a HD Ready TV but an ordiary aerial can I receive HD signals?

In addition to having a high-definition capable television, in order to be able to watch in HD you also need some kind of high-definition picture source.

What that turns out to me very much depends on where you live and how long you are prepared to wait. If it has not already happened in your television region, once Digital Switchover is complete there will be a small amount of high-definition content broadcast via Freeview from the major UK channels such as the BBC and ITV. You will need a high-definition Freeview receiver connected to your aerial but this is likey to be the cheapest source of broadcast HD when it's available in your area.

If you are currently unable to get Freeview of digital switchover hasn't yet happened in your area, and you want HDTV now, you might look in to the equivalent satellite solution called Freesat.

There's pages for Freeview HD and Freesat on the site with more information.

Gareth asked

2nd April 2010

I have just purchased a W-Series 40 inch Sony TV, 100 Hertz and am not entirely impressed with the quality of picture I am receiving on my Sky Plus receiver.

There appears to be an occasional "picture freeze" which only lasts for micro seconds and a general graininess to viewing on some channels, aAlso the colours appear very vivid on other channels. I have fitted a good quality scart lead and adjusted the picture to neutral option to tone it down.

Finally if i upgraded to sky hd would i see the benefits?

Without actually seeing your set up it hard to definitively say if you're describing a technical issue or if you are simply running in to the limitations of your current video source and connections.

The picture freezing may simply be a blip in the reception of the satellite signal by your dish, so I's check that the dish isn't loose or being occasionally obstructed somehow.

With regard to the picture quality I think the main problem you are likely to be having is that you now have a reasonably large high-definition television but it's still connected to via analogue to standard definition video source in the form of your Sky+ box. I'm not that familiar with Sony displays but it may be worth digging around the menus to see if there are any picture modes that work better or any options to sharpen up the picture via an video processing the TV is able to do internally.

Sadly I doubt any of the above is going to yield a night and day improvement for you so you may then, if you happy to spend the money, look in to getting a high-definition video source to go with your HDTV. There is obviously Sky's HD service, but you might also consider Freesat, and possibly already in your area Freeview HD.

Andy asked

29th March 2010

Can you please explain the difference between HD Ready and full HD TV?

I have a Virgin Media box - would it make any difference which type of TV I linked it to?

The HD ready mark or logo indicates that the television meets a certain set of minimum standards for inputs and display resoultion. An HD Ready display must have at least 720 lines of vertical picture resolution, and have an HDCP (copy protected) DVI or HDMI digial video input along with an analogue component video input.

Full HD is not really a standard in the same way, it is more a marketing term used by manufacturers to indicate that their product is capable of displaying 1080 lines of veridical resolution. This tells you that the display is able to display both 720 and 1080 line pictures but doesn't tell you anything else about the devices inputs or the picture frame rates it is able to display.

Your V+ box is able to output both 720p and 1080i so in theory for programmes like sport that are broadcast in 1080i you should get a truer mapping of the video signal to your screen with a 'full HD' display, however in practice you may not be able to tell the difference between that and a good 720 line HD ready display that has good internal video processing.

As ever I suggest you try and see the difference between models and HD video resolutions in person before you buy as there's no point spending money on something you won''t notice.

Bob asked

19th March 2010

Do I need a high-definition recorder to record high definition TV?

You are correct, you do indeed need a recording device that is able to record and play back in high-definition in order to record or otherwise time-shift HD programming.

Eric asked

19th March 2010

I have a Toshiba hard disk/DVD player with built in Freeview. Will I still be able to use this with a HDTV? - Old hat I know, but is it possible to still use VCRs with an HDTV?

You existing equipment will 'work' to a limited extent so long as you are able to physically connect it to an HDTV, but you'll need to be careful as some newer TV models are starting to omit/limit the analogue inputs which your player probably uses.

I say the working will be limited as you will be able to playback standard definition content on an HDTV and it will look anywhere between good and bad depending on the quality of the electronics in the television that map a standard definition picture on to the higher resolution HDTV screen. What you probably won't be able to do it use your current player to record and play back high-definition pictures as the chances are you would already know if it was HD-capable, and it's unlikely the manufacturer went to the expense of future proofing their device by supporting HD, over offering it to you at the best price.

Paul asked

17th March 2010

I have a 37" new Panasonic Vierra TV that's HD Ready and a Panasonic DVD recorder/player. According to the instruction manual I can get HD pictures by using a HDMI cable from the HDMI socket at the back of the TV to the HDMI socket at the back of the DVD player. Is this correct or do I need another box and if correct when can I receive HD pictures?

I imagine that the presence of an HDMI output on your DVD recorder indicates that it's capable of outputting a high-definition picture in one form or another. I may either be a totally HD device that records and plays back in high-definition, or more likely it is able to upscale standard-definition pictures such as those found on DVDs to a higher resolution so the picture looks better on a large HD display.

So assuming you are getting an HD picture out of the device all you need, as you say, is an HDMI cable to connect to your television then swap over to the appropriate HDMI input on your TV to watch.

If you're asking more widely about how to get more HD content that what comes out of your DVD player, you will need some kind of additional high-definition reception device along with a free or paid for HD service. This could be Freeview if you live in the right area, Freesat or a paid cable or satellite service; there's some information around all these sources on the website. You need a chain of high-definition devices and connection(s) from your reception device, such as a set top box, to your HD capable television, then you will be able to watch in high-definition.

Dean asked

14th March 2010

I have a question about the Virgin V+ HD box. I had one installed last week and the installer connected my video/DVD player (via a SCART lead through the V+ box), I cannot see a way to watch what is on the video/DVD player through the V+ box. I have un-pluged it from the V+ Box and connected it to another input on the TV, so I can watch it.

I need to know how to watch it through the V+ box, I guess the installer pluged it in there for a reason? In essence I cannot see a way to change the V+ box inputs (not the TV inputs).

If you have sufficient inputs on your television for both your V+ box and your DVD/VCR then I would simply plug them in, swap between inputs on the television and be done with it, as I don't see any benefit to connecting it though the V+ box myself. If you do want to stick with the configuration the installer left, it should simply be matter of wapping to the auxiliary input on the V+ box, I don't have one myself to give you the exact instructions but take a look around the remote, menu and any instructions you have on how to do this.