Ah, so they're not as obsolete as thought !
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Wondering Where To Buy a Cheap TV
- Thread starter yorksrob
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Ah, so they're not as obsolete as thought !
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Qwerty133
Established Member
Standard arial ports are not obsolete for simply receiving signals from the transmitter that are decoded by the (digital, as analogue signals were turned off 5 years ago) tuner inside the TV. But for any other use they have been obsolete for at least my whole lifetime (almost 20 years). Even 10 years ago there were Freeview boxes on the market that were not compatible with using the arial port to transmit data.
Harpers Tate
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First question is - do you actually need (or want) another TV?
Second question - if no - is, what socketry has your existing TV got on the back of it.
If the answer is only an aerial socket, then you will need a modulator of some sort. You can't simply convert an analogue video output (such as from a SCART) into an RF (aerial type) signal with a cable; it needs ... well, modulating, in fact.
The cheapest way to go about this might be to use an old VCR. It only needs to be one in which the electronics still work, even if the transport is demic.
It would be a far better idea to bite the bullet and buy a new TV with HDMI. It's highly likely that the next piece of source equipment you get won't have any analogue outputs on it at all; they are slowly but surely being phased out.
Second question - if no - is, what socketry has your existing TV got on the back of it.
If the answer is only an aerial socket, then you will need a modulator of some sort. You can't simply convert an analogue video output (such as from a SCART) into an RF (aerial type) signal with a cable; it needs ... well, modulating, in fact.
The cheapest way to go about this might be to use an old VCR. It only needs to be one in which the electronics still work, even if the transport is demic.
It would be a far better idea to bite the bullet and buy a new TV with HDMI. It's highly likely that the next piece of source equipment you get won't have any analogue outputs on it at all; they are slowly but surely being phased out.
I very much agree with your assessment of the situation.
It depends on how much I can pick up a modulator for.
Howardh
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I'm sure my Betamax VCR ran to the TV using scart in 1982. What else could it have used?
They passed the signal along the RF cable - you had to tune the TV into the correct frequency.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Almost certainly you'll get a CRT TV for free if you look around. I think the time of everyone trying to get rid of one has passed, but there are still some knocking about.
OTOH, the power consumption of an LED TV is so much lower, so if you watch a *lot* of TV you may wish to consider a cheap, possibly used, non-HD LED TV instead.
It might have to be a very old VCR. Once stereo VCRs became common, the manufacturers started abandoning the UHF modulator idea, the RF loopthrough being just for picking of a signal to record from. In addition to that, when Channel 5 was being launched into the 'gap channels' (35-38), it was easier to ignore modulation altogether rather than give non-savvy users the ability to tune their VCR output away from the channel 37 default.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
That feature only really went away with DVD players, apart from cost the reason was that it didn't support DRM type technologies.
FWIW, if the original connection is RGB (three plugs plus a fourth for sound) or composite (two plugs, one for video and one for sound) BNC or Phono connectors rather than an aerial connection, you should be able to pick up a BNC or Phono<->SCART adaptor reasonably cheaply on eBay and continue using your existing telly.
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I've never come across any VCR that didn't have a modulator. The feature only started to go away with DVD players.
FWIW, you can get RF modulators on ebay for about 20-30 quid, there are loads of them on offer.
Betamax VCRs either had SCART connectors or Phono for both video and audio. If they were 'Super Betamax' (the beta equivalent of SVHS), the SCART would operate to provide S-Video signals or it may have a four-pin mini DIN type of connector for the video.
I have a Ferguson Stereo one that only puts off-tape signals out on SCART.
Remember the 'VCR tuning' fiasco, - that was an attempt to get Channel 5 to work on UHF channels not included in the ST61 EBU Frequency Plan.
Is there such a thing as a non-HD LED (LCD) TV? AFAIR, they were all 'HD-Ready' at least.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Not many, but "HD Ready" ones are cheap because why would you buy one if you wanted HD? "HD Ready" usually means a HD screen (usually 720 rather than 1080) but no HD tuner.
northwichcat
Veteran Member
Indeed. 10 years ago you wouldn't even have been able to get a bulky 14" TV for £100 unless it was second hand.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
10 years ago you would, I recall paying about £80 for a new 22" CRT set about then. 20 years ago I'd agree.
NSE
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About 8/10 years ago, someone I know tried to give away his big widescreen CRT TV for free. Offered it to youth clubs and hospices etc, no one would take it for free. Crazy how technology changes.
northwichcat
Veteran Member
'Fast text' what's that then
Fast text allowed you to play Bamboozle on Channel 4 Teletext.
northwichcat
Veteran Member
Thinking about it I purchased a 14" CRT set in 2001 which would have been well over £100, while I purchased a LCD one in 2007 so I should have said around 15 years ago rather than 10.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It is quite time-bound, as there was a jump in price with LCD technology, which is understandable as, sound aside[1], they are so much superior to CRT.
[1] Whoever thought speakers on the back was anything other than an utterly stupid idea? OK, you can get a sound bar as I have, but I'd rather it was built into the TV so it can be neatly wall-hung in a tidy single package.
Fast text allowed you to play Bamboozle on Channel 4 Teletext.
Bamboozle, that takes me back. I used to play that if I was up before the various nightscreens gave way to kids TV
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
You could easily cheat on Bamboozle, if it came up with the page number you knew to be the "you lose" page you could quickly press another colour 
cjmillsnun
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If you are prepared to travel, then CRT TVs are available with SCART. Look at eBay, they are all collection only. However, I would recommend upgrading. I bet your computer monitor is higher resolution than 625i (SD TV)
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Oh yes. Indeed in the garage I have a Sony LCD TV of approx 2004 vintage, 19" widescreen. Analogue receiver only, not HD or HD ready. Has a SCART
Available for collection. Start your bidding....
£1.50 inc P&P
I expect the tech companies don't see why they should accommodate a very tiny and stubborn subset of their market who are using outdated products and from whom they don't make any money.
HD isn't "fancy", it's bog-standard now, like power steering in a car.
It seems your options at the moment is either to use SCART if your TV has it (set to RGB if possible), get a new TV (32" LCD's are as cheap as chips these days and when going cheap brand is not a problem as they pretty much all will be a rebadged Vestel) or if you do not want a new TV and your TV does not have a SCART connector then most VCR's will do the job of modulating a composite SCART signal quite happily, just check the manual.
Is there some kind of inverted snobbery in struggling on with outdated TVs when new sets, (or even recent second hand ones) are available for less than the cost of one year's TV licence? Also, anything other than a recent LCD set would probably cost more over 5-10 years in additional power consumption than buying a new one.
Bletchleyite
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