[snowboo]

I got a Thomson DT16021S-25 Top Up TV + 250GB Digital TV Recorder for my Samsung TV. My Samsung already has freeview built in and I recieve all the channels in really good quality. I connected the Thomson to the Samsung TV and I followed the instructions and I had to let the box scan for channels and it found 86 channels. When all the installing was done I watched the tv I found that I could no longer recieve bbc1, bbc2, channel 4, all the music channels along with lots of others. Also the quality of the channels wasn't very good. So basically I have disconnected the Thompson recorder and my TV is back to its old self and I can now watch all the old channels including bbc1, bbc2 etc.
I dont know why I loose lots of channels and the quality when I attach the box. Do you think this will happen with other digital TV recorders? I just want to be able to have the same quality and channels i currently have, but be able to record. Would rather it was onto a hard drive.
Can you recommend anything or offer advice?

[grahamlthompson]

Originally Posted by snowboo

I got a Thomson DT16021S-25 Top Up TV + 250GB Digital TV Recorder for my Samsung TV. My Samsung already has freeview built in and I recieve all the channels in really good quality. I connected the Thomson to the Samsung TV and I followed the instructions and I had to let the box scan for channels and it found 86 channels. When all the installing was done I watched the tv I found that I could no longer recieve bbc1, bbc2, channel 4, all the music channels along with lots of others. Also the quality of the channels wasn't very good. So basically I have disconnected the Thompson recorder and my TV is back to its old self and I can now watch all the old channels including bbc1, bbc2 etc.
I dont know why I loose lots of channels and the quality when I attach the box. Do you think this will happen with other digital TV recorders? I just want to be able to have the same quality and channels i currently have, but be able to record. Would rather it was onto a hard drive.
Can you recommend anything or offer advice?

It sounds as if the recorder box has an internal modulator and it's set to an inappropriate channel nos (probably 36). Connect it back up find the modulator channel nos setting in the menu, if you can turn the modulator off do so otherwise try changing the number while watching the tv until the problem disappears. Alternatively if you are in a good signal area you could fit a splitter to aerial lead and feed the tv directly rather than through the recorder.

[LV426]

Just to check.....aside from any other cables and connections you

- removed the aerial cable from the back of the TV and put it into the Thomson.

- and then you added another aerial cable running from the RF output of the Thomson and into the aerial socket of the TV. And the TV no longer receives as well as it did.

Correct? If yes, then first try this. Pull BOTH the aerial cables out of the Thomson and plug the one cable directly into the other. Re-test the TV.

IF the TV misbehaves, then the second (new) aerial cable is suspect. Try another one.

IF the TV does not misbehave then the Thomson box is suspect. The problem may be as described by grahamlthompson; I don't know if the Thomson has an RF modulator.

If not then, depending on your signal strength you may be able to solve it by splitting the aerial feed (with a Y adaptor) at the wall and running one branch to the Thomson and the other straight to the TV. If your signal isn't that good, you may need a powered splitter.