I have a Toshiba 32ZP18P which, according to the spec, can receive both PAL-I and PAL-B/G broadcasts. According to the manual the broadcast system is changed in one of the menus. However, in tiny print it also states that this menu appears 'in continental Europe only'.

And true enough the 'System' menu is blanked out on my set.

I would guess that this has been done in software only and that I can enable this menu if only I knew how. As I have brought this TV all the way to Australia with me I really want to know how to set it to receive PAL-B/G.

Does anybody know the appropriate hack ? Is it a Service or Designer menu option ?

I assume Toshiba do this to stop Europeans from buying their TVs at a cheaper price in the UK.

[topmba]

the suffix P denotes pan-european, i.e. VHF and UHF tuner. You must have a Q.

Use a local vcr as a tuner and watch everything through that.

Do they have digi boxes or such like overthere, in Rupert´s motherland?

It's definately a 'P' and not a 'Q'. On the back there is a paper sticker that gives the serial number and quotes the model number as 32ZP18P (G).

I'm fairly certain that the hardware is generic and sold all across the UK and Europe. Somehow, however, they've craftily disabled the PAL-B/G option in the software. Even the manual is generic - they've just added small print to say that the PAL-B/G option is only available in 'Continental Europe'.

At the moment I'm tuning through an Australian VCR (PAL-B/G UHF and VHF) and feeding to the TV via SCART but I would rather tune the TV directly and free up the VCR for use on my other 'old' telly in the bedroom. Tuning directly in the TV would also enable me to see teletext which this Australian VCR does not support.

Cable here is ****e - it's only analogue. Satellite is an option but not at the moment because I'm renting this property.

[michaelab]

I live in Portugal where everything is PAL B/G, we too have analog cable with about 50+ channels transmitted in clear (except the pay channels). I also just received my 32ZP18Q ordered from the UK (much cheaper!) so it's the UK model.

In the Auto tuning menu there is no option to choose "System" and it totally failed to tune anything properly here, however, if you go into Manual Tuning you can tune each 'channel' individually and choose between all the different PAL and SECAM systems. You can also tune the exact UHF/VHF channels ('C' channels you just enter the channel number, 'S' channels, enter the channel number +80 eg channel S-5 is entered as 85).

I now (after about 1 hour ) have all 53 PAL B/G channels properly tuned.

Michael.

Thanks for the tip Michael. Unfortunately there must be some major differences between the P and the Q models.

When I go to the Manual Tune menu it will only let me choose a channel between 21 and 69 and all of these are PAL-I channels. There is nowhere in the Manual Tuning menu to select any other broadcast system.

All I have is the 'System' option which is just above the tuning options. This is where I should change from PAL-I to PAL-B/G. Unfortunately this option is 'greyed out' on my set. I'm 99% sure that this has been deliberately disabled at the Toshiba factory for sets that are intended to be sold in the UK.

Maybe they gave up doing this when they brought out the Q model.

I have emailed Toshiba on several occasions but, like most big companies, they have not bothered to reply. Shame because I like the Toshiba TVs but next time I will choose from another manufacturer. Afterall what is the point of buying a 'multisystem' TV that can only receive one broadcast system.

[michaelab]

I'm sorry to hear that etlniwd - and I'm very glad I got the Q model!. When did you get yours? AFAIK the Q is the replacement for the P model and a couple of things in the firmware were changed - don't know what though.

I do think it's ridiculous these days that AV companies still sell non-multisystem TVs and VCRs/DVDRs, especially as it's an easy firmware switch (I would have thought). I especially checked the specs of the 32ZP18Q to make sure it was multi-system before ordering it (at a saving of nearly £500 over the local price, even including the shipping costs!).

I don't think Toshiba do it to prevent what I did as they can be bought from Germany for pretty much the same price as the UK models and Germany uses PAL B/G so there's no issue. I think it they think it will just be easier for Joe Consumer in the UK to setup.

Michael.

I do not know if this helps:

I recently asked Toshiba about PAL multistandards I they answered me as follow:

The following Toshiba TV's will work anywhere in Europe:

36ZP18, 32ZP18, 36ZT29, 32ZT29, 28ZT29, 36ZD26 and the 28ZD26.

I then called Toshiba (0115 9766958, Monday - Friday 8.00-20.00, Saturday 8.00-18.00 and Sunday 10.00-16.00). They confirmed me that. Moreover, they say that the difference between the 36ZP18P and 36ZP18Q is only in the Teletext management and the remote control. No changes on the tuning system: they are both compatible with UK and continental European standards.

[michaelab]

Well there clearly is some difference in the UK vs. rest of Europe models in the firmware as in my UK model I don't get to choose a system (it's not even a greyed out option) in Automatic tuning where as European models do get an option.

etlniwd, just to clarify in Manual tuning I first get a list of channels, and for each one it says what is the system, channel, name etc. If I select on by pressing OK I then get horizontal row of options I can change which are:

Program - the TV channel number where this channel should appear
System - the TV system (PAL I, B/G, D/K, SECAM, L1, L2)
Search - lets you search for a channel.
Program skip option - * or blank, indicates whether this channel is skipped when you do channel up/down on the remote.
Channel - the UHF or VHF channel number for this channel.
Name - the name you want to give to this channel.

Michael.

Well thanks for your help everybody. I'm determined to get there in the end.

Incidentaly, the 'System' and 'Colour' menu options only appear when the TV is connected to an AV source through the aerial input. If you switch the TV to watch an EXT input and then press 'Menu' those options have disappeared.

That was what happened last week anyway. Today I couldn't get those options up (even greyed out) whatever I did. Maybe that's why the Manual Tuning looks different. I've gone two steps backward.

I will persevere. The posts above give me some hope. I'll let you know if I succeed.

Cheers
Nick

[michaelab]

Yes - whatever you do, do all your tuning setup with nothing connected to the SCART sockets (in my manual they say this explicity at least 3 times!).

Michael.

At least I now know why I can't tune this TV manually. I've just downloaded the 32ZP18Q user manual. The tuning options are completely different. On my 'P' set I must set 'System' to PAL-B/G on the top level menu before I attempt to tune. On the 'Q' set 'System' is a sub menu under 'Auto Tune' and 'Manual Tune'.

So, I'm back to square one. I must set 'System' to PAL-B/G but I cannot because it is greyed out (disabled) on my set.

Toshiba must know the way around this but they don't want to tell me.

[michaelab]

Originally posted by etlniwd
Toshiba must know the way around this but they don't want to tell me.

I'm sure if you got someone on the phone who actually knew what they were talking about (not easy!) they could tell you at least what your options are, if it's alterable via a hidden service menu or if it requires a firmware update (how is that done in TVs btw?). It seems extraordinary to fit the hardware to support multi-system and then not allow the firmware to access it

People moving from the UK to somewhere else in Europe and taking their TV with them is not such an uncommon occurance - I'm sure that in a case like that Toshiba would be able to help, if only to tell you that you it the fix has to be done at a dealer.

Have you tried talking to a dealer or servicing shop?

Silent Fly, it seems the information you were given by Toshiba is incorrect

Michael.

Originally posted by michaelab
Silent Fly, it seems the information you were given by Toshiba is incorrect

I would appear so. I think that it is true that:

The following Toshiba TV's will work anywhere in Europe:

36ZP18, 32ZP18, 36ZT29, 32ZT29, 28ZT29, 36ZD26 and the 28ZD26.

At least for the TVs purchased in UK. They do not work 100% (no automatic tuning) but the manual tuning works.

However, it is not true that:

...the difference between the 36ZP18P and 36ZP18Q is only in the Teletext management and the remote control.