Installing UK purchased TV in France

[Mike6567]

I am driving to my sister-in-law's chalet in the French Alps on Monday. She has just dropped of a brand new 32 ins LCD TV with Freeview for me to take out and install (replacing a steam driven model). When I asked will it work out there she said - you can sort it out!. Any hints, please, to keep me from losing face.

[Jofm5]

Have a read through: Freeview versus TNT in France - AVForums.com (http://www.avforums.com/forums/freeview/887513-freeview-versus-tnt-france.html)

Not sure but I also think your tv also needs to support secam

[Mike6567]

Thanks for the pointer. Seems to have some useful information. I have now been told they only use it for playing DVDs so I should be OK. Better make sure I have suitable scart leads etc.

[ORAC]

if it's an LCD it should be multi-system and support PAL, NTSC and SECAM, so I wouldn't worry about that.

If it's to play DVDs check if it has a HDMI port and ask if the DVD has one as well, if so then that is the only cable you'll need as it carries the sound as well.

[Keef]

I don' t know if the systems have been "aligned" under the EU, but in the days when I played inside television sets, the sound intercarrier frequency was different between the UK and everywhere else.

If you were lucky, you could replace or retune a filter. If you were unlucky, you were back in the silent era.

[ORAC]

I don' t know if the systems have been "aligned" under the EU, but in the days when I played inside television sets, the sound intercarrier frequency was different between the UK and everywhere else. Still not aligned, but with modern TVs the cost of making the set multi-system and auto-tuning is miniscule and allows the same basic model to be shipped world-wide.

There may be an LCD TV out there that isn't, but I doubt it.

[Capetonian]

Terrestrial French TV (and apparently some satellite) uses the SECAM colour transmission system, used only by France and some of its ex colonies in North Africa. It was also used in East Germany to prevent the folk there from watching TV from outside.

The civilised world uses PAL, of which there are several variants, the main ones being I, B and G, the difference being, as someone has said, the bandwidth separation between the audio and video transmission.

A UK TV will work in France but will not be able to correctly receive French broadcasts, which is actually a benefit. It will work on Freesat, Sky, and for DVD's etc (but not French DVDs) exactly as in UK.

[wiggy]

Um..... from experience... as others as said it will not work if it isn't SECAM compatible....One work around we did with our old UK set was to input the Terrestrial signal via a (French VCR), though even in that case the best got was a black and white picture with the sound.

Failing that anything not input through the RF (co-ax) socket will probably be OK, e.g. the SCART sockets, HDMI, etc. If in the future the family do decide they want to receive French TV ( and there [I]is[/I some stuff worth watching,e.g. sports) one option would be a TNT decoder feeding the TV through SCAT/AV in. sockets. TNT boxes are at the moment readily available at the moment from most large French Supermarkets or DIY stores .. ....and finally, BTW whilst a using digibox is fine for Freeview, you really shouldn't ever be receiving "Sky" on one of their boxes in France......OK :ok:

PAL, SECAM & NTSC: Using a TV in France - AngloINFO French Riviera, in the Côte d'Azur (France) (http://riviera.angloinfo.com/countries/france/palsecam.asp)

[Frelon]

Fear not, of course your TV will work in France - it is not a backward country.

Even your Freeview will work, but of course it will be French Freeview (called TNT), but you will have to use a terrestrial antenna which will have to be up to current digital standards.

If you want to view UK programmes you can install a Sky dish and take out a second hand Sky digibox with Free-to-view card from Sky.

Good luck.

[Capetonian]

Fear not, of course your TV will work in France
It won't work on terrestrials unless it is SECAM compatible. If purchased outside France it is unlikely to be SECAM compatible.

- it is not a backward country.
Debatable but not germane to this thread.

Even your Freeview will work, but of course it will be French Freeview (called TNT), but you will have to use a terrestrial antenna which will have to be up to current digital standards.
It won't.

[daved123]

My opinion :- freeview will not work, Freesat will work (transmitted via Sky (Astra2D satellite) with a Sky provided one-off-payment Freesat subscriber card) with a Sat dish and suitable decoder (Sky-box ? )ordered from and paid for via a UK address

My experience (fact) :- Sat dish -> co-ax -> Sky box -> Scart cable -> Toshiba DVR-40 DVD/VCR recorder/player purchased in France -> Scart cable -> Sony trinitron 19" crt TV purchased in UK.
With this set-up DVDs purchased in both UK and France work perfectly (select English audio track on French-bought DVDs), I have not come across any US/UK film titles bought in France (from Amazon fr and sent from Amazon dot co dot uk) that don't, as do VHS cassettes recorded in UK, and VHS cassettes transferred from a VHS cam-corder.

The fuss over Sky outside UK appears to be based on Sky's licensing payments for transmitting films and BBC (UK TV license-payers) programmes, obviously it costs Sky less for film broadcast rights for UK-only than it would for a Europe-wide license and thus they are obliged to pay (at least token) respect to this.

HTH

DaveD

[green granite]

Since Freesat uses the same satellite as Sky then a UK Freesat box should work, you may need a bigger dish than in the UK though dependent on the location

[ORAC]

If purchased outside France it is unlikely to be SECAM compatible. Sigh, and I thought I was out of date.

Lets take a typical 32" LCD TV on sale at, say, Comet (http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/category/2113/LCD-TVs/n/1001844+5002113+4294966243). First on the list: SAMSUNG LE32B450C4WXXU (http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/523895/SAMSUNG-LE32B450C4WXXU?cm_sp=FeatureEnd-_-LCD_TVs-_-position1). Specifications (and you really, really, have to dig down into the user manual (http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/200903/20090326221451156/BN68-01981D-01Eng-0305.pdf) for this; even on their site it just says "TV Tuner" as it standard that every TV can do this now:

Manual store for analogue channel.
Colour System → Auto / PAL / SECAM / NTSC4.43: Sets the colour system value using the ▲ or ▼ button.
Sound System → BG / DK / I / L: Sets the sound system value using the ▲ or ▼ button.

Oh, and for the digital side, the specifications is:

FUNCTIONALITIES RELATED TO DIGITAL TV (DVB) ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN COUNTRIES OR AREAS WHERE DVBT (MPEG2 AND MPEG4 AVC) DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL SIGNALS ARE BROADCAST. DVB-T is the European consortium standard for the broadcast transmission of digital terrestrial television. Please check with your local dealer about the availability of DVB-T service in your area.

The standard in France for digital TV is MPEG4 AVC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_terrestrial_television#France), so that will work as well.

I will repeat myself, the vast majority, almost without exception, of LCD TVs will work Europe-wide, as the cost of building in the compatibility is miniscule and allows the same set to shipped/sold everywhere, with only a change of packaging.

Mike will have left by now, but I don't anticipate he will encounter any problems.

[Capetonian]

I can only repeat based on experience, that 3 modern (flat screen HDTV) TVs purchased in Spain do not correctly receive terrestrial French TV, so I can't agree with the 'Europe wide compatibility'.

French TV is so dire that it's really no loss, without it one can look at the ceiling or watch grass grow, which is more interesting.

[OFSO]

take out a second hand Sky digibox with Free-to-view card from Sky.

Not necessary, with the exception of pay-per-view channels ANY digital receiver will get the most viewed channels, BBC, ITV, 4 & 5, Film 4 etc. We are using digital receivers from Lidl that cost €25 each. Unlike the crappy old SKY digibox, the Lidl receivers have picture freeze, picture magnify, mosaaic etc., and are really fast. An 80cm dish is a good idea.

[frostbite]

I get picture freeze without even asking for it.

[LH2]

The technical aspects of this discussion are interesting, but who the hell goes to the French Alps to watch TV???? :confused: :confused:

[Ancient Observer]

On the assumption that he is safely there, I imagine that he'll have answered his own question by now.
It'll be interesting to see to what degree JB was helpful thru' to downright useless.

[Saab Dastard]

It'll be interesting to see to what degree JB was helpful thru' to downright useless

JB? JB?

Perleezze!

SD

[Keygrip]

<<Loads the shotgun>>

Does he get a blindfold, Saab?

[Saab Dastard]

Better put the shotgun away, Keygrip, there's few enough in here as it is! :8

And it appears that some of them obviously were trying to get into JB but missed! ;)

SD

[Ancient Observer]

Oops, sorry about that. No excuses. I was sober. (Maybe that was the problem). How much grovelling is required?
I guess that cancels out the positives I'd been slowly building up..........

[Jofm5]

I'm starting to get worried about Keygrip's lurking in here..... first of all he comes in and steals the hugs - next he wants to shoot one of our rare visitors.....

Could it be that Keygrip is a Geek Wannabe ?

[Keygrip]

Maybe I'm a Saab groupie?

I assure you I'm not into geeky stuffs - now leave me alone whilst I Bluetooth my iPhone to the Hi-Def DVD player that's plugged into the 42" LCD via an HDMI cable.

I could put more hugs to good use though. Anybody spare a cuddle?

[Keef]

Consider yourself hugged.

Now, about that television - did it work?

[Mike6567]

Back from France now. It was dead easy (but don't tell my sister-in-law). On the initial setup page there was a select country option. It all worked OK. However, as you all know, French TV is rubbish. OK for use with the DVD player though. An extra question- when I write up this reply the paragraphs disappear. How do I keep the paragraphs?

[BOAC]

One way that normally works, Mike, is to 'preview post' (where you will see the format gone!) then re-enter the para breaks, and this seems to stick. I think it has been discussed before.

http://www.pprune.org/computer-internet-issues-troubleshooting/383164-no-new-lines-no-paragraphs-forums.html

[Saab Dastard]

How do I keep the paragraphs?

You have to pay extra for paragraphs.

Seriously, there could be a problem with AdBlock and NoScript if they are configured too aggressively.

Other than that, usual advice about removing cookies and clearing browser cache.

SD

[Keygrip]

I'm glad this thread came back.

I gets hugs here.

=^..^=

[Saab Dastard]

What's all this 'ere, then?

Loitering with intent to 'ug?

Be hoff with you, young man. 'Oppit, sharpish.

There's a name for people like you, ho yes.

I've a good mind to...

Where's 'e gone?

[Keygrip]

.^=

(Peers round the corner).

They always told me you were a mean and nasty old man.

[Mike6567]

ibsrv.net

I now allow this (on NoScript)

it seems to work now.

Thanks

Mike