Page 1 of NTL Digital Box query.

I`ve just upgraded to digital with NTL and they put in a Samsung SMT-2100C.The normal NTL cable runs from my wall to the box and I have a co-ax running from the RFout on the back of the box to my video and another from the video to the TV. A scart lead carries the picture to the TV but I can get no signal through the co-ax.This means I can`t tune the video or the TV to normal terrestrial channels.Should I be able to tune them in via the co-ax ? If not how would I be able to record one channel and watch another? With the old analogue set up I could flick my TV to channels 1-5 and view terrestrial TV while recording satellite via the cable box. There is also a co-ax antenna input on the back of the Digi box (well I think it`s input) does this mean I now need an external ariel to be able to achieve my above query?

....I want that one........Bitty

As you are now connected via the digibox to the TV by SCART the signal from the digibox to the TV will override everything else (ie force it into AV mode) - you should have a button on your TV remote marked AV or INPUT 1 or LINE 1 or similar - if you press, say, 1 (for BBC1) on your TV remote, you should go back to the normal analogue tv channel, assuming the old roof top aerial is plugged into the back of the VCR, and one from the VCR to the TV - technically, you don`t actually need to run an RF lead from the digibox to the VCR at all

You can then record old analogue broadcasts on your VCR, and watch digital on your TV.

I would also recommend a SCART from the NTL box out to the VCR in - this means when you press PLAY on the VCR it will override the live cable TV broadcast - you don`t actually need a direct SCART connection from the VCR to the TV anymore.

Hope that helps :)
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Clayts, Moderator, DVD Reviewer
UK webmaster for Area 450 the independent Sampo/Maxent DVD site

This item was edited on Tuesday, 18th January 2005, 23:22

Hi,
I have the same box with the same problems did you get a solution?

Kev.

There are 2 issues here:
1) Not getting any signal at all to the VCR
Your STB should be sending on at least 1 channel somewhere. Either you need to re-tune your VCR, or your STB is broke. I suspect the former. Try a full auto retune, you should find either get 1 or about 8 channels depending on Pass-through (see below)

2) Watching 1-5 while your STB is on another channel. This is known as pass-through. NTL do still transmit 1-5 plus a few other like QVC that can be picked up independantly of your STB on UHF. HOWEVER, for this to work, your STB needs a pass-through device. Older STBs have one built in, newer ones do not (cheapskates), but if you had known about this and asked the installer, he would have probably given you a box to hang on the back to work as a pass-though for free (or a cup of coffee). Unfortunatly, if you phone NTL and ask for one of these, they will deny that they exist at all. They only take a couple of quid to make out of bits from Maplins, but sorry, I dont know the details, a hunt on some other forums should give you the info.

Or wait until the NTL PVR comes out next year with 3 tuners

Don`t know if you got an answer but I didn`t see what you need to know on the first page.

YES what you want IS POSSIBLE. You don`t need an aerial necesarily - you need NTL to put in another little box...

I had exactly the same problem when I recently got digital on NTL. What needs to happen is this...

On the wire that comes in from the outside is a little silver box with one input (from the outside) and two outputs. For me one of these goes to the digibox, and the other goes to my cable modem. The one that goes to the digibox needs to have ANOTHER little silver box on it which splits the signal again - one to the digibox and the other to the Coax input on the video. Or now I have put this connector on the Coax input on the digibox, then the Coax out from the digibox to the input on my video. Now I can tune my vid from 1 to 5 terrestrial AND have the digital as channel 9 so I can tape anything I want!

With this in place I now have full digital, plus all the analogue channels tuned in from 1 to 5 on the telly and video. I can watch any terrestrial channel I like and tape any other - and I can tape any digital channel while watching any terrestrial.

BTW I have also split the outbound coax signal from the digibox to a signal ampilifier and run another tv off it which gets all the terrestrials and a copy of whatever the digibox is showing! Result!

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