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Television Standards Converters, Modulators etc Standards converters, modulators anything else for providing signals to vintage televisions.

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Old 1st Jun 2011, 9:08 pm   #1
jay_oldstuff
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Default Old on digital boxes

Are old On digital boxes now defunct? Today i dug out our old Nokia On digital box that hasn't been used in about 7 years, i was planning on installing it in the cellar to run with a couple of RF only TV's I've got down there, it powers up fine and all menus work but it wont find any channels.
it's annoying as it's the only digi box i have with built in RF modulator.

Jay
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 9:17 pm   #2
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

I have an old Pace box here. I haven't tried it for ages, but last time I did it didn't find half the channels and was glacially slow at changing what stations there were- That was before a series of big terrestrial station revamps though

It's the one that feeds my Aurora with composite video (re-routed from the modulator input), so at some point I'm going to have to arrange an alternative source .
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 9:28 pm   #3
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

They won't work after DSO, which I think has already happened at Winter Hill.
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 9:38 pm   #4
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

First ever reply here, hope it's right.....

I think the old Nokia On Digital boxes were built for 2K COFDM systems. As the Digital switchover progresses, I think the transmissions are now in 8K COFDM. I think they also can't cope with the new three-digit channel list -they only went up to Ch99.

Somebody hopefully can elaborate, it's much more technical than that, but my tea's ready!

Don't start me off -I bought an expensive "Digital" TV from a respected manufacturer in 2001 to future proof myself. It's got a 2K tuner, so now has to have a set top box plugged into it!

I found a nice set top box manufactured by "TVonics" a few years ago, about half the size of a Cook's box of matches. It had an RF modulator built in (and no SCART sockets). Sadly, I can't see it on their website anymore.

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Old 1st Jun 2011, 9:54 pm   #5
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Yep Paul we are all digital up hear now, one in the first wave i think, Oh so it looks like it's just a museum piece now only worth keeping for historic reasons. I'll have to lash something up with a non modulated digibox and an external modulator. thanks for confirming my suspicions

Jay
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:02 pm   #6
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Ours is still working absolutely fine - first generation too I think (ie an On Digital -badged one not an ITV Digital badged one).

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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:17 pm   #7
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Having said that, I'm getting service from Sutton Coldfield, so presumably I can conclude that this is presently a 2k service but will move from 2k to 8k in September this year?

Oh joy, another doorstopper coming my way soon.

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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:23 pm   #8
60 oldjohn
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Is It possible to get a test card image on them, Like you can on a lot of more modern set top boxes? John.
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:26 pm   #9
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Yep, SC changes this September. At least you'll get a better signal then

Jay, there are quite a few boxes that come with modulators that will still work, some of which are old enough to be turning up at car boots and jumble sales now. I have a Thomson DTI2300 which has one, as does the small Tvonics box mentioned in post #4. Search the forum for other examples.
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:33 pm   #10
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

As another example, I use a Ferguson F01SDB - £20 from Comet (about a year ago?)
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:36 pm   #11
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Moll View Post
As another example, I use a Ferguson F01SDB - £20 from Comet (about a year ago?)
And so have I which I bought a couple of months ago. Very good box.
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:41 pm   #12
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

I will keep an eye out at the boot fairs, i have an aversion to buying stuff like this new when it can be had for pennies or less second hand. for now i have unplugged the coax that i had ran from the living room aerial socket into the cellar and plugged it into RF out on the back of the sky digibox so at least i have an RF source down in the cellar now all be it of whatever is being watched in the living room but it will do for now.

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Old 1st Jun 2011, 10:44 pm   #13
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

My On Digital box still works. But it is slow to tune in and crashes like a good 'un.
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Old 1st Jun 2011, 11:54 pm   #14
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Wow I am glad I did not follow my wife's advice to throw out the old On Digital Pace box which worlks on 2k only. When she was 't looking I hid it in the loft. As Mendip went DSO last year I doubt whether it will be useful for anything now but I will keep it just in case.
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Old 2nd Jun 2011, 8:24 am   #15
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

I dug out my old Philips OnDigital box (from 1999) about a year ago purely to use it on my Pye 11U. This box also has an RF out which is adjustable across the UHF band...Ideal for the 11U. Anyway, I knew it worked OK with 2K and 8K transmissions and it seems to find all the current channels OK..took ages to tune them in but these were always slow. It has to think when switching from 2K to 8K but it gets there after some seconds. Not sure if it will be any good after DSO next year. It copes with three digits OK.

If it's no good after next year I'll just use a more modern box with an external modulator. I've got several salvaged from old VCR's from years ago.



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Old 2nd Jun 2011, 9:59 am   #16
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

There's no need to buy a box and then use an external modulator (be it a stand-alone or part of something like a VCR or analogue satellite receiver or something), my two Humax F2 Fox-T boxes I picked up for a total of £15 (one 35 at a carboot, the other £10 at Cash Converters) have analogue modulators so can be used on older TVs with only UHF input, and they're compatible with the 8k standard...

I do have an OnDigital Nokia Mediamaster 9850T somewhere, a refurbished model where they sprayed it silver and removed any external hints that it was an On box, but the software they couldn't change given that the OS was owned by On and subsequently ITV digital, and no-one has the rights to alter it to allow any updates, and in this day and age, very few people are interested in updating them sadly, even people who like modifying software for additional features or enhancements don't do anything for these boxes...

That reminds me, must dig out my MediaMaster 9800S (Digital satellite box)...
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Old 2nd Jun 2011, 11:48 am   #17
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

Quote:
Originally Posted by twocvbloke View Post
There's no need to buy a box and then use an external modulator (be it a stand-alone or part of something like a VCR or analogue satellite receiver or something), my two Humax F2 Fox-T boxes I picked up for a total of £15 (one 35 at a carboot, the other £10 at Cash Converters) have analogue modulators so can be used on older TVs with only UHF input, and they're compatible with the 8k standard...
Yes of course you are right about these. I was thinking more in terms of what I already had at home. Both of my spare digi boxes are more modern Philips types that just have scart output. Besides it would be nice to find a use for these old modulators I salvaged.....


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Old 2nd Jun 2011, 12:43 pm   #18
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

I'm sure one could gut those old boxes, and stick in there the pcb off a new STB AND an old video modulator to save space! There's lots of space in there...
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Old 2nd Jun 2011, 11:05 pm   #19
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

In the kitchen we still use a huge Philips ITV digital box which we bought for my mother-in-law many years ago. On the box, it said "Re-engineered On-digital stock". It still works and receives radio channels too, with 3-digit channel numbers.
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Old 3rd Jun 2011, 12:49 am   #20
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Default Re: Old on digital boxes

I seem to have a number of digital boxes which already have problems, or are doomed
Full list of incompatible boxes here: http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/2kequipment

On the positive side, I have a Pioneer OnDigital box which might not be completely useless after the digital switchover. I've discovered that it works as an RF modulator for an external device, such as a DVD player or another digital box that is post DSO compatible.
Here's the trick:
Put the Pioneer box into standby using the remote control. Note, the power button on the front of the box will turn it off completely.
Connect your external device to the Pioneer box's VCR SCART socket, using a normal SCART lead. Whatever you play into the box will appear on the RF channel that the Pioneer box is set to.

A few other boxes have a similar feature, e.g. Panasonic TU-CT30 : switch box on and press STB button on remote control. Thomson DTi6300 : switch on and press AV on remote control.
I tried this with a Philips OnDigital box but couldn't get it to work. I guess that box really is doomed.
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