Retro fitting a Freeview Tuner

[Richard C]

Is a TV an appliance? Not sure if this is the correct forum for this but someone out there may have an answer. I have a 2 year old Plasma screen which has only an internal analogue tuner; is it possible to convert/retro fit an internal digital free view tuner?

The screen has been moved from its original floor location & is now wall mounted with all the service cables out of sight in a duct behind the wall. The analogue picture is just not up to it & at the moment, I have a digi box taped to the top of the TV which doesn’t exactly look the part!

 

[tockworth]

The simple answer is no these early plasmas will not be manufactured with capacity to simply plug in a digital tuner. The system you have at the moment is the only way to display digital pictures on your plasma tv.ie digi box (which effectively is just a digital tuner )connected to your tv via a scart lead.The point you made about your analogue signal not being up to it, If your analogue signal is weak (snowy picyures) this could effect your digi pictures if the signal drops below a certain threshold you will get digi picture lock up or drop out were the pictures will break up or lock up and freeze in little square blocks. This is why your analogue signal is still important as far as recieving digital pictures.That is assuming you are recieving your digi pictures terrastially as opposed to via sky sat.

 

[Richard C]

Thanks for the response; I have not had a look inside the TV but being an experienced computer builder, I though it may just be a case of replacing a board - seems a bit backward thinking of the manufacturer not designing his TV’s to accept both. The current model looks almost identical externally but now has both analogue & digital tuners!

My digi picture is fine with signal strengths of 80% + from my terrestrial aerial so no lock ups or pixilation drop out. The problem with the analogue picture is that it just doesn’t provide the definition on a screen that size so you loose the detail & sharpness taken for granted with digital & DVD signals. Oh well, looks like I might have to resort to plan B then!