How do I know if myTV receives a digital signal?

[giddyup]

This is probably a stupid question, but I have a 3 year old 42" Panasonic Viera TV, and get TMN cable, which is broadcast in both analogue and digital, so how do I know which one I'm receiving? All i can say is that the picture is not crystal clear which leads me to believe I'm getting an analogue signal, so does this mean my TV only has an analogue tuner? I know I can buy a digital set top box from TMN for 500 baht, so if I'm only getting analogue I'll get one.

[lopburi3]

The equipment manual will say what type of tuner is installed I suspect. Are the channels the same using analog and digital tuners per TMN? But the quality may have more to do with your cable provider/location than the system being used - often they provide less than quality quality.

[giddyup]

The equipment manual will say what type of tuner is installed I suspect. Are the channels the same using analog and digital tuners per TMN? But the quality may have more to do with your cable provider/location than the system being used - often they provide less than quality quality.

These are the specs.

[johng]

Everything points to your TV not having a digital tuner.

I've used an A J DVB-90+ set top box with Tipmanee cable so you're not tied to using their box .

[giddyup]

Everything points to your TV not having a digital tuner.

I've used an A J DVB-90+ set top box with Tipmanee cable so you're not tied to using their box .

Just about everywhere else in the world TV's have to include a digital tuner after 2007, mine is 2012 with NO digital tuner. I didn't even think to ask when I bought it, I just assumed because it was a late model TV that it would have digital tuner. How do they get away with selling this shit? How much was the AJ set top box. Is it the same as what the government were giving away free?

[lopburi3]

Government was not giving anything away free - they were providing a coupon to apply on price of tuner (which may have resulted in no payment required). But that was for OTA broadcast reception only AFAIK.

The problem with an extra tuner is you will require two remote controls - one for TV functions and second for box to change channels. As for quality you might want to check that before buying box as not all digital is equal (some is much more compressed than others).

When our cable pulled this dual analog/digital switch several years ago here in Bangkok (dropping many stations to free up room for digital) we said goodbye and installed dish to receive direct from satellite (at much higher quality).

You do not need a digital tuner if using video or HDMI inputs.

[giddyup]

Government was not giving anything away free - they were providing a coupon to apply on price of tuner (which may have resulted in no payment required). But that was for OTA broadcast reception only AFAIK.

The problem with an extra tuner is you will require two remote controls - one for TV functions and second for box to change channels. As for quality you might want to check that before buying box as not all digital is equal (some is much more compressed than others).

When our cable pulled this dual analog/digital switch several years ago here in Bangkok (dropping many stations to free up room for digital) we said goodbye and installed dish to receive direct from satellite (at much higher quality).

You do not need a digital tuner if using video or HDMI inputs.

My cable lead plugs directly into the antennae socket on the TV.

[johng]

My wife got the AJ box for free by using the government Digital TV voucher scheme,without voucher selling now for about 1200 baht if you go look in Tesco or BigC they have a couple of brands that sell for 690 baht (value of the voucher )

The reason Thai Tv's have only very recently started to be sold with digital tuners is because they hadn't decided which DVB standard to use...no point / costs more having a universal multi standard tuner.

[giddyup]

My wife got the AJ box for free by using the government Digital TV voucher scheme,without voucher selling now for about 1200 baht if you go look in Tesco or BigC they have a couple of brands that sell for 690 baht (value of the voucher )

The reason Thai Tv's have only very recently started to be sold with digital tuners is because they hadn't decided which DVB standard to use...no point / costs more having a universal multi standard tuner.

I guess I might as well buy the TMN set top box for 500 baht.

[lopburi3]

Yes understand your cable attaches directly to TV antenna input (tuner) - but with box it will be a video or HDMI connection so tuner will not be used. But that in itself does not mean the quality will be better (hopefully it will be however). If you have access would be best to test first - as it will be a pain having to use two controls if quality does not improve.

[giddyup]

Yes understand your cable attaches directly to TV antenna input (tuner) - but with box it will be a video or HDMI connection so tuner will not be used. But that in itself does not mean the quality will be better (hopefully it will be however). If you have access would be best to test first - as it will be a pain having to use two controls if quality does not improve.

The TV has only one HDMI connection which is currently being used for a HD Media player, which I must admit is used for watching downloaded movies probably more than watching TV shows. Perhaps leave well enough alone?

[harrry]

Must say I am rather impressed with the "Free" converter. A very good unit with replay too. I was expecting a rubish box that had nothing.

[johng]

Forgot to add that one way to tell if you're looking at a digital signal is that instead of being numbered most/all channels will be automatically named.

Also the picture will be very clear with no grainynes or ghosting , when there is a signal problem the picture will freeze and glitch go blocky then disappear completely there is very little transition from perfect picture to no picture where as with analog you can continue to watch as the picture descends into a snow storm.

[lopburi3]

Expect the box may have a USB input that you can attach playback material (most sat units do) and likely also outputs normal L/R/V that could be attached to a video input on TV.

[johng]

Most of these set top boxes have a USB port so you can attach a thumb drive or hard drive to playback movies (mp4 ) and music (mp3)

Also can be used to pause/rewind and record live TV,

PVR function.

[wpcoe]

Does the AJ box have an option for English language in the on-screen menus?

[lopburi3]

Do not have that box but both my PSI and GMMZ sat box have such options - almost everything has an English option (finding it is the hard part).

[Orotumba]

Just press the Info button on your TV's remote control and view more information about the current channel.

[DPGumbypgh]

TMN was sending all of the digital channels in high definition when they were in HD. Now they appear to be copying true and downgrading all of the channels to 576i

[carlyai]

This is probably a stupid question, but I have a 3 year old 42" Panasonic Viera TV, and get TMN cable, which is broadcast in both analogue and digital, so how do I know which one I'm receiving? All i can say is that the picture is not crystal clear which leads me to believe I'm getting an analogue signal, so does this mean my TV only has an analogue tuner? I know I can buy a digital set top box from TMN for 500 baht, so if I'm only getting analogue I'll get one.

Take the aerial connection to the tv off, then look very closely at the antenna end.of the cable between the centre conductor and earth braid. If you see a lot of 1s and 0s comming it is digital, if you see a signwave it is analogue.

Hope this helps

[seoulexpat]

Your TV specifications clearly indicate the TV is 720P (32 in) or 1080P (42 in). As suggested above simply use a HDMI cable from your set-top to the TV HDMI input. You will view a digital picture and not have to worry about a tuner. Most newer TV remotes have a button label (PIC/Display) that when pressed will give you the signal resolution at the top of the screen. If it says 420/460 it is an analog picture. Also, many cable boxes have a slide switch on the back that can be changed for HD resolution.

[Orotumba]

Everything points to your TV not having a digital tuner.

I've used an A J DVB-90+ set top box with Tipmanee cable so you're not tied to using their box .

Just about everywhere else in the world TV's have to include a digital tuner after 2007, mine is 2012 with NO digital tuner. I didn't even think to ask when I bought it, I just assumed because it was a late model TV that it would have digital tuner. How do they get away with selling this shit? How much was the AJ set top box. Is it the same as what the government were giving away free?

About 6 months ago only 10% of TVs sold in Thailand had a DTV tuner built-in.

Because the DTV set-top boxes are so dirt cheap nowadays.

Now maybe 20%-30% of all TVs sold in Thailand do have the built-in DTV tuner.

The advantage is that you don't need two separate remote controls and there are less cables cluttering around the TV set.

But sometimes I wish I had a separate DTV set-top box because it provides a function to measure the RF signal quality at the TV antenna input.

This function is very useful for TV antenna pointing to the right direction and its positioning to obtain the best possible signal.

[ejpool44]

I have the same TV Panasonic Viera 4 years old and it has DTV. Go to your settings and you can set it up for digital or Analogue.

[lopburi3]

TV sets sold in Thailand are often (almost always) not the same tuners and software as elsewhere.

[johng]

Does the AJ box have an option for English language in the on-screen menus?

Yes it does

[giddyup]

I have the same TV Panasonic Viera 4 years old and it has DTV. Go to your settings and you can set it up for digital or Analogue.

My model # is a Panasonic TH--L42UST, and it definitely doesn't have a digital tuner. Checked Settings and there's just no way to choose a digital setting.

[wpcoe]

Does the AJ box have an option for English language in the on-screen menus?

Yes it does

Thanks!

[koo]

The OP says "the picture is not crystal clear". That is a clue for determining if the signal is analog or digital:

An analog signal that is not perfect, will have "snowfall", distortions (both sound and picture) and maybe some stripes across the screen (or below or above the picture).

A digital signal that is not perfect will have "pixelation" (squares of messed up picture), cutting off the picture and/or sound totally, but no distortions or snowfall or the like.

[giddyup]

The OP says "the picture is not crystal clear". That is a clue for determining if the signal is analog or digital:

An analog signal that is not perfect, will have "snowfall", distortions (both sound and picture) and maybe some stripes across the screen (or below or above the picture).

A digital signal that is not perfect will have "pixelation" (squares of messed up picture), cutting off the picture and/or sound totally, but no distortions or snowfall or the like.

I know the digital picture I got on my TV in Australia was near perfect, here not so much. In fact, the digital picture I viewed at TMN's office was hardly any better than what I get in analogue, it was actually quite fuzzy. My next door neighbour had TMN digital installed today and he said the same, the difference is negligible. That's not how digital should be, but it is what it is.

Edited December 12, 2015 by giddyup

[kingalfred]

Do these digital boxes connect via an analogue tv cable and add more channels than those currently showing on analogue,and allow us to watch more tv channels ? If so what is the best digital box to get so as to watch English speaking channels either free or by subscription.