Hi there

I hope someone here can help me as I have no idea of the ins-and-outs of DVDs, TVs and all that.

I am based in the UK!

I currently have a Panasonic TX-28DTX11 TV and a Panasonic DMR-ES30VEB video/dvd player/recorder. All has been working great - until the DVD player stopped working properly. It starts and then stops a little way in. If I pull out the power cord and then plug it back in and start it, it works for a little while, then stops (loses all power) again. I am not sure if this is fixable (any ideas?).

Anyway, so I thought I should get a new player and started looking at options. I am not a heavy watcher, so I wanted something cheap and simple. I had a look at upgrading to a Blu-Ray player, and that seems to be not too expensive. Then I looked at getting Blu-Ray plus Freeview, which seems to be very expensive (there are cheap Freeview boxes and the TV has some of the channels).

But Blu-Ray plus wi-fi is not bad at all. Argos has a Sony BDP-S3500B Smart Blu-Ray and DVD Player with Wi-fi for only £65. I was very tempted.

Then I looked at the connections and realised that I would have to get a Scart to HDMI box and an HDMI cable. Again, I looked at the prices and it adds quite a bit to the total, but not too bad.

And then I got worried. If I buy an el-cheapo player and el-cheapo connectors, then I could end up with no or bad playback. But I don't want to spend a lot on this.

Any thoughts, advice or ideas would be hugely appreciated. I will probably have to replace the TV at some point in the future, but don't want to do deal with that right now.

Quick option is to just buy a basic £25-40 standard DVD player. Samsung still make them ,along with other, that will get you going for the moment.
At the time you change your TV you can then update to Blu-Ray, or if the new set still has a scart connection, you can continue to use the DVD.
If you don't change your TV for a couple of years then you probably find that the new 4K Blu-Ray disc players (not standard Blu-Ray that upscales to 4K) will be sensibly priced to give you the best picture for the TV which will be undoubtedly a 4K model.

There is little point getting a Blu-ray player if you're still using an old CRT TV. You will get no benefit from it whatsoever.

As the previous poster stated you're better off picking up a bog standard DVD player for now (most will not cost any more than £30) and then should you upgrade your TV at a later date, you can always invest in a Blu-ray player then.

Even worse than that, he either won't be able to connect it to the TV (no HDMI on the CRT), or if the BD Player has an SD option it will only be the poorest possible quality Composite output (many are HDMI only now though).

I fully agree with you, get a DVD Player as suggested.

If you want to keep costs down - then look at Freecycle for a second hand DVD player or if you've got a local British Heart Foundation Home & Furniture store.

There's little to choose between DVD players now, so no point in paying more for a specific brand - the quality will be marginal particularly on a CRT TV.

In terms of Freeview reception - again check Freecycle for a used Freeview box - as people have upgraded many have had surplus Freeview boxes.

Chances are your TV is at least 5 years old (I think most CRTs had been discontinued from the major manufacturers by then) so will be in the latter part of its life in any case, so you'll probably be looking at upgrading the TV in the next couple of years and can upgrade to a Blu Ray player then.

Far longer than that

Thank you so much for the brilliant replies. I was quite keen on the wi-fi option. Is there any sense in trying to find a DVD with wi-fi? I am thinking iPlayer, etc. Or is that not going to work with the old TV either?

Thanks again
Edelweiss

I wouldn't bother using a DVD or Blu Ray player - neither are particularly good options and you're relying on the manufacturer keeping the app up to date - which many don't.

You'd be better off looking for one of the original Now TV boxes (the white one) which had an AV out - then you just need to get the cable to connect it to the AV connectors on your Panasonic TV - cable shouldn't cost more than a couple of pounds. And I found a white Now TV box on ebay, buy it now for £ 9.50

If the DVD player works with your TV then so will its built in iPlayer app. The only snag is that where your TV is might be a WIFI dead spot (sods law). A power line adaptor will solve that though. (Cue Winston).

I was just congratulating myself on how well I was doing in terms of understanding all this, and now you have lost me. Oh dear.

Let me see if I get this, you are suggesting that I get a cheap DVD player and then also get a Now TV box? Is that right? Then how do I plug it all in? Bearing in mind this TV arrived on the Ark.

And would that give me access to iPlayer and all the other catch-up services and also the option of using a USB?

Hope the questions are not getting too basic!

Sorry I thought you were thinking of buying a DVD/Blu-ray with WIFI and a SCART O/P, as well as HDMI, assuming such a thing is available. Anything else needs a TV with an HDMI I/P, has yours got one? If not just buy a cheap DVD player from a supermarket and forget about iPlayer etc. Otherwise you will be throwing money away on SCART/HDMI adaptors as your TV will probably not last that much longer.

Sorry - didn't mean to cause confusion.

1- buy a cheap DVD player and connect using SCART as your existing player is. You may find the DVD player has USB which answers that.

2 - buy a white NOW TV box which will connect to your WiFi and allow access to iPlayer, ITV hub, 4od etc. It has to be an early white box as the later black ones only have HDMI, which your TV won't.

The Now TV box can be connected with a cable to the 'phono' connectors your TV has (circular red and white connectors).

Hope this helps.

So why do you suggest bad technology when you clearly know it is the wrong thing to do?

The OP's TV is a CRT set - it won't have HDMI, hence my suggestion of a cheap DVD player connected by SCART and a white Now TV box (because they have AV out on them which the later ones don't) to cover the IPlayer, ITV player, 4oD request.

Winston - we know your views on PLT adaptors, you've repeated the ad infinitum on other threads. We don't need to go over it again on this one and I suspect it will just cause unnecessary confusion if we do.

If you want a thread on the rights and wrongs of PLT adaptors can I suggest you set one up rather than disrupting this one.

Because they are a very useful, effective and legal way of moving data around a house. You quite frankly are now just becoming a figure of fun. You don't honestly think people are going to try and run ethernet cables around their houses, often between floors, do you when a power line adaptor can be installed in minutes? They cause absolutely no interference to LW, MW, FM, DAB or TV. Only to some SW frequencies. Sorry old son but no one wants to listen to obscure foreign propaganda programmes in 2016 on crackle fizzy SW. As for more interesting material around the world, everyone uses internet radio which even at low bitrates is far superior. Try it.

Thank you so much. That was a super clear explanation. Even I can find the red and white connectors on the TV

No problem - you're welcome.

Let us know how you get on.

OK, so I had a look at the Now box and it doesn't have a USB connection. Not that I am convinced it would actually work as it does depend what file type your files are. It would have been nice, though.

Can the Now box play Amazon Prime?

Oh, this is all making decisions quite difficult!

You are wrong. The latest high speed PLT product do cause interference to FM and DAB.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/publications/whitepaper195

SW is used for a lot more than propaganda broadcasts. It is used by air traffic control and emergency services among others.

Why shouldn't people run ethernet cables? They are quite happy running aerial and satellite cables which are far bigger.

I know about internet radio, I use one myself, but nor everything is available on it and some is geo blocked.

Also remember creating interference is illegal, so while purchasing PLT is legal, using it may not be.

It's time to get a new TV

No - the Now TV box can't do Amazon Prime - few of the streaming devices can - the only one which definitely can, oddly enough, is the Amazon Fire Stick - but that needs HDMI, which your TV doesn't have.

In reality you have two options:

1 - the option I suggested of a cheap DVD player and an old NOW TV box - this gives you DVD playback and basic catch-up services and will cost you less than £ 50.

2 - replace your TV and buy a blu-ray player. It will address all your queries, but cost you circa £ 400. Something like this would replace your TV nicely:>

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-and-...31977-pdt.html

And a matching DVD player would be about £50.

Don't be put off by the fact it's a 40" whereas your existing CRT set is a 28" - if you measure the actual dimensions you'll find the LCD set is about the same size. If you bought a 32" LCD I think you'd find it too small.

Thank you again for the great advice AlanO. I really don't want to spend the cash for a new TV at this stage, I honestly don't watch enough to warrant it. I'll go for the cheap DVD at the moment and keep watching the other services on the laptop. Would have been nice, but there it is.

Thanks again. Very helpful!!

The only other option could be one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tendak-Compo...mi+to+av&psc=1

Which would allow you to connect a Blu Ray player or a streaming stick (such as Amazon Fire or Chromecast) to your TV?

It's not an ideal solution - the better way would be to update your TV - but this might give you another inexpensive option?

If you decide to do this - then look at Samsung's Blu Ray players as they tend to have the most comprehensive catch-up services (more than Sony or Panasonic).

yeah, a cheap new basic dvd player - with scart output - is easiest quick option. There are some basic ones, very cheap. Otherwise, the laser diodes inside dvd (and bluray) players decrease in efficiency over time. An automatic servo keeps light output constant, by increasing the current, until "failure point" is reached. It's essentially "not economically repairable", unless you are a skilled repairman & can do it yourself! (note that, laser diodes are DANGEROUS, can burn a hole in your eye, repair technicians take precautions!).

However, you MIGHT try a "dvd lens cleaner kit", if you can find one in a pound shop, for a pound ?