AlanO, is this one not an option:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Composite-Co...=hdmi+to+scart

How about this for the time being?

http://www.tesco.com/direct/sony-dvp...r/735-1169.prd

With DVD players now there's pretty much nothing to choose between an "unbranded" item for £15 and a branded one for £25 - the bits most likely to fail are the transport mechanism or the laser - and I suspect they're all using one of a couple of mechanisms.

To answer the OPs question - that other convertor box should work - I've never used one myself so can't comment on how good or otherwise they are.

True but Tesco are everywhere and £25 is very little to pay for something that could be reused for years on a bedroom TV or similar. The converter box seems like a waste of money as once the TV has died, it is after all very old, then it unlikely that anyone will have a use for it, so it will just go in the bin. The Sony DVD is only £7 more. Tesco probably have an own brand cheaper one as well.

Point is the £ 20 convertor box would allow the OP to buy and use a Blu Ray player which may have the TV catch up services he's looking for.

The BR player will probably outlast the TV and any new TV he buys will have HDMI.

AlanO - it is a she - I thought the questions gave it away

Sorry about that - it really didn't occur to me when I was posting!