God hates the gogglebox

July 27, 2006 1:46 PM

Disaster! Our flat was struck by lightning. Even worse, now our TV doesn't work.

It's a bit knackered (I couldn't tell you what brand name it is, because it's fallen off), but it's connected to a Freeview box using a SCART cable and a coaxial cable. The Freeview box is connected to the aerial with another coaxial cable. The aerial's on top of the house. The house is under the sky, which decided it didn't like our house. Blue flash.

After going really REALLY LOUD the TV has become silent. The picture is out of sync. I have applied my shoe and that hasn't helped.

Plugging in the coaxial cable from the aerial (which gives you the five analogue channels you get in the UK) gets a picture in sync but no sound.

Should I get a new TV, a new Freeview box, wait for it to get better or just read a book?

posted by randomination to technology (8 comments total)

What size shoe did you use?
posted by found missing at 1:49 PM on July 27, 2006 [2 favorites]

Nine.

Should I have used one of my girlfriend's stilletoes?
posted by randomination at 1:54 PM on July 27, 2006

Borrow a known-good TV to swap in. If everything works under that setup, get a new TV. While you're at it, try your TV on someone else's cable.

You have to test the components in isolation if you want to be sure of what's broken.
posted by cortex at 1:59 PM on July 27, 2006

found missing - heh. I pooped a little, there.
posted by Dunwitty at 4:17 PM on July 27, 2006

Read a book.
posted by disillusioned at 4:26 PM on July 27, 2006

My parent's condominium was struck by lightning. The cable TV box and combo DVD/VCR was fried but the TV survived. The cable TV company replaced the cable and cable TV box and hooked up an old VCR for them. I bought a good surge protector that had coax cable protection and hooked it up between the cable TV box to prevent this from happening again.

I would have someone check your rooftop aerial and cable leading into the house for any damage and get the freeview digital box replaced (under warranty). Hook up the TV to see if it works. If it doesn't it probably needs to be replaced as well.

Not watching TV and reading a good book will save you a lot of time and money. At my last apartment my landlord insisted that I get an insurance policy and remount my satellite dish without drilling any holes to the patio or outside of the apartment. I got fed up with this policy and disconnected the whole contraption. It saved me from paying a monthly satellite TV bill (and insurance) and I spent more time reading books and renting an occasional DVD.
posted by plokent at 5:24 PM on July 27, 2006

Thanks for the suggestions.

I suppose this'll be an opportunity to get to know our neighbours and ask if their TVs are also on the blink...

I think I can get hold of friends' TV and cable boxes to test.

BTW plokent: Freeview doesn't cost us anything per month (hence the name), but you do have to buy a TV licence to legally receive *any* transmissions (£131.50/year). No idea if Thor will be willing to refund me any of that, though.
posted by randomination at 2:18 AM on July 28, 2006

I plan on using the "fzzzzzzztttt" tag at the next available opportunity.
posted by grateful at 7:52 AM on July 28, 2006