Bought a Techwood DVD recorder/player. Tried to connect with Toshiba 32" TV. Wouldn't recognise digital TV channels. Endless phone contact with Tesco Electrical+Toshiba. No joy. Changed it for a Phillips DVD. Same problem. Digital channels not recognised. Have I got my Scart wrong, aerials wrong? There's something that everyone else can do that I can't. Get a DVD recorder working. Any advice much appreciated.

Is your digital TV built in to your TV or do you have a set top box?

Does the DVD recorder have built in digital TV?

are you putting scarts into right holes, might seem daft but they do need to go in the right order. My DVD recorder has TV scart and DVD/Video , if i put them in wrong hole my screen is black.

are you putting scarts into right holes, might seem daft but they do need to go in the right order. My DVD recorder has TV scart and DVD/Video , if i put them in wrong hole my screen is black.

Was going to say it's either scarts in wrong plugs or integrated digital in the TV with no output option to the DVD.

Is your digital TV built in to your TV or do you have a set top box?

Does the DVD recorder have built in digital TV?

You've got me thinking now. The TV is certainly digital. The DVD recorder doesn't say 'digital channel compatible' but are there any DVD recorders out there which record analogue or digital channels 1-5 only? Where have the other channels gone?

I may have a day off to contemplate all the info offered. When initially setting up the DVD and watching it locate all channels, I was expecting all the Freeview channels to be found but it found only 12, i.e BBC1/ITV/Channel4/5 with Welsh variations thereof. So no ITV2/3/4,BBC3/4 etc. However, a friend says that this is always the case - I have to fiddle about with AV and Source or something. I've asked them to come round and help me sort it. I have put the Scart exactly as the instructions said - from the 'TV OUT' on the DVD to Number 1 input socket on the TV. Another guy told me to try it in number 2 input socket on TV. You would think that, with a 25 year career as a computer programmer and analyst, this would be a piece of cake. If my 21 year old daughter were here, she'd probably sort it in 10 minutes. I shall soldier on.

I may have a day off to contemplate all the info offered. When initially setting up the DVD and watching it locate all channels, I was expecting all the Freeview channels to be found but it found only 12, i.e BBC1/ITV/Channel4/5 with Welsh variations thereof. So no ITV2/3/4,BBC3/4 etc. However, a friend says that this is always the case - I have to fiddle about with AV and Source or something. I've asked them to come round and help me sort it. I have put the Scart exactly as the instructions said - from the 'TV OUT' on the DVD to Number 1 input socket on the TV. Another guy told me to try it in number 2 input socket on TV. You would think that, with a 25 year career as a computer programmer and analyst, this would be a piece of cake. If my 21 year old daughter were here, she'd probably sort it in 10 minutes. I shall soldier on.

Wrote to Phillips who say I have to use a 'freeview box' to record on DVD. The chap at Tescos, however said 'Phillips DVDR3480/05 will not record freeview - bring it in for your money back'. Apparently, if a DVD recorder is going to cope with freeview, on the box a big TICK is shown next to the DIGITAL logo. No tick, no freeview. He said that some of the DVD recorders on display would be useless once a digital only signal is available. So, I'm going to try and buy one that works. Twill cost more like £150 as opposed to £80. Full marks to Tesco for their co-operation although finding a member of staff who fully understands all the new technology is not easy.