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Daily Life![]() By Brad Smith French TVs use a single connector instead of the myriad of RCA, coax and s-video connections Americans are used to. However, it is still possible to convert back/forth. As far as I know, every American TV made in the last 10 years uses one or more of the following connectors:
One feature to look for when buying a French TV is the number of SCART connections. A large TV might have two, but smaller ones will probably have only one. If you want to plug in more things than your TV has plugs, you can buy a box that allows you to connect more.
These multiple-input SCART boxes have worked fine for me when used with French devices, but I've had problems using them with American devices. For example, when I connect my American VCR using the requisite adaptor, the sound from the satellite is messed up, even when the VCR is off. But this doesn't always happen, and I don't know what triggers it. Just be aware this does not always work perfectly. VCRs: The Canal Satellite box has two SCART inputs to which you can connect a VCR and/or a DVD player (actually, any SCART device). When you turn off the satellite, it passes the VCR signal to the TV so you can watch a tape. In the States, you would put the recording device between the box that selects the channel (cable or satellite) and your TV so you can record shows from the cable/satellite. However, the French satellite box feeds the signal back to the VCR so you can still record shows. In fact, it has a timer feature that will turn on the VCR to record. I don't believe this is specific to Canal Satellite, but I have no personal experience with any others. The same connections can be done with a DVD player. The canal Satellite box has two SCART inputs, so an expander box is not needed.
There is little nerd detail to add to this. Using SCART is pretty easy, although it is more expensive to hook up a system than using coax, S-video and/or RCA. Each of the cables and boxes costs money. Depending on where you go and how much you want to spend, a SCART cable could cost 10 - 40€. Here's an explanation (in English) of the SCART plug: http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/scart.htm. If you want way too much information (in French), including voltage levels and specs, visit http://www.corsaire.org/consulting/peritel.html. Both can be found with a Google search for "peritel"
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