Digital TV, Ethernet Port?

[Bucko]

Hi. I have a Digital Grundig TV receiver and last night I was looking at the ports on the back of the set top box. It has all the standered RF connection, scart connections and so forth and there was another port, at first I thought it was just a standered phone socket.

I then looked at the socket more closely and I noticed it had about 8 or so (ethernet) eqivlent connections, I assume this is for connecting to a computer or some kind of router to connect to some kind of Internet Service. But what the hell and why.

I lost the manual so I don't know were it has gone and I haven't had a chance to connect it all up to my pc because I haven't got digital arial equipment yet.

So if you guys no what this misterious port does, Let us know.

 

[03bigMark03]

Ups, logged into old account, meant to post on this account.

 

[pothitos]

Well, i have a Telewest box and that has an RJ45 connector on the back too. Cable Tv compnaies are gonna start offering internet connections through the TV boxes so they have put it there for the future.

 

[03bigMark03]

This aint cable though! It's freeview and were in Uk that has no broadband. So wtf there must be some other use for it.

 

[Zedric]

Probably for broadband anyway. The only reason I can think of. For Pay-Per-View, shopping, ticket booking and so on.

 

[03bigMark03]

Ok

I suppose so Zedric. But it's an ethernet port, not a phone line. Sky Digital boxes have a phone socket and you pay loads for HSBC banking and stuff. I'm just try to figure how you would use an ethernet port for this sort of service though, the technology in the box is very basic, much like VCR programing.

 

[the_music_man]

i think its for purchasing tv channels b/c its on my sadelittle box! or maybe surfing the web on tv?>!

 

[GoNz0]

its also for scrambler decoders.

 

[03bigMark03]

There is an NTL channell on there, wtf can I browse the Internet on that? Can it download software updates faster on the Internet? Can scamblers get you free channells or something like that?And no way am I going to purchase channells on freeview lol, that would just be sad.

 

[jonifen]

NTL & Telewest use the same digital boxes - the ethernet port is there mainly for broadband connectivity (thats how I get the connection at home - a crossover cable from the set top box to the router).

I imagine the box may have been intended for usage on sky or cable, but as it has freeview capabilities, they offer them for freeview (its possibly for future upgrades though).

Perhaps its for recording stuff on TV onto the PC