Digital Television Query

Associate

Hi guys,

I would be grateful if you could provide some clarification on the Digital Television switch over.

As our Analogue Aerial for the house hasn't been upgraded, in order to get a signal to use a Freeview Box, we had to purchase a Freeview Aerial......one of those manual home aerials you can just plug in.

I was wondering, once the analogue signal is switched off in my Region (London) in 2012.......I know there's a way to go yet..........will the Freeview Box still work as long as I carry on using the Freeview Aerial and I can carry on watching Digital Channels, or will the main Aerial for the house need to be upgraded to Digital?

Thank you

Regards,

Jay

Marty_J

No, you can continue to use the aerial you're using now.

In fact, as they're increasing the digital signal strength when they turn off the analogue signal, it should work even better.

niceguyrichy

you'll be fine and dandy mate.
we live way out in the countryside up here in scotland, using an areial that was probably mounted on the roof while people were dodging German bombs, and the digi box works just fine
apparantly though, some areas of the country still have a ropy signal (ie none) , but I'm sure it's only the very most remote north west islands and the like. and they will have fixed that before the switch off.

Inactive

No such thing as a " Freeview Aerial ", an aerial is an aerial, some are better than others, you may well find that your old existing aerial will work fine now, it almost certainly will after switch over.

Fifer

In fact, many of the aerials sold as 'digital' are just wideband aerials. Most people will get a better signal with an aerial appropriate to the group of frequencies that analogue and digital signals are transmitted in their area.

Mobeer

Associate wrote: »

As our Analogue Aerial for the house hasn't been upgraded, in order to get a signal to use a Freeview Box, we had to purchase a Freeview Aerial......one of those manual home aerials you can just plug in.

All you need is an aerial - a "freeview aerial" is just a marketing term designed to convince people to pay out for something they don't need.
Advice on aerials is available from freeview:
http://www.freeview.co.uk/help/faq/id100052

Associate wrote: »

I was wondering, once the analogue signal is switched off in my Region (London) in 2012.......I know there's a way to go yet..........will the Freeview Box still work as long as I carry on using the Freeview Aerial and I can carry on watching Digital Channels, or will the main Aerial for the house need to be upgraded to Digital?

Digital TV = Freeview, with possibly extra services like Freesat
So from 2012 you can go on watching the same Digital channels (on Freeview). You might get a better Freeview signal after switchover as the analog transmissions cease and the digital transmitters are then able to power stronger signals.

Lots of advice on the digital switchover is here:
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/faqs/what#a_id483

DAS_TV

Whilst what everyone says above is correct, in that the digital signal can and will be received through your existing house aerial after the switchover, there is an argument for upgrading your aerial. An aerial is an aerial is an aerial, but they will degrade over time, as everything does. You don't indicate how old your existing system is, but a newer aerial will, by default, provide you with a better signal, regardless of the format. That is not to say it is needed however.