TV aerials, digital tv and freeview and why you don't need anything special.

Gangstabird

Not sure if this has been done before but I just saved a ton of money doing this myself. We purchased a TV with freeview but it just wouldn't work with our current aerial. After speaking to someone else they told me that I needed a 'digital aerial and that their aerial man put theirs up for £220.00.

It sounded alot to me, so I googled aerials and found out that you do NOT need a special aerial, just maybe an upgrade. After all our aerial has been on the roof for over 25 years.

Also, due to illness, hubs couldn't get up on the roof so it has been fixed to a wall outside an upstairs window.

I get every single freeview channel and a crystal clear pic. The aerial cost £35 from Argos including fittings & cable.

Apparently the cable does deteriorate with age etc but this one will last through the digital switch as well.

Having phoned one or two aerial people who are professing that you need a special digital one, I just wanted to share this with you all as I definitely saved heaps of money on this one.

Fifer

Despite what you are told, there's no such thing as a digital aerial, just different kinds of analogue ones. The ones sold as digital are usually a compromise (wideband - jack of all trades and master of none) and although they often work well, they are not normally the optimum solution.

If your £35 Argos jobby works fine now, it will probably perform even better when the digital swichover happens and the power is increased.

Gangstabird

Thanks Fifer, I really was told an awful load of tripe by people and I am really glad that I sorted it out myself.

I can really really jump up & down at the freeview of 50+ channels for free and the absolute clarity of picture. It's fab.

However, I will be putting said aerial on the roof when the weather is brighter as I chose my Godparents carefully and one is a roofer;)

Everyone I know who has a freeview box says the same thing, they can't get all of the channels.

I should also add that this is for one room, but with a converter kit will actually work in the loft. I thought about this, but didn't want to upset my ceilings with a hole.

johnoz

I agree entirely with both your comments about the aerials.

You do raise the point, however, about the cables deteriorating with age, which is true as apparently moisture gets into them. That's a job worth doing if your picture quality is not as good as it once was.

We did that here (keeping our 15 year old aerial in place), and like you can now get all freeview channels fine ... which is good, as the online coverage checker tells us that we are not in the reception area and will have to wait for the digital changeover in our region!

flying_andrewl

A group of professionals, disgruntled by the unscrupulous methods being used by some installers, have set up a new web site dedicated to debunking the myths about digital TV reception, and in particular the Digital Aerial Myth:

http://www.paras.org.uk/index.shtml

Paras stands for "Professional Aerial Riggers Against the Sharks"

If you are having trouble with Digital TV reception make this site your first stop! It could save you a lot of money.

A_Nice_Englishman

flying_andrewl beat me to it, but I would highly recommend this site too.