Freeview TV

seven-day-weekend

My house in the UK is installed with Telewest Cable TV (basic package) which I gave the lodgers permission to have provided they paid the bill. They did this until they left in May (leaving the Telewest installed). They have not got any extra sports, movies or news channels, it is just the basic package. I believe it costs about £25 a month including an extra box.

I would now like to change it to a Freeview system, as I have now included the cable tv in the rent. I intend to buy a box when I'm in the UK in September. I'm sure these are stupid questions and everybody but me knows it, but:

Are there as many channels on Freeview as on the Telewest basic package?

Will it work on Cable?

How much are Freeview boxes?

Where do I buy one from - is it places like Currys or Dixons?

Can I just buy a Freeview box and plug it in?

Thanks to all

hjb123

Check out https://www.freeview.co.uk

You can get freeview boxes from places like Argos, Currys, Comet, supermarkets - like Sainsburys, Tesco and Asda. They start from around £20 (but thats the cheapest!). Are you sure that freeview is available in the area that you were after it?

seven-day-weekend

hjb123 wrote:

Check out https://www.freeview.co.uk

You can get freeview boxes from places like Argos, Currys, Comet, supermarkets - like Sainsburys, Tesco and Asda. They start from around £20 (but thats the cheapest!). Are you sure that freeview is available in the area that you were after it?

It's in Wolverhampton (West Midlands), I'll ring one of the suppliers and ask.

irnbru_2

seven-day-weekend wrote:

Are there as many channels on Freeview as on the Telewest basic package?

Freeview channel list here.

seven-day-weekend wrote:

Will it work on Cable?

No

seven-day-weekend wrote:

How much are Freeview boxes?

£20-£300

seven-day-weekend wrote:

Where do I buy one from - is it places like Currys or Dixons?

Yes ... even supermarkets sell them.

seven-day-weekend wrote:

Can I just buy a Freeview box and plug it in?

Yes but Freeview broadcasts on 6 channels. Some people may need to change their aerial to pick up all the channels.

seven-day-weekend

Right....OK, I do have a roof aerial, so having read the link above it says I may be able to use that. Am I right in thinking I don't need a dish? It is not a digital TV either.

seven-day-weekend

As you can see I know precisely nothing about it! We just had the five channels when we lived there!

In Spain we have a little satellite system we bought for 90 euros (including dish, connections and tuning device) from Lidl, we brought it home, put the satellite up, plugged it in....it works!

However, it only has five English-speaking channels as it is a European system. We have Sky News, BBC World, CNN, Travel Channel and a Business channel I can't remember the name of.

We watched the World Cup in German and Formula One in Spanish (on terrestrial TV).

Still, who cares for 90 euros!

C_Ronaldo

you dont need a dish, you get freeview via the ariel,

coolagarry

Seven day weekend. You are looking for complications that are not there.
First check if freeview is available to your postcode (I have no doubt that it is) http://www.freeview.co.uk/
If it is, get a set top box from somewhere like Asda. (I have one of theirs for about £20 and I think it's great.)
Sit it on top of the tv. (or somewhere nearby)
Plug the tv aeriel into the freeview box. (If reception is poor then you may need a new aeriel).
Plug the freeview box into the Tv, Job Done.

The box comes with instructions for downloading the channels automatically and attaching scart cables etc.
It gives an excellent selection of programmes and you can records from Freeview the same as your 5 'normal' channels.

I live in Burton on Trent and get excellent digital reception for three freeview boxes all from the one aeriel in the loft!

seven-day-weekend

Thanks Coolagarry, just what I needed to hear -spelt out in words of one syllable- it was all very complicated to me!