Digital TV - what to do?

buckman

Still a bit confused about Digital TV, which I know is changing over in our area in March 2011

I have contacted the helpline and they weren't much help to be honest!

So we only have a standard LCD TV without any digital and just get 5 channels..

I'm sure we did try a friends set top box a few years ago, but we got no picture, and remember being told that we lived in a 'dip' and our aerial needs a boost??

So :

1. We either buy a new TV with Digital built in as our main TV?

2. If we buy a set top box, how will i know it will work? and do i have to buy another for my bedroom tv?

3. Is there a way to set up my main aerial so all my aerial points in the house regardless of where i put a tv?

Any help or cheap moneysaving way of doing this, would be appreciated!

Thanks...

Kurtis_Blue

1. We either buy a new TV with Digital built in as our main TV?

What TV make and model do you have now?

2. If we buy a set top box, how will i know it will work? and do i have to buy another for my bedroom tv?

You dont know it will work, if the one you borrowed didnt then this one will not, nor will a ~TV with built in freeview

3. Is there a way to set up my main aerial so all my aerial points in the house regardless of where i put a tv?

Not sure what this is meant to say but: If you mean you want every TV point to be live from one aerial then yes this is how it is meant to be. Aerial installed to distribution amp and room feeds taken from this point.

Any help or cheap moneysaving way of doing this, would be appreciated!

Cost of installation using local installer.
Amplifier £40
New aerial installation £140-280

Thanks...

almillar

buckman - a new TV or a set top box will get you the same result reception-wise, if you're in a dip or blackspot, it's the aerial that needs attention, and even that may not be enough.
There are websites for checking, but the most accurate thing to do is check with your neighbours. Go outside and look at their aerials. Are they huge great things? Not there at all, Sky dishes only? If you see an aerial, ask the neighbour about their freeview reception. If it's good, then you know that you can get yourself a decent aerial and will be able to receive freeview.
You need 1 freeview tuner per TV, be it built in or not, so yes you need another one for your bedroom.
You can certainly have lots of feeds coming from your rooftop aerial, and if you already struggle for reception, you'll probably need an amplifier in the roofspace to boost the signal. then it's a matter of running the cables into whatever rooms you want. This depends on where the rooms are and how awkward your house is.

TimothyEBaldwin

If you get a good analogue signal now, you will get a digital signal after switchover, when digital transmitter power is increased and analogue-only repeaters become digital. Your best option may be to wait.

buckman

Ok thanks I'll maybe wait as its still a mine-field and the Digital TV online help was rubbish!

What about Freesat??

Does anyone have any experience of this?

socks_uk

You can buy a set top box for under £20 from most of the supermarkets (mine was £15.57 from Asda in March 2008) which should work ok with the aerial you already have. Why not buy one now and try it before they switch off analogue in your area then you still have 5 months to sort something else out or have an aerial upgrade if need be?

Kurtis_Blue

socks_uk wrote: »

You can buy a set top box for under £20 from most of the supermarkets (mine was £15.57 from Asda in March 2008) which should work ok with the aerial you already have. Why not buy one now and try it before they switch off analogue in your area then you still have 5 months to sort something else out or have an aerial upgrade if need be?

Please remember that if it doesn't work now that does not mean it will not work when they crank the power up post switch-over. The power boost should solve most reception issues.

familyfitz

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Please remember that if it doesn't work now that does not mean it will not work when they crank the power up post switch-over. The power boost should solve most reception issues.

I hope your right as we have 4 standard channels on a poor analogue reception. Eventaully instigated Sky installation couple yrs ago as so fed up and prospect post switchover was reportedly not good.

What did we find.....couldn't get Sky as tree in neighbours garden blocks signal.

So, left to hope & pray switchover works as otherwise we may not even get the 4 channels we get now!

Hope OP has better luck