Will the tv work when we have the switch over?

DavidHM

Originally Posted by DavidHM
if you are shopping for a new TV, it's probably better to pay £50 extra for a one-box solution than £25 for a second box.


I am sorry but i am not with all this tv technology, what do you mean by that?

Any existing, modern TV (less than about 15 years old - i.e., with a SCART connection) can be made to work after the switchover by adding a Freeview box, which costs around £25. This includes new plasma TVs with an analogue tuner.

Alternatively, many TVs are available with a digital tuner instead of an analogue one, so you only need one "box" - the TV - to watch digital TV, instead of two (the TV and the Freeview box). However, the TVs with the built in Freeview are usually around £50 more than the equivalent TV without Freeview.

So you could either pay, say, £400 for an analogue TV + £25 for a digital box = £425, or £450 for a digital TV.

Personally, I'd probably take the second of those options unless I only wanted to watch Sky (i.e., subscription satellite TV) when I'd need an external box anyway.

MissG_2

DavidHM wrote:

Any existing, modern TV (less than about 15 years old - i.e., with a SCART connection) can be made to work after the switchover by adding a Freeview box, which costs around £25. This includes new plasma TVs with an analogue tuner.

Alternatively, many TVs are available with a digital tuner instead of an analogue one, so you only need one "box" - the TV - to watch digital TV, instead of two (the TV and the Freeview box). However, the TVs with the built in Freeview are usually around £50 more than the equivalent TV without Freeview.

So you could either pay, say, £400 for an analogue TV + £25 for a digital box = £425, or £450 for a digital TV.

Personally, I'd probably take the second of those options unless I only wanted to watch Sky (i.e., subscription satellite TV) when I'd need an external box anyway.

I get what you mean now, thanks so much!!

Moneymaker

Don't overlook the fact that you'll need another piece of equipment if you want to record a programme while watching something else.

molerat

Which is where a twin tuner PVR comes in ...... now even more confusion

DavidHM

The easiest and best option there is for an all-in-one device: DVD recorder, hard disc PVR and inbuilt Freeview tuner. Argos does a Wharfedale one for £160 and there are various other brands for between £200 and £300.

computerwoman

Moneymaker wrote:

If you mean "aerial" you are mistaken. Your existing aerial stands a good chance of working for Freeview after analogue TV ceases. In most areas the Freeview signal will be increased in strength and moved over to occupy the channels that the analogue programmes currently occupy.

Even if you do decide to go for a satellite TV system, you won't need a Sky subscription because the terrestrial channels (BBC, ITV ETC.) are free. At the very most you'd need to buy a £20 viewing card.

sorry that does sound misleading of me doesnt it, I dont have an ariel on the roof, never have, always had sky from way back. so dont know how freeview works as you cannot get it in my area.
cw

molerat

computerwoman wrote:

....... dont know how freeview works as you cannot get it in my area .....

Are you sure, don't believe everything you read. I know several people in different areas who "cannot get freeview" who are qute happily watching it.

Woby_Tide

the fact that they have no aerial probably indicates they are in one of the analogue blackspots too(about 1.5% of population), the freeview transmission map is slightly more hit and miss and checking is always worthwhile in that scenario

MissG_2

Moneymaker wrote:

Don't overlook the fact that you'll need another piece of equipment if you want to record a programme while watching something else.

So it wont work like it does now? I only record the odd thing onto video and i can change channel.

superscaper

MissG wrote:

So it wont work like it does now? I only record the odd thing onto video and i can change channel.

It's always been the case that you need more than one tuner to watch something other than what you're recording. Moneymaker is simply pointing out that if you have a video recorder then it's own analogue tuner will be redundant and it will rely on the tv's tuner, hence two devices sharing one tuner and the tuner can only tune into one channel at once. So make sure any future recording device you get has at least one digital tuner itself.