Aerial installation for freeview

Goldenarms_

Hi I rent a relatively new house and have always made do with my sky tv, however I am no longer a sky customer. There are sockets for a normal aerial in the living room and bedroom and there are wires for it in the loft.

I'd like to get freeview sorted as my tv has it built in, but I don't know what I need to do.

Do I just buy an aerial and hook it up in my loft and I'm ready to roll?!

[Deleted User]

Just continue to use your old Sky box. Even though you are no longer a Sky customer, the decoder will receive all the free-to-air channels without any extra outlay for a new aerial.

This is the money-saving option.

Goldenarms_

Using the sky box is not an option as it doesn't work anymore. I should have mentioned this in the original post.

brewerdave

Are you allowed to put an aerial on the roof under your tenancy agreement? If so, then get some quotes for a proper installation because the problem with a DIY loft installation is that the signal may be too weak to work thru the tiled roof AND even if not, you have to tune it directionally which is not the easiest thing to do in the dark!
You could end up wasting time/money on a loft aerial.

PlutoinCapricorn

How far are you from a transmitter? I just use an indoor aerial and get good reception.

[Deleted User]

Goldenarms_ wrote: »

Using the sky box is not an option as it doesn't work anymore. I should have mentioned this in the original post.

You can get a second-hand (working) Sky decoder from E-Bay or Cash Converters for around £20 (far cheaper than a new aerial installation). As long as your dish is still in working order, this is the second most money-saving option.

teddysmum

If you want to record, you could buy a Freesat Humax PVR and so use the Sky dish.


If you want Freeview, you will, however, need an aerial, but as has been mentioned above, you could be lucky enough to be able to use a portable one.


We are 5 miles from the transmitter and can use the portable, bought from Argos (for caravan use), even without the mains booster, provided with it.


As you have a Freeview tv (to test on without needing a PVR), you could buy a portable setup from Argos, then return it if it doesn't work for you.

AndyPK

Stick an arial in the loft.

If u have more than 1 tv you will need an amp and distribution unit and a power source in the loft to plug it into.

C_Mababejive

Consider a log periodic antenna rather than the cheap so called wideband bacofoil variety which are designed for peak performance only at one frequency

Freesat from sky,freesat and freeview are all different though there is crossover..

almillar

As teddysmum says, there's no need to install an aerial if you've already got a working satellite dish (assuming it's the Sky box that's faulty. By the time you've bought an aerial and Freeview recorder (never mind installation) you could have a FreeSat recorder and plug it straight in. Freetime is Freesat's equivalent of Freeview's YouView (catch up stuff, on demand) if you buy a slightly better box.
As with Sky, and unlike Freeview, you will need 2 cables from the dish if you want to watch one/record one.