The Digital switchover.... having a "duh" moment

[kennythecelt]

Thanks Locutus,

 

that was helpful. I tried the post code checker but mine did not show up. I have sent them an e mail asking when/ if it is coming to my area.

 

I have 3 DAB radios (don't ask), that I brought with me.

[PriorityOne]

You're most welcome

 

You will need to buy a digital box for each TV no matter which option.

 

From your post, I feel you are most interested in freesat, with freeview coming second. Yes... I can't get Freeview here, so there's no point going down that road for now, but I'm assuming that I'd need another FreeSat (Sky) box in my daughter's room as well ?.... which could both link up to the mini-dish somehow ? Which ever you choose maybe you should call a professional and see about the cost of setting them up in multiple rooms. That sounds best... lol :grin:I feel it would be pointless setting her up with an aerial from the main one, paying for the cable and the time for someone to install it if this is not going to sort the digital TV problem out in that room. That would just make me cross... [/quote]

 

[PriorityOne]

Not quite back to the topic 'cos I'm gonna continue the hijack

 

What law says you have to pay a TV licence? I was lead to believe that the money went to the BBC... why don't one of these new digital services not just not broadcast BBC stuff? If the fee is for the transmitters, if you have a satalite service you don't use them, why do you have to pay? I find is disgusting that there is no choice other than "you watch TV, you have to pay!"

 

 

Well, if anyone wants to start a revolution, I'm in !! :grin:

[locutus]

It's one of them bills that really buggs me. We have to pay for a service because there is a rule out there that we have to pay. The market is competitive enough for the suppliers to not need this funding as they can fund via advertising or subscription (or both in the case of sky which is another of my pet hates... I sound like a moany old man now LOL).

[renegotiation]

Yes P1, you would need one Sky box per TV. I think you would have to a pay £10 per month subscription for the extra box. It is possible Sky might rig up a second hand Sky box for you, if you had one, when they installed your main one. Or Sky might set up 2 second hand boxes for you just out of desperation to get you connected. Obviously check with Sky first. It's quite likely you will know someone who has one just sitting around. Or maybe someone may have a Sky+ box sitting around who has just upgraded to a Sky HD box. If you do decide to go down the Sky route I would definitely ask around. They would probably sell it cheap.

[PriorityOne]

Yes P1, you would need one Sky box per TV. I think you would have to a pay £10 per month subscription for the extra box. It is possible Sky might rig up a second hand Sky box for you, if you had one, when they installed your main one. Or Sky might set up 2 second hand boxes for you just out of desperation to get you connected. Obviously check with Sky first. It's quite likely you will know someone who has one just sitting around. Or maybe someone may have a Sky+ box sitting around who has just upgraded to a Sky HD box. If you do decide to go down the Sky route I would definitely ask around. They would probably sell it cheap.

 

I may have a Sky box already actually.... It was my step-father's and we just boxed it all away when the house had to be emptied (he passed away last December ). When I go to find out about FreeSat, I'll ask if this one can be rigged up to the mini-dish system somehow.

 

What a palava though !!!

 

As for the TV Licence, it's just the typically British way to carry on paying without making a fuss. Having said that, there is strength in numbers.... and there are plenty out there who're pig sick of paying through the nose for everything in sight (almost literally ).

[fuzzybobble]

I recently bought a Digifusion FVRT 145 freeview box. Factory refurb with 1 year warranty. £42 including delivery. It's twin tuner too. Works fine of a small loop aerial on the window ledge.

 

I did tweak it a bit though. I did a firmware upgrade by connecting it to my computer. The firmware was a custom modified version of the FVRT 200 firmware. So, now I have a better programme guide that lets you record a whole series with one click. Now it lets you record two programmes at once, while watching something you recorded earlier.

 

The original unit was quite noisy due to the hard disk constantly clicking and a cooling fan that could power a dyson.

So I removed the fan, and swapped the 80GB hard disk for a 120GB laptop drive. Now it's virtually silent and runs a lot cooler. I also have the advantage of a extra 20 hours recording time.

 

Not bad for £42, an hours work, and a hard disk salvaged from my mates old laptop that he sat on by mistake.

 

All I need now is some TV shows that are worth watching.

[PriorityOne]

Show off... :D

[fuzzybobble]

Not showing off.

Just trying to help others save a few quid.

 

I have the links....

 

Where to get the £42 freeview recorder.

The website where to find the instructions for the upgrades for the hard disk and firmware.

 

Knowledge is power. But why not share it and make the world a better place instead?

 

If you want to know more PM me. As I can't post links to commercial sites on here, as it's against fourm rules. Daft really. A link to a site that saves peeps money's not a bad things. Especially if the person posting the link isn't making money out of it.

[PriorityOne]

I was only joking Fuzzy .... Most of the techie stuff goes right over my head though.... unfortunately.

 

[diskmandave]

Thanks for all your replies people... it's really appreciated.

 

Why does no-one seem to like FreeSat (Sky) ?

 

Because it's Sky's version of Freeview, but with a much higher installation price, and exactly the same channels as Freeview! ;-)

[PriorityOne]

Because it's Sky's version of Freeview, but with a much higher installation price, and exactly the same channels as Freeview! ;-)

 

Oh I see.... so they're making the percentage who can't get Freeview pay throught the nose then....

 

Which means me.

[Castlebest]

and I still don't know if I need a signal amplifier on my aerial feed for multiple TV's / set top boxes or if the boxes will cope with multiple aerial use without an amplifier

[PriorityOne]

Why couldn't they just leave things as they were..... and save us all this grief and expense, eh ?

[Castlebest]

Why couldn't they just leave things as they were..... and save us all this grief and expense, eh ?

 

Because we would still be chasing mammoths with spears and hitting women over the head with clubs before dragging them back to the cave..... hang on... Why couldn't they just leave things as they were..... and save us all this grief and expense

[dx100uk]

and I still don't know if I need a signal amplifier on my aerial feed for multiple TV's / set top boxes or if the boxes will cope with multiple aerial use without an amplifier

 

there is no definitive answer to this, sometimes it will work, sometimes boxes can be daisy-chained from one aerial, sometimes they cannot.

 

TBH you cant go wrong by using a loft fitted distribution box, even you 'don't' need one, it will do now harm other than to your pocket. maplins ones are good and are quite cheap.

 

dx

[dx100uk]

Why couldn't they just leave things as they were..... and save us all this grief and expense, eh ?

 

it all really goes back to the users choice of wanting multple channels.

 

as it stands, the chunk of the airwaves that is used for TV signals is not big enough to send every station out and the system that has been used to deliver TV signals via the airwave to date, is not capable of delivering the comumers demand for higher quality pictures. so technology has come to the rescue.

what is going on is, TBH, is quite exciting, for the same 'space' that a traditional TV signal takes up on the airwaves, multiple signals can now be carried, and by a digital format that does not suffer the poor picture quality that bedaggars the old system.

but ofcourse, this is done by a different method, so thus, a 'converter' is required with existing tv sets to enable the users to watch these channels.

 

the only really serious drawback to the end user 'us' is that there no longer exists the possibility of 'almost' getting the channel [like in the old days of a snowy picture. because it is sent via a digital system, it is either '1' there or '0' not there. so stems the issues with p'haps needing a better aerial than what was used in the installation days of your original tv.

 

i really do hate the rip-offs that are going on...oh you want freeview...well you will need a new aerial=£100 fitted. NOT TRUE!!!!

 

by the time the switchover has been completed, most if not all of the current sites you point your aerial at will be digital, but some are not yet.

if you can get a crisp and clear signal now, then you WILL be able to do the same when the main transmitter goes digital [most areas have not switched the main transmitters to digital - if you have it, you are on a low power substiture at present!!

 

a really good site to get your head around is this one.

 

BBC - Help receiving BBC TV and Radio - Today's transmitter work

 

dx

[renegotiation]

Oh I see.... so they're making the percentage who can't get Freeview pay throught the nose then....

 

Which means me.

 

Installation from Sky is free at the moment. Don't forget you will get extra channels when you sign up. Sky is probably overpriced, but I wouldn't call it a rip off. Not at the moment with the good deals on the boxes and free installation anyway... As Dave said, if you sign up through someone else for new equipment you would get an even better deal. And don't forget you can still haggle! :-)

 

 

Can anyone help with this query. We have 2 identical flat screens in our property with built in freeview. One is hooked up to an old aerial that is a good 20 years old. The other is hooked up to a newer aerial that was fitted as new about 8 years ago. The old aerial is about 3 meteres higher than the new aerial on the top of the roof. I can't tell if its pointed at an angle or not. The new aerial seems to be horizontal. They both happily pick up the analog signal, but only the TV connected to the old aerial happily picks up the digital signal. The TV connected to the new aerial doesn't seem tp pick up some channels at all and others are a bit patchy. Is the problem likely to be the quality of the aerial, the angle of the aerial or its lower position on the property in comparison to the old aerial? Anyone have an inkling? The reason i'm asking is because on very rare occasions when it is stormy we lose the Sky signal. It's very convenient to just switch over to digital freeview and not miss something.

 

 

No rest for the wicked. I'm back on the DCA's forums some time this week. I thnik I feel sane enough. I hope you've been doing sterling work in my absence P1. :grin::grin::grin:

Edited August 26, 2008 by renegotiation

[PriorityOne]

 

No rest for the wicked. I'm back on the DCA's forums some time this week. I thnik I feel sane enough. I hope you've been doing sterling work in my absence P1. :grin::grin::grin:

 

I'm doing my best, Reneg :grin:

 

Maybe I should just get a loft distribution box for now.... so that my daughter's TV can run off the main aerial and then just wait for Freeview to switch on my area.

 

Or... then if Sky are really installing for FREE .... look into taking advantage of their generosity.... providing there are no hidden catches, of course.

 

In either case... one happy daughter = peace for me !!

[locutus]

IF you'r not locked into term for your broadband and IF you are taking sky TV you should look to see if sky broadband is available in your area.

 

(not saying you'll get great service or anything, just it could save you money)

[PriorityOne]

Thanks for that, Locutus.... but I'm not sure I've got it in me to go changing all that as well right now. Both broadband and 'phone are with the same provider, but I'm not locked in any more.

 

It would make sense to change eventually, but there is just too much going on around me right now... so it's just not the right time. Sky offer the whole lot for under £20, as I understand it though, so it sounds a good deal.

 

[locutus]

Well, I think you can add it later to your package.

[revolting peasant]

What area are you in P1? (you don't have to be too specific)

[PriorityOne]

I'm an Essex girl.... .... not born and bred though (grew up in London)... lol

 

I've made a decision (shock! horror! )... I have decided to have my daughter's TV linked up to the existing aeriel which my brother-in-law can do this week-end... and then, just make do with "normal" TV until my area can get Freeview.... as someone said earlier that it would probably happen eventually.

 

As we don't watch much TV anyway and the switchover is not scheduled around these parts until 2010, the blind panic has gone.

 

[Psycho Bob :o)]

"clearer picture" erm not around here lol... regular analog image is great, but digital is a bit ghosty.. even with a nice big maxiview ariel. ho hum...