Analogue tv and set top box
lea27
Posts: 11,426 Forum Member
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I have an analogue tv thats around 7 years old, nothing wrong with it and therefore not going to get rid of it. Was wondering what I can do keep it going after the digital switchover. Is it going to be ok to buy a set top box and a decent indoor aeriel, is this going to work with the switchover?
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In my locale a roof top aerial is required.
Digital switchover (DSO) doesn't automatically mean the need for a new aerial. If you have an existing roof mounted aerial then that will often give a better result than even the best indoor version. Just buy a Freeview box and try it. You never know, it might just work.
Try a box with it now, just because your transmitter has not undergone dso doesn't necessarily mean you can't use digital.
Most pre-dso transmitters have both analogue and digital services, the output power of the digital signals are lower to avoid interference with other services, At dso the closure of the analogue services allows a large increase in the digital power.
Chances are that if your analogue signals are OK then a digibox will work fine. If your TV doesn't have scart sockets you will need a box with a built in modulator.
Put your post code in here to see if you can get digital now,
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker/
tv's without scart connections can be used thru the RF ariel cable, from a set top box
Only if the box has a built in rf modulator or you add an external one.
I recommend the current Vestel HD boxes. Apart from being pretty good, they have my must have feature of allowing you to re number the channels.
I bought mine, the Techica STBHDV2010 for £25 from tesco outlet on ebay, so keep an eye open, they can be had very cheap from time to time.
...by washing the 'aerial' in 'Ariel' as mentioned above
So if any rows or individual squares are missing or replaced by text, your aerial set-up has failed.
This is what it should look like.
http://www.markyboy.net/dso2.jpg
Set top box installed very quickly, looked like I had around 60 channels but last night noticed that only about 14 of these channels could actually be viewed. I then re-scanned for channels and that time it seemed to not pick up the radio channels. I live in an area with good reception. Will I be able to get the rest of the channels when the switchover happens?
It also displays a message reminding me of the switchover and how to completely reinstall all channels when it happens which seems simple enough.
To check this, put your house postcode and name or number in the box on
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/how_do_i_switch/connections__and__retuning/retuning_instructions - it should give you your most likely transmitter's manual tuning details now and you can always repeat the exercise on your DSO dates.
Do you not have an aerial on your roof or in your loft?
The same one you used for analogue should still work for digital reception.
I do not have an aerial on the roof. The indoor aerial is in the loft, where the room actually is.
Similarly some Set Top Boxes /PVRs have more sensitive tuners than others and it is worthwhile doing some research before toddling down to Argos.
http://www.argos.co.uk/wcsstore/argos/images/5343243A61IFN137737M.JPG
If so give it a decent burial then go out and get a bit of damp string, it will work better in my experience of these useless devices. Ones that look like small outdoor aerials work better IMO.
Useless, misleading advertising speak I'm afraid.
It makes no difference to the aerial if the transmission is analogue or digital - a signal is a signal - and it's the strength of that signal received that matters
Might be worth trying your old aerial as well. It might work better. As others have said, there's no such thing as a digital aerial.
That's just a load of branding horseshit. I have an indoor aerial from the early 1970s that works fine with Freeview, mind you, I can see the transmitter from here.
It may work with digital - but only when such a small aerial can actually pick up a decent signal.
Or through phono cables, like my mum's 1993 Sharp does.