Question:
Right forum? Dunno.... anyway...
Some questions.
Basically I'm sick of a crap picture on my tv (although it's not working right now), so my understanding is if I buy one of these, I get crystal clear picture, more channels all for free.
Does that mean I still need a TV licence? How much are these boxes? Where do they plug in? Does my TV need to be compatible? How do I tell if it is?
Help !
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk has a forum with people who could probably answer yr question better.
In short - yes still need a license, boxes about £100, lpug into scart or UHF port of your TV, check http://www.freeview.tv to check coverage in your area. You might not get an improvement if you're far away from a transmitter.
Take the "crystal clear picture" claim with a pinch of salt too.
Over compressed pixellated garbage is sometimes a more fitting description.
All TV's are compatible, boxes are available in the range of £50 - £100, a TV license is required, the aerial from the roof or vcr plugs into the box, then an aerial runs from the box to your TV, plus you can also do the same with scart.
Set up should take nothing more than fifteen minutes. Here in Manchester I get an excellent signal, all the channels and never suffer from bad picture quality.
Ian
Need a license? Yes
The boxes can be picked up for as little as £60.
They plug into a SCART socket, and most likely RF aerial socket.
As long as you got those sockets a Freeview box will work, providing your in a covered area, postcode checker on www.freeview.co.uk
And I think your moving to Hardware forum very soon :)
Hmmm well my TV uses an indoor ariel so is it still worth it?
I get a terrible picture where I live but having seen several friends digital reception am not remotely inclined to upgrade.. darn things seem to pixellate and freeze up all the time. I'ld wait until the prices become so cheap you can throw them away if they annoy u too much!
Originally posted by mattkbishop
Hmmm well my TV uses an indoor ariel so is it still worth it?
Got an old ITV digital box in my bedroom and i use a portable arial on it and get a perfect picture... But i live in a strong reception area.
if you live near a busy road that can make the picture pixalate as well.
BTW you should already have a tv liscense. the invisable detector vans will be after you.:nono:
Originally posted by Arch Stanton
BTW you should already have a tv liscense. the invisable detector vans will be after you.:nono:
I do but I was talking about a general "I" as in "a person in general" lol
Is anyone here in or around the Lincoln area with a freeview box? According to the website it's a no reception area..but there's loadsa shops selling em. I just wanna know if you CAN get a decent picture in this area.
Originally posted by mattkbishop
Basically I'm sick of a crap picture on my tv
if you have a crap analogue picture (as far as i am aware) i think you can kiss goodbye to any sort of digital picture at all. I had a new aerial installed when i had on digital because i couldn't pick any picture up most of the time, the installer said "how on earth are you picking tv up at all the reading was at 25db on his meter" he installed a new aerial with a reading of 70db with an attenuator attached as well - never have any sort of break up now other than in a serious storm. It also depends on whether you live near to a transmitter as to what sort of picture you get (as has been said)
At my house in Durham, we got a fanyastic analogue picture, but on the Digital picture there was frequent pixellation though this is probably more to do with compression than the signal strength.
It's a shame to see DTV and DAB suffer because the broadcasters try to cram too much crap into the signal.
Originally posted by mattkbishop
Right forum? Dunno.... anyway...
I think hardware forum :) (forgot to move it earlier!)
Moving...
The Netgem box is the one to have IMO
Originally posted by hotrod
if you have a crap analogue picture (as far as i am aware) i think you can kiss goodbye to any sort of digital picture at all.
Not strictly true - my digital tv reception is much better than my analogue reception, although a guy who posted about the pixellation is correct - there are some cases where this occurs.
The main problem dtv has is with fades, they always seem to pixellete due to the compression. However, the overall reception is better, I get proper 16:9 widescreen signals, and the sound is better to my ears through the optical out on my box.
Also, anyone looking at the NetGem box should make sure they get the latest hardware revision, it's potentially twice as powerful if they decide to use it...
Some questions.
Basically I'm sick of a crap picture on my tv (although it's not working right now), so my understanding is if I buy one of these, I get crystal clear picture, more channels all for free.
Does that mean I still need a TV licence? How much are these boxes? Where do they plug in? Does my TV need to be compatible? How do I tell if it is?
Help !
Answers:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk has a forum with people who could probably answer yr question better.
In short - yes still need a license, boxes about £100, lpug into scart or UHF port of your TV, check http://www.freeview.tv to check coverage in your area. You might not get an improvement if you're far away from a transmitter.
Answers:
Take the "crystal clear picture" claim with a pinch of salt too.
Over compressed pixellated garbage is sometimes a more fitting description.
Answers:
All TV's are compatible, boxes are available in the range of £50 - £100, a TV license is required, the aerial from the roof or vcr plugs into the box, then an aerial runs from the box to your TV, plus you can also do the same with scart.
Set up should take nothing more than fifteen minutes. Here in Manchester I get an excellent signal, all the channels and never suffer from bad picture quality.
Ian
Answers:
Need a license? Yes
The boxes can be picked up for as little as £60.
They plug into a SCART socket, and most likely RF aerial socket.
As long as you got those sockets a Freeview box will work, providing your in a covered area, postcode checker on www.freeview.co.uk
And I think your moving to Hardware forum very soon :)
Answers:
Hmmm well my TV uses an indoor ariel so is it still worth it?
Answers:
I get a terrible picture where I live but having seen several friends digital reception am not remotely inclined to upgrade.. darn things seem to pixellate and freeze up all the time. I'ld wait until the prices become so cheap you can throw them away if they annoy u too much!
Answers:
Originally posted by mattkbishop
Hmmm well my TV uses an indoor ariel so is it still worth it?
Got an old ITV digital box in my bedroom and i use a portable arial on it and get a perfect picture... But i live in a strong reception area.
if you live near a busy road that can make the picture pixalate as well.
BTW you should already have a tv liscense. the invisable detector vans will be after you.:nono:
Answers:
Originally posted by Arch Stanton
BTW you should already have a tv liscense. the invisable detector vans will be after you.:nono:
I do but I was talking about a general "I" as in "a person in general" lol
Answers:
Is anyone here in or around the Lincoln area with a freeview box? According to the website it's a no reception area..but there's loadsa shops selling em. I just wanna know if you CAN get a decent picture in this area.
Answers:
Originally posted by mattkbishop
Basically I'm sick of a crap picture on my tv
if you have a crap analogue picture (as far as i am aware) i think you can kiss goodbye to any sort of digital picture at all. I had a new aerial installed when i had on digital because i couldn't pick any picture up most of the time, the installer said "how on earth are you picking tv up at all the reading was at 25db on his meter" he installed a new aerial with a reading of 70db with an attenuator attached as well - never have any sort of break up now other than in a serious storm. It also depends on whether you live near to a transmitter as to what sort of picture you get (as has been said)
Answers:
At my house in Durham, we got a fanyastic analogue picture, but on the Digital picture there was frequent pixellation though this is probably more to do with compression than the signal strength.
It's a shame to see DTV and DAB suffer because the broadcasters try to cram too much crap into the signal.
Answers:
Originally posted by mattkbishop
Right forum? Dunno.... anyway...
I think hardware forum :) (forgot to move it earlier!)
Moving...
Answers:
The Netgem box is the one to have IMO
Answers:
Originally posted by hotrod
if you have a crap analogue picture (as far as i am aware) i think you can kiss goodbye to any sort of digital picture at all.
Not strictly true - my digital tv reception is much better than my analogue reception, although a guy who posted about the pixellation is correct - there are some cases where this occurs.
The main problem dtv has is with fades, they always seem to pixellete due to the compression. However, the overall reception is better, I get proper 16:9 widescreen signals, and the sound is better to my ears through the optical out on my box.
Also, anyone looking at the NetGem box should make sure they get the latest hardware revision, it's potentially twice as powerful if they decide to use it...
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