Hi.
We have just bought a new TV with the digital box within the TV. Can anyone tell me about aerials needed to get these extra channels ie Freeview. Are they expinsive , who has used a good aerial fitter or could recomemd one. Any feedback would be very welcome. Merry Christmas to all.

It's just a normal aerial, but you need to be in a CH5 reception area (for some unbeknown reason)

If your picture is breaking up, then a signal booster would sort out an analogue reception, but with digital it also amplifies the interference.

That's about as much as I know, sorry.

This may help:
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20200&highlight=aerial

You may not need an aerial upgrade, depending on the quality of your existing aerial and signal.
Best bet is to set it all up and see what happens. Most TV's have a signal reception strength and quality display somewhere in the menus. If your reception strength and\or quality is a bit suspect or the picture frequently breaks up then look at getting a new aerial.
Also, don't expect it all to be perfect, digital isn't! C5 isn't very good at the best of times on digital and most of the other channels are intermittently patchy.
Basically, suck it and see!

Many thanks to Strix & Lurch for your replys, i also looked at the link you sent me of another thread. I think i will try and get to know if anybody round about has got the digi box. You both talk about channel 5, this in our area (Sheff 4 near Northern General Hos.) is hit and miss, we can't get it but some can. We have got cable passing our house but never thought of having this. Would this solve the problem or is it very expensive.

Phone the aerial guy. They usually know who's going to be able to get it and which areas are a lost cause.

Can't help you with cable, I'm digital :D

Originally posted by regblind
Many thanks to Strix & Lurch for your replys, i also looked at the link you sent me of another thread. I think i will try and get to know if anybody round about has got the digi box. You both talk about channel 5, this in our area (Sheff 4 near Northern General Hos.) is hit and miss, we can't get it but some can.
Best bet, as a guide, is to find someone with a freeview set top box and borrow it to see what it's like on your existing setup. If you don't know anyone with a STB then they're only £20\30 upwards. Could save you that in the long run if you find out it works fine on your existing aerial
Originally posted by regblind
We have got cable passing our house but never thought of having this. Would this solve the problem or is it very expensive.
Depends what you want. It will cost you a monthly fee but you do get more out of it. Best bet is find someone with cable and freeview and see what you get and what you'd like.

To save money,
i removed my satalite dish and replaced it with a pudding tin.
Unfortunately i could only get Yorkshire. :hihi:

Originally posted by viking
To save money,
i removed my satalite dish and replaced it with a pudding tin.
Unfortunately i could only get Yorkshire. :hihi: I know I'm not supposed to do this, but

:hihi: :clap: :hihi:

What do you have to replace your dish with to just get Anglia? Or Thames?... That could prove messy.

Originally posted by Strix
[B]It's just a normal aerial, but you need to be in a CH5 reception area (for some unbeknown reason)



It is because Channel 5 is on MUX A - which is the weakest, along with MUX C being the second weakest.



MUX 1

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

NEWS 24

CBBC /
BBC 3
0 Radio stations
BBCi


MUX 2

ITV-1

ITV-2

ITV News

Channel 4

E4 /
UKTV Food /
Bloomberg

ITV 3

(More 4)
(tbc)

0 Radio stations

TeleText
TeleText on 4

MUX A

Five
QVC
UK Style
+
Cartoon N
BidUp.TV
Discovery
+
H & L
+
TV X
UK Gold
+
Boomerang
ABC1
price-drop.tv
6 Radio stations
Teletext+
TText Hols
TText TVGuide
TCM


MUX B
701
BBC FOUR /
Cbeebies
702 /
Community
Parliment &
News Mscreen
6 Radio stations
BBCi

MUX C
Sky News
Sky Sports News
Sky Travel
UKTV History
0 radio stations

MUX D
TMF
The Hits
FTN /
UK TV BI
Ideal World
9 radio stations

Yoo Play
4TV
Source: http://www.tellyaerial.co.uk/

I am not an expert but I do not see why you need a settop box if you have a digital TV. Surely this is why you buy a digital TV. I have never seen a digital TV but I imagine that there is a setup option in its menu system to get it to register the digital channels it can find.

You should be able to get Freeview OK. Try typing your postcode into this site and see what it says.

http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/coverage.html

I tried this with the Northern General Hospital postcode and if you are receiving from Emley Moor or Sheffield you should be OK. (Emley moor your aerial points a bit west of North with horizontal directors and Sheffield a bit west of South with Vertical directors).

Your aerial may need to be upgraded.

I wouldn't take too much notice of the DTG site, it's OK as a guide but it isn't a definitive reference.
And yes, I got lost with the STB thing, I thought someone said they were thinking of buying a digital TV, I didn't notice that they had already got one. My mistake. If the TV isn't picking up digital then you need to get it checked. It could just be something as simple as a duff joint in the cable somwhere.
I also thought about mentioning muxes, but decided that would just confuse everyone!

Originally posted by Incomer
I am not an expert but I do not see why you need a settop box if you have a digital TV. Surely this is why you buy a digital TV. I have never seen a digital TV but I imagine that there is a setup option in its menu system to get it to register the digital channels it can find.

You should be able to get Freeview OK. Try typing your postcode into this site and see what it says.

http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/coverage.html

I tried this with the Northern General Hospital postcode and if you are receiving from Emley Moor or Sheffield you should be OK. (Emley moor your aerial points a bit west of North with horizontal directors and Sheffield a bit west of South with Vertical directors).

Your aerial may need to be upgraded.

Yeah, you are either Crosspool or Emley Moor in your area.

Alex